Art history

Art history is the study of the history of art, artists and movements in art in a particular period of time. Especially when we talk about the “art objects” it is the study of objects of art in their historical and stylistic contexts. When we refer it within the context of the “artists and movements in art” then it is also the historic records of people and events of a particular time and the spirit and emotions related to them.

We need to also understand that art history is different from art criticism and art theory. History of Art is involved with the questions like

1. How did a particular artist come to create his work? What were the circumstances and motivations behind the creation of that art work?
2. Who were the patrons and how they helped an art work to gain acceptance and encouraged the artist to gain prominence in a particular period of time?
3. Who were the teachers of the artist and to which lineage and tradition or school of thought the artist was affiliated to?
4. Who was the audience for the art work?
5. Who were the disciples of the artist and how they kept alive and moulded the artistic tradition in due course of time?
6. And finally how the environment of a particular period affected the work of an artist and how the artist was able to influence the environment of a particular period of time. In more technical terms it refers to what historical forces shaped the artist's work and how did he or she and the creation, in turn, affect the course of artistic, political, and social events of that particular period of time and beyond?

On the other hand art criticism tries to establish a relative artistic value of a piece of art with various factors involved and art theory is concerned with the fundamental nature of art involving the aesthetics, beauty, appeal, the hidden meaning and the mystery involved with the art work.

The study of the history of art will be never be complete without in-depth analysis of the following below mentioned topics which include

1. Historical development of art-This includes the art history of the ancient world, the beginnings of the modern art history, the critical traditions of art, study of Wolfflin the father of modern art history, the study of the Vienna school which was one of the major school of art historical thought and study of Panofsky and his followers who were involved with iconography, and in particular with the transmission of themes related to classical antiquity in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
2. Psychoanalytic history of Art
3. Prominent critical art historians
4. Semiotic history of Art
5. Divisions by period
6. Methodologies in studying art history

Art History: History of various artistic forms

History of various artistic forms analyzes the History of decorative arts, History of painting, History of sculpture, History of architecture, History of dance, History of music and History of poetry.

Art History: Art type based on period

Art type based on period can be broadly divided into prehistoric art, ancient art, medieval art, modern art, postmodern art and contemporary art.

Art History: History of Art based on region, culture, tradition and religion

This includes Western history of Art, Eastern art history, Asian art, European art, American art, Native American art, Art of Central America, Art of South America, Gothic art, Celtic art, Byzantine art, Byzantine mosaic, Illuminated manuscripts, Renaissance art, Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo art, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Luminism, Romantic art, Cubism, Surrealism, Dada, Abstract expressionism, Pop art, Islamic art, art related to Christianity, Buddhist art and Hindu art.

Art History: Do we need History of Art?

Finally the question that crops up is “do we need art history?” In fact when we think of art we immediately associate it with a piece of beauty having meaning, significance and appeal to humanity across the ages. We acknowledge that such a high piece of art is timeless and such a visual material has its own autonomous existence and we enjoy such a piece of art for its own sake independent of any knowledge of its context. On the other hand we have to accept the fact that people view a piece of art in contrasting ways and draw their own imaginations, associations and conclusions based on the different time periods and cultures they belong to.

So if art has an independent and autonomous existence irrespective of any knowledge of its context then why we need to have art history? A very difficult question to answer but maybe we need art history because if nothing else at least it tells us about the evolution of humanity over a period of time with human aspirations, emotions and feelings at the forefront.

Article by Sanjay Nair

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