Aspectus was initially conceived as a professional outlet for the thriving postgraduate History of Art department at the University of York. Our editorial board seeks to publish a body of work that represents the vast array of research being conducted by both the students and alumni of the programme.

The University of York History of Art Department contains one of the largest postgraduate bodies in the United Kingdom. We have been ranked first for research impact among UK History of Art departments in Times Higher Education's ranking of the REF 2014 results. In 2019, the department was ranked in the top five in the United Kingdom by The Times.

Run by doctoral students within the programme, we strive to meet the highest professional, academic standards. As such, our content is reviewed by professionals outside of the University using a mutually anonymous system.