Principles of Art History Writing - Famous Works on Western Art History

Author: Caryl
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Through parallel analogies between the history of art and the history of art history, the author distinguishes between the concepts of "art history" and "art writing," viewing the history of art writing as a parallel evolution of stylistic changes in art, similar to the question of whether art progresses in the transformation of styles. The author examines the relationship between the evolution of art writing styles and the progress of art historical research, thereby "emphasizing certain methods, namely how the choice of words and phrases in visual art literature affects the interpretive principles developed in art history writing." The many questions raised in this book are carefully considered by modern art historians, and it has also been listed as a basic textbook for students in numerous art history departments in the United States. As a relativist, the author, on the one hand, rejects the notion that the understanding of artworks can only have a single interpretation. Thus, it opens up a space for free interpretation, while also inevitably leading to uncertainty and ambiguity caused by relativism and skepticism, as well as vagueness in resolving specific issues.