Principles of Art History Writing

Author: Karil
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-03-01
Features: The parallel between the history of art and the history of the history of art is profoundly meaningful. Both histories ultimately arrive at a conscious awareness that they are systems of representation. The chapters in the book compare illustration (so-called pictures of the written word) and interpretation as methods for understanding the development of art history. Through parallels drawn between the history of art and the history of the history of art, the author distinguishes between the concepts of "art history" and "art writing," viewing the history of art writing as a parallel history of stylistic changes in art. Similar to questioning the idea of whether art progresses in the transformation of styles, the author examines the relationship between the changes in the style of art writing and the progress of art historical research, thereby "emphasizing certain methods, namely how the wording in visual art literature affects the interpretive principles developed in art history writing." The many questions raised in this book are ones that modern art history researchers must carefully consider, and thus it is also listed as a basic textbook for students in many art history departments in the United States. As a relativist, the author, on the one hand, rejects the notion that the understanding of artworks has only a single interpretation, thereby opening up a space for free interpretation. At the same time, however, he cannot avoid the uncertainty and vagueness caused by relativism and skepticism, as well as the ambiguity in resolving specific issues.