- "Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context."
The study of how art reflects and influences the cultural and historical context in which it is created.
Prehistoric Art: The art produced by early human civilizations, typically before the invention of writing, and how it helps us to understand their culture and beliefs.
Ancient Art: The art produced by ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and how it reflects the political, social, and religious beliefs of these societies.
Medieval Art: The art and architecture of the Middle Ages, from the Christian and Islamic cultures, and how it reflects their religious and cultural values.
Renaissance Art: The art produced during the Renaissance, particularly in Italy, and how it reflects the changing ideas of humanism, secularism, and individualism.
Baroque Art: The art produced during the Baroque period, particularly in Europe and Latin America, and how it embodies the ideals of the Counter-Reformation and the Age of Absolutism.
Enlightenment Art: The art produced during the Age of Enlightenment, particularly in Europe, and how it reflects the changing ideas about reason, science, and society.
Modern Art: The art produced from the 19th century to the present day, particularly in Europe and America, and how it reflects the changing political, social, and cultural values of modernity.
Art Movements: The various artistic movements that have emerged over time, from Romanticism and Realism to Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism, and how they reflect the changing ideas about art and culture.
Artistic Styles: The different styles of art, from Realism and Impressionism to Cubism and Pop Art, and how they reflect the changing aesthetic values of different historical periods.
Cultural Context: The social, political, and economic context in which art is produced and consumed, and how it shapes the meaning and significance of art.
Gender and Art: The role of gender in the production and reception of art, and how gender influences artistic styles and themes.
Race and Art: The role of race in the production and reception of art, and how race influences artistic styles and themes.
Art and Colonialism: The relationship between art and colonialism, and how colonialism has influenced the production and reception of art in different parts of the world.
Art and Nationhood: The relationship between art and national identity, and how art has been used to define and express national values and ideals.
Art and Globalization: The role of art in the era of globalization, and how the global flows of culture and capital are shaping artistic production and consumption.
Western Art History: This field of art history focuses on the artworks and movements created in Western Europe and the United States.
Non-Western Art History: This field of art history concentrates on the artworks and movements created in regions beyond Europe and the U.S., such as Africa, Asia, or South America.
Prehistoric Art History: This field of art history examines art created by humans before the arrival of written records, such as cave paintings or artifacts.
Classical Art History: This field of art history focuses on the artworks of ancient Greece and Rome, including architecture, sculptures, pottery, and more.
Medieval Art History: This field of art history studies the artworks created during the Middle Ages, from the 5th to the 15th century CE.
Renaissance Art History: This field of art history concentrates on the artworks and movements that sprung up in Italy between the 14th and 17th centuries, such as the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Raphael Sanzio.
Baroque Art History: This field of art history focuses on the artworks and movements that sprang up in Europe between the late 16th and early 18th centuries, characterized by its dramatic lighting, intense emotion, and dynamic movement.
Contemporary Art History: This field of art history studies the artworks and movements created during the 20th and 21st centuries, such as modernism, post-modernism, and conceptual art.
Gender and Art History: This field of art history studies the role of gender in the creation, presentation, and interpretation of artworks throughout history.
Marxist Art History: This field of art history utilizes a Marxist perspective to examine and analyze artworks and their relationship to politics, economics, and society.
Postcolonial Art History: This field of art history studies the artworks created in the aftermath of colonialism and their relationship to cultural identity, power, and representation.
Museum Studies: This field of art history focuses on the art museum as an institution, examining its history, management, curation, and impact on society.
- "Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts."
- "Yet today, art history examines broader aspects of visual culture, including the various visual and conceptual outcomes related to an ever-evolving definition of art."
- "Art history encompasses the study of objects created by different cultures around the world and throughout history that convey meaning, importance or serve usefulness primarily through visual representations."
- "Art history is distinguished from art criticism, which is concerned with establishing a relative artistic value for individual works with respect to others of comparable style or sanctioning an entire style or movement."
- "Art theory or 'philosophy of art' is concerned with the fundamental nature of art."
- "One branch of this area of study is aesthetics, which includes investigating the enigma of the sublime and determining the essence of beauty."
- "How did the artist come to create the work?" - "Who were the patrons?" - "Who were their teachers?" - "Who was the audience?" - "Who were their disciples?"
- "What historical forces shaped the artist's oeuvre and how did he or she and the creation, in turn, affect the course of artistic, political and social events?"
- "The current disciplinary gap between art history and the philosophy of art (aesthetics) often hinders this inquiry." Note: The remaining questions will be variations related to the same topic.
- "Art history is distinguished from art criticism, which is concerned with establishing a relative artistic value for individual works with respect to others of comparable style or sanctioning an entire style or movement."
- "Art theory or 'philosophy of art' is concerned with the fundamental nature of art."
- "One branch of this area of study is aesthetics, which includes investigating the enigma of the sublime and determining the essence of beauty."
- "How did the artist come to create the work?"
- "Who were the patrons?" - "Who were their teachers?" - "Who was the audience?" - "Who were their disciples?"
- "What historical forces shaped the artist's oeuvre and how did he or she and the creation, in turn, affect the course of artistic, political and social events?"
- "The current disciplinary gap between art history and the philosophy of art (aesthetics) often hinders this inquiry."
- "Art history encompasses the study of objects created by different cultures around the world and throughout history that convey meaning, importance or serve usefulness primarily through visual representations."
- "Yet today, art history examines broader aspects of visual culture, including the various visual and conceptual outcomes related to an ever-evolving definition of art."
- "Technically, art history is not [art criticism or philosophy of art], because the art historian uses historical method to answer the questions."