Third year BA History of Art student Maariya Daud tells us why she’s loved studying at The University of Manchester

Hi, I’m Maariya. I study History of Art at Manchester and am just starting my third year.

Why did you choose to study Art History at Manchester?

I chose to study History of Art, primarily because I have always had a fascination with ancient culture from the classical period to the baroque. At Manchester, there is a huge art scene, with so many galleries and libraries in partnership with the uni, which itself is historic. There are also so many opportunities to explore different disciplines and time periods via free course units.

Which course unit has been your favourite, and why? 

I’ve managed to enrol onto a wide range of course units – from French to Classics. For History of Art though, I loved my Italian Renaissance class in the last year. It gave me insight into a wide berth of culture at the time that wasn’t the basic canon of artists – instead of focusing just on Botticelli or Michelangelo, for instance, the course combined visual arts with the written, as well as sociology, anthropology, and politics – culminating in a study of the Renaissance in Manchester.

My professor was so passionate, so helpful, and I felt like I learnt more than what I just needed for a good grade. Other units I loved were my Medieval Manuscripts tutorial from my first year, where we explored all the symbolism and scripts of old books, as well as my Art in Theory class, which sort of combined art history with philosophy.

How has studying in Manchester itself enhanced your experience?

Studying in Manchester means that there is always something you can get involved in – that’s really stood out to me. In every one of my modules we’ve left the lecture hall or seminar room to go to an actual gallery or museum in the city, and I think that’s such a benefit of studying in a vibrant place such as Manchester.

The Whitworth is exceptionally close to campus, so I spent a lot of time there, and with the university’s collections we’ve managed to have guided, private tours, even meeting the professionals behind the scenes, at places such as Chetham’s Library, Manchester Art Gallery, and John Rylands’ Library. It means that your studies are nicely supplemented by real-life observations.

I’ll never forget studying Late Medieval Italy, visiting the Manchester Art Gallery archives and seeing real 14th century pieces up close – literally, without any glass, I could have touched them if I’d liked. It was so surreal.

What is your highlight from your time studying Art History so far?

The highlight of my time studying at university so far was definitely the week long trip to Amsterdam. It was perfect in October, very autumnal, and we were able to tour so many galleries in our time there – from the famous Rijksmuseum, to the Stedelijk, to the Van Gogh.

We saw Rembrandt’s Night Watch under conservation, Van Gogh’s last ever unfinished painting, and as part of our studies had to give presentations in the galleries (nerve-wracking, but honestly, a great experience). Not only was it wonderful to see works of art that we’d studied for ages, or to see artworks that we’d never seen before, but it was a lovely bonding experience between everyone on the course.

We had enough free time to explore Amsterdam as we wished, while still feeling like we were learning. I think the Art History department does a wonderful job at making sure your studies are not purely classroom based but actually fun. The Amsterdam trip was definitely this for me.

What societies do you take part in, and how have you benefitted from them?

As well as the events that the Art History department runs, there are so many societies to be a part of at Manchester. I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with The Mancunion, the newspaper; in my first year I was a writer, later becoming an editor, and now Managing Editor!

It means that I get to engage with many people from across the university that I never would have talked to otherwise, have so many different conversations, hearing from alumni and famous journalists along the way. I am also part of the CAHAE (classics) society, the Islamic society, and Film society. There are a plethora of clubs to get involved in, each with regular events, and the annual winter and summer balls are definitely highlights of the year.

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