History of Art - MA

Anna Bonewitz

I was initially drawn to the University of Bristol for postgraduate study by the curator at an American museum, who recommended Professor Elizabeth Prettejohn as the ideal scholar to support my study of Victorian art. Prior study abroad experiences in London and Florence, impressed upon me the benefits of studying the art and history of a culture while immersed in it and I instantly recognized the advantages that a program of study in the United Kingdom would bring.
I am very impressed by the resources available to students here and the range of courses that have allowed me to concentrate on British art from the outset. Not only did I take two courses on Victorian art, but also participated in a curatorial project at Montacute House in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery as part of a course on Tudor and Jacobean portraits. This course, combined with another course on the emergence and development of museums in nineteenth-century Britain, complement not only my interest in British art, but are also of paramount importance to my future ambition as a curator.

What I think has most impressed me about the department at Bristol is the opportunity to produce individual research as early as the MA level. I am already developing interesting lines of research on fresh topics in the field of art history. The ability to make an individual contribution to the study of art is extremely satisfying, and I know I would not have happened upon these questions if I were not exposed to the vast array of primary documents and unique sources that are available to me at Bristol.

My experiences at Bristol have not only been fulfilling in the academic sense, but I am truly enjoying being part of Bristol’s vibrant international student community. This year I welcomed a position as a hall tutor at an undergraduate hall of residence, which has allowed me to become an integral part of university life from the moment that I moved to the United Kingdom.

I highly recommend the History of Art department at the University of Bristol, particularly to anyone wishing to specialize in British art. I also encourage American students to apply to the University of Bristol if they are looking for a university with strong academic credentials and the opportunity to experience university life in the United Kingdom.