Understanding Art: Modern Art from Impressionism to Pop (classroom)
"Taking this evening class was one of the best decisions I've ever made." - Angela Hou (Royal College of Art student)
At a Glance
- Classroom course
- 2 hours a week
- Wednesdays 18:30 - 20:30
- 20 weeks: October to March
- Tutor: Michael Paraskos
- Fees from £230 to £420
- Imperial College attendance certificate (T&Cs apply)
- THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL
Modern Art Video Paraskos

** THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL **
Places are still available on the History of Western Art: From Classicism to Impressionism course, which is also classroom-based (not online) and delivered on Wednesdays, 6.30pm to 8.30pm at our South Kensington Campus.
Dr Michael Paraskos invites you to join him on an exciting whistlestop tour of the sometimes bewildering world of modern art, starting with the Impressionists in the 1860s, and ending with art in the mid-twentieth century.
The journey is a facinating one, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, and always extraordinary - if you have ever wanted to understand the modern art in some of our most well-known museums and galleries, by artists ranging from Monet and Picasso, to Dali and Warhol, then this is the course for you!
Study of this period in art history is extremely enjoyable and rewarding, but you will end the course with a greater understanding of some most significant works of art to be found in museums and galleries across the world today. From discovering how the Impressionists used the latest findings in science to select their colour palette, to how fear of the atomic bomb led to a whole new movement in sculpture, this course will give you a real insight into how modern artists have responded to the modern world, and how that world responded to them.
No previous knowledge of art, history, or art history is necessary, and your tutor is an expert at guiding both novices and the more experienced through the - sometimes shocking and sometimes comic - intricacies of modern art. The course is organised to encourage discussion and debate, whilst also allowing us to explore the historical development of modern art, and the ideas and influences behind the work of artists of this period.
*Classroom Based Teaching Subject to Government and Imperial College Regulations
Providing the regulations from government and Imperial College permit us to do so, we will deliver this course in person in a classroom at Imperial College in South Kensington. Because of this numbers will be limited. In the event of government or Imperial College regulations changing either before or during the run of the course the weekly sessions will move online with weekly sessions delivered live via the internet.
Please be aware of covid-19 safe-distancing requirements and other covid-related rules and adhere to them. If possible we ask that participants on this course take a home swab test (lateral flow test) before joining each session of the class. These can be ordered free of charge prior to the start of the course from https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests or obtained free of charge from many pharmacists.
If you prefer to study entirely online, a live online version of this course is also available.
Attendance certificate
Those who attend at least 80% of the course sessions will receive an attendance certificate from Imperial College London upon completion of the course.
Course Information
Course Programme
Indicative programme, subject to possible modification.
1: Before Modernism
2: Alfred Barr’s Four Founding Fathers (and the Great Binge) - Part 1: Cezanne and Seurat
3: Alfred Barr’s Four Founding Fathers - Part 2 - Gauguin and van Gogh
4: Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Werkbundismus
5: Clearly Modern: Matisse, Fauvism and Anarchism
6: Ensor, Munch and Dresden Expressionism
7: Hilma af Klint and the Munich Expressionists
8: Picasso and Cubism
9: Futurism, Cabaret and the First World War
*** CHRISTMAS BREAK ***
10: Dada, Sex and Surrealism
11: Surrealism Continued
12: Constructivism
13: De Stijl and Degenerate Art
14: British Modernism Before the First World War
15: British Sculpture Between the Wars
16: Reimann, Bauhaus and Vkhutemas
17: Hope and Fear in Post-War Art and Design
18: The Very British Origins of Pop Art
19: Post Second World War Abstraction
20: American Pop and Photorealism
Additional Reading
There is no compulsory reading required for this course and there is no set course text, but if you would like to read more on the subject we suggest:
- David Britt, Modern Art: Impressionism to Post-Modernism (London: Thames and Hudson, 2007)
- David Cottington, Modern Art: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005)
- Pam Meecham, Modern Art: A Critical Introduction (London: Routledge, 2004)
Your Tutor
Dr Michael Paraskos is a very experienced adult education tutor, having taught for over twenty-five years. He holds a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and also teaches art history to undergraduate students at the City and Guilds of London Art School.
He is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction and has published very widely on art of this period, as well as reviewing exhibitions and novels for BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and The Spectator magazine. His first novel In Search of Sixpence was published in 2016 and his second, called Rabbitman, was published in 2017.
Course Delivery Method: Classroom Taught Course
Courses delivered in-person in a classroom*
This course takes place at our South Kensington Campus and will be classroom taught.
All courses lasting two hours have a 10-minute break in the middle. For one hour courses there is no break.
Covid-19 and Safe Distancing for Classroom-based Courses
Please be aware of covid-19 safe-distancing requirements and adhere to them. We ask if possible that participants on this course take a home swab test (lateral flow test) before joining each session of the class. Swab tests can be ordered free of charge prior to the start of the course from https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests or obtained free of charge from many pharmacists.
* In the event of the government or Public Health England requiring further lockdown measures the class will transfer online and any remaining sessions will be taught entirely online.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Hours | Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 20 | £420 (≡£10.50 per hour) |
£250 (≡£6.25 per hour) |
£330 (≡£8.25 per hour) | |
| All fee rates quoted and due are for the whole 2-term course. Part-payments are not possible. Equivalent to hourly rate is for comparison guidance only. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Applicable to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category, respectively.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- Individuals enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Staff of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Current Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication (CLCC) staff, current CLCC PhD students, Science Communication (Sci Comm) postgraduate students, and students enrolled on an Imperial College 'Language for Science' degree programme should contact eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk before completing the online enrolment form
Associate Rate
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- City & Guilds College Association members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- Natural History Museum staff
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music tutors and other staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many CLCC Evening Class and Lunchtime Learning programmes after the course has started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language Coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Applicable terms & conditions
Please read the Terms and Conditions [pdf] before enrolling on any course.
Term Dates
| Hours | Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | Summer School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 20 | 18 Oct - 18 Dec 2021 (9 weeks)* PLUS | 10 Jan - 26 Mar 2022 (11 weeks) | n/a | n/a |
| * Followed by the Christmas break | |||||
Enrolment Process
Web enrolment starts 2nd August 2021
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. Please click on the blue booking link on the relevant course page noting below instructions:
- Our rate categories are explained on the course page and your applicable rate category must be selected on the eStore
- First-time eStore users please create an account by entering an email address and password. These credentials should also be used for future bookings. Imperial College users please note the eStore is not a single-signon College system
- The booking process involves entering payment details after your course choice and applicant details are collected via an in-built questionnnaire
- The following email notifications are sent:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent instantaneously following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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| If you need further help with the above information please ring 020 7594 8756 |
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Any Questions?
- Questions regarding the content and teaching of this course should be sent to the tutor, Dr Michael Paraskos at m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk
- Questions about your enrolment and payment should be sent to the Programme Administrator, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk
If you have enjoyed this course, why not look at other arts and humanities evening class courses at Imperial College. This includes courses on the history of western art from ancient Greece to the nineteenth century, Understanding Modern and Design, the history of film and cinema and Greek and Roman mythology in art. We also run practical courses in art and photography and creative writing classes, and a growing programme of science based evening classes.