Academic study of objects of art in their historical development
This article is about the academic discipline of art history. For an overview of the history of art worldwide, see History of art. For other uses, see Art history (disambiguation).
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate.(September 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style.(November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
Venus de Milo, at the Louvre
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context.[1] 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.[2][3] 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.
As a discipline, 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; and art theory or "philosophy of art", which 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. Technically, art history is not these things, because the art historian uses historical method to answer the questions: 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? It is, however, questionable whether many questions of this kind can be answered satisfactorily without also considering basic questions about the nature of art. The current disciplinary gap between art history and the philosophy of art (aesthetics) often hinders this inquiry.[4]
^"Art History}[permanent dead link]. WordNet Search – 3.0, princeton.edu
^"What is art history and where is it going? (article)". Khan Academy. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
^"What is the History of Art?". History Today. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
^Cf: Art History versus Aesthetics, ed. James Elkins (New York: Routledge, 2006).
The history of art focuses on objects made by humans for any number of spiritual, narrative, philosophical, symbolic, conceptual, documentary, decorative...
Western arthistory. An art period is a phase in the development of the work of an artist, groups of artists or art movement. Minoan art Aegean art Ancient...
The history of Asian art includes a vast range of arts from various cultures, regions, and religions across the continent of Asia. The major regions of...
generally agreed definition of what constitutes art, and its interpretation has varied greatly throughout history and across cultures. In the Western tradition...
Japanese art Japanese art consists of a wide range of art styles and media that includes ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk...
The historical evolution of the nude in art runs parallel to the history of art in general, except for small particularities derived from the different...
(AP) ArtHistory (also known as AP Art or APAH) is an Advanced Placement arthistory course and exam offered by the College Board. AP ArtHistory is designed...
The art of Europe, also known as Western art, encompasses the history of visual art in Europe. European prehistoric art started as mobile Upper Paleolithic...
considered a part of Chinese art when it is based on or draws on Chinese culture, heritage, and history. Early "Stone Age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly...
developments of Islamic art were influenced by Roman art, Early Christian art (particularly Byzantine art), and Sassanian art, with later influences from...
new media art, digital art, and electronic art. On the one hand, media arthistories addresses the contemporary interplay of art, technology, and science...
Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines...
Modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies...
Guyette Cultural history of the buttocks Eric Stanton Erotica Erotic art Erotic art in Pompeii and Herculaneum Gene Bilbrew History of human sexuality...
Contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work...
Museum of Art and History may refer to: Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Saint-Denis, France Musée d'art et d'Histoire (Fribourg), Switzerland Musée d'Art et...
codicology, bibliography, philology, palaeography, arthistory, social history and cultural history. Its key purpose is to demonstrate that the book as...
Graffiti History of art Illustration Installation art Interactive art Landscape art Mathematics and art Mixed media Portraiture Process art Recording...
Kunsthistorisches Museum (lit. "Museum of ArtHistory", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its...
Ancient art refers to the many types of art produced by the advanced cultures of ancient societies with different forms of writing, such as those of ancient...
textile art and fiber art are important visual art forms across Africa and may be included in the study of African art. The term "African art" does not...
which is very popular in Cyprus was introduced in the 20th century. The arthistory of Cyprus can be said to stretch back up to 10,000 years, following the...
of arthistory, and contemporary criticism of work by living artists. Despite perceptions that criticism is a lower risk activity than making art, opinions...
The Vienna School of ArtHistory (German: Wiener Schule der Kunstgeschichte) was the development of fundamental art-historical methods at the University...
Global Information
