History of Art has had something of a renaissance at LEH since Alice Lindsay arrived here in 2016 as the new head of department. Under her expert guidance it has grown and flourished and is now a thriving subject at A level, as well as sparking creativity and piquing interest throughout the school. 

To witness Miss Lindsay light up as she talks about her favourite works of art, with her trademark passion and eloquence, is to wish that you were a regular student in her class. 

Her choice of pieces illuminates the multifaceted nature of studying History of Art and how it simultaneously embraces the personal and the political, the detail and the context, the idea and the cultural impact. 

She explains: “History of Art is the study of people and civilisations, with each work of art acting as a window into a particular period of time or event. As a subject it is incredibly cross-curricular. Understanding art necessitates the study of politics, history, religion, psychology, economics and much more. The art historian is therefore the inter-disciplinarian.” Miss Lindsay’s favourite painting is No Woman No Cry, which was created by British born Nigerian artist Chris Ofili in 1998 and was part of the exhibition which won him the Turner Prize that year. It’s a portrait of Doreen Lawrence, in mixed media, including acrylic paint, oil paint and polyester resin.  

She explains: “The painting is Ofili’s tribute to Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993. It was inspired by the quiet dignity of his mother, Doreen, in the face of such personal tragedy. Written across it, but virtually invisible, are the words ‘RIP Stephen Lawrence 1974–1993’. Ofili has used phosphorescent paint, so the text is only fully revealed in the dark. 

“Out of a really devastating situation, he has created a very beautiful work of art. You can see it for yourself on display at Tate Britain, covered in glitter and bright colours. Ofili does everything he can to confront the presence of racism, not through anger, but by revealing the deep layers of pain. It’s a brilliant example of the power of art to keep a conversation going. We live in this fast-paced world, but art can slow us down, get us thinking and reveal different perspectives.” 

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Miss Lindsay is also a huge fan of Michelangelo, and most particularly his sculptures. “They’re simply incredible - the pinnacle of creativity. Seeing the statue of David in person with the Upper Sixth on the Florence and Rome trip in October, I was astonished all over again. It was like he’d had a glow-up, he was so startling and luminous.” Created during the Renaissance, the sculpture was revolutionary in its day. Standing at an astonishing 17 foot, David embodies the city of Florence, symbolising independence and strength in the perfect image of youthful beauty. 

“Like other humanities subjects, History of Art teaches you many important skills – visual, verbal and analytical – all sought-after skills in candidates for any job,” says Miss Lindsay. “It can lead into a career in the commercial art world or working for a big gallery, but many people who study it go on to get great jobs as lawyers, doctors, civil servants or publishing.” 

History of Art is a popular A level subject, with about 25-30 students across the two year-groups. “Some pupils choose the subject as a leap of faith choice at A level. They are often then the ones who continue to study the subject at university and that’s very gratifying to see.” 

Studying History of Art can bring fresh perspectives to other subjects and break down the silos between STEM and HALE. Two recent would-be medical students studying all science A levels, alongside History of Art, reported that the interviewers had in fact been most interested in their History of Art choice. One of them subsequently returned to LEH and explained that every single one of her anatomy lectures had used a painting of the human body as its starting point.  

Miss Lindsay adds: “It’s so interesting to see how these skills can be used in the wider world. I recently read about NYPD new recruits who must do compulsory training at the MET Museum looking at and analysing art, as it can teach them so much when it comes surveying a crime scene and thinking about it critically to help solve a crime.”   

Miss Lindsay, who has been at LEH for eight years, set out on her teaching pathway after her mother suggested she take History of Art A level. “I very quickly realised that it was best thing I’ve ever studied and was a subject I really loved. My teachers just brought it to life, and I was hooked!” 

Some people can find art intimidating if they don’t know what they’re looking at or how to react, so does she have any tips about how to make the most of a gallery visit? “There’s a statistic that most people spend thirty seconds on average looking at a painting in a museum or gallery. But I’d recommend spending real time with it and not taking a photo. It’s much more rewarding to stand there and actually look at it. Really look at it.” 

“The more you look at a painting, the more you get out of it. Every year, each student brings a fresh perspective. Earlier in my career I felt I had to know everything, but now I really like it when someone brings something new to my attention and I can say: ‘I’ve never noticed that before’.” 

Because History of Art is an A level subject only Miss Lindsay, and her colleague, Mrs Farnum-Ford, are always thinking about ways to make the subject more visible across the whole school. This takes the form of regular assemblies, enrichment week activities, Life Advice Sessions and a thriving Instagram account.  

Another recent innovation is the popular Art Flash weekly email sent to all staff to showcase different works of art. Miss Lindsay is also proud of the new Arts Archive, which is the first student generated arts magazine at LEH and is produced by Lower Sixth pupils. The theme of the first edition was feminism and she’s excited to see what the team will produce next. 

Last term, Miss Lindsay and Mrs Farnum-Ford organised The Art History Teachers Conference at LEH, which was a huge success. It was attended by eighty teachers from independents and state schools, with two guest speakers; conceptual video and installation artist Jeremey Deller, and bestselling author Ross King, who specialises in writing books on art and history.  

“Often there’s only one person teaching History of Art at a school, so it can be a little isolating,” explains Miss Lindsay. “So, this was a wonderful opportunity to share best practice, and encourage professional development and networking. But as one of the country’s leading departments, it was also a good way of putting LEH on the map.” 

It was also a full circle moment for Miss Lindsay personally, as she was thrilled to welcome teachers from her old school to the event, including one who had taught her when she was a pupil there. “It was wonderful to be able to do that,” she smiles.