Methods in Art History PDF

Methods in Art History This response will go over the information in the provided sources about methods in art history. Formalism ​ Formalism is a method of art criticism that focuses on the form of an artwork. ​ This means that formalists are more interested in the way an artwork looks, suc...

Methods in Art History This response will go over the information in the provided sources about methods in art history. Formalism ​ Formalism is a method of art criticism that focuses on the form of an artwork. ​ This means that formalists are more interested in the way an artwork looks, such as its colors, shapes, and composition, than in its meaning or message. ​ Formalism became popular in the mid-19th century as art historians shifted their focus from mimesis, or imitation, to style. Style ​ Style is a term used by art historians to describe the distinctive patterns and characteristics of an artwork or a group of artworks. ​ Style can be used to place an artwork in a scheme or context and to identify the artist who created it. ○​ For example, an artwork with a lot of bright colors and swirling lines might be described as having an Impressionist style. ​ Style is like an artist's signature. ○​ It can tell us about the artist's training, influences, and personality. ​ Style can also tell us about the culture in which an artwork was created. ○​ For example, an artwork with a lot of religious imagery might be described as having a Medieval style. ​ James Ackerman, an art historian, believed that styles change as a solution, response, or challenge to pre-existing beliefs. ○​ He believed that culture is a balance of stability (conventions and procedures) and movement (human restlessness, boredom, and challenges).  ○​ Therefore, when people get restless or bored, they challenge pre-existing beliefs and that leads to a change in style. Connoisseurship ​ A connoisseur is someone who is an expert in matters of taste or art. ​ Connossieurs need direct knowledge of art to be able to make judgments about the art or artist. ​ Connoisseurs tend to focus on a specific period, nation, or artist’s life. ​ They use their knowledge to authenticate artworks, appraise their value, and write about them. Monographs ​ A monograph is a definitive study of the total production of an artist, also known as an oeuvre. ​ Monographs contain a biography of the artist, a catalogue raisonné, or a critical catalogue of the artist's works, and bibliographic references. ​ The goal of a monograph is to show how an artist's style reflects their training or history and the “age”/context in which they worked. ​ Monographs involve a lot of research and heavy documentation. Giovanni Morelli ​ Giovanni Morelli was an Italian art critic in the 19th century. ​ Morelli believed that art historians focused too much on beliefs over experiences. ​ He developed the Morellian Method, which is a method of attributing artworks to artists based on the minute details of their work. ○​ These details might include the way an artist paints ears, fingers, or hands. ​ Morelli believed that these details are like an artist's handwriting, and that they can be used to identify an artist even if the artwork is unsigned or has been altered. Roger Fry ​ Roger Fry was an English art critic who championed Post-Impressionism. ​ Fry believed that art has a special domain that is cut off from normal experiences. ​ He believed that modern art has no direct parallel to existing thoughts and that it lives independently. ​ Fry believed that art has a freedom of imagination that cannot be connected to real-life morals and ethics.  ○​ He also believed that the imaginative life of art is free of prejudice and preconceptions. ​ Fry believed that we truly look at an object when it exists with no other purpose than to be seen. ○​ He thought that people are ruled by responsive action; meaning that they are too close and interested in their immediate needs to see the aesthetic pleasure in art. ​ Fry believed that we look at art with a certain detachment and that intention and design elements make up art. ○​ He also believed that art does not need to imitate nature and that the importance is how the artist constructs the image. Alois Riegl ​ Alois Riegl was an Austrian art historian who was one of the major figures in the establishment of art history as a self-sufficient academic discipline and one of the most influential practitioners of formalism. ​ He was a member of the Vienna School of Art History and followed Hegel and Kant's conception of the history of art. ​ Riegl began his career studying philosophy and law before switching to art. ○​ His first job was in a museum of decorative art, where he was in charge of and wrote about rugs and textiles. ○​ This work inspired his interest in the function of forms and motifs. ​ He developed the concept of Kunstwollen, which means “will to art”. ○​ Kunstwollen is the idea that there is a suprapersonal will to create art that drives the history of art. ○​ This means that someone or something controls the history of art. ​ Riegl believed in the existence of geist, or spirit, which is the informing or vitalizing principle in individual works of art and in sequences or developmental patterns of art. ​ He emphasized the importance of understanding not just the artwork itself, but also the cultural, historical, and philosophical contexts that drive artistic creation. Heinrich Wölfflin ​ Heinrich Wölfflin was a Swiss art historian and educator who studied history, literature, philosophy, and art. ​ Wölfflin wanted to establish a methodical way of seeing art using a formalist methodology. ​ He published the book The Principles of Art History and identified the formal characteristics of Renaissance art and Baroque art.  ​ Wölfflin is best known for his five opposites, which are pairs of contrasting visual qualities that he believed could be used to distinguish between different styles of art. ○​ The five opposites are: ​ Linear vs. Painterly: sharpness, clarity of lines vs. figures emerging and sinking back into the background. ​ Plane vs. Recession: illusion of space in a work of art. ​ Closed Form vs. Open Form: a visual enclosure vs. a visual cue that suggests the world outside. ​ Multiplicity vs. Unity: details and the degree of independence of parts in a work of art. ​ Absolute Clarity vs. Relative Clarity: density, solidity of forms, and the usage of lighting and color. Johann Joachim Winckelmann ​ Johann Joachim Winckelmann was a German archaeologist and art historian who created written works that reawakened the popular taste toward Classical Art, particularly Ancient Greece. ​ Winckelmann was instrumental in the rise and development of the Neoclassical movement in the 1760s. ○​ His work influenced Western painting, sculpture, literature, and philosophy. ​ In his book The History on Ancient Art among the Greeks, Winckelmann places a clear emphasis on Greek art and discusses the significant influences of “Hellenism” and the Hellenistic Ideal that tackles the culture, religion, and worldview from the Ancient Greek period. ​ He believed that “The only way for us to become great or even inimitable, if possible, is to imitate the Greeks.” ○​ He also said that “What is imitated, if it is done with reason, can take another nature, so to speak, and can become something in its own right.” ​ He believed that architecture puts first the practical need and that there is a vague hint or symbol of the spirit and mind of the artist, felt rather than seen and that interpretation is gathered from reflection. ​ Winckelmann believed that painting has the ability to show human passion and expression, evokes emotions through the use of color, and that details in the painting can refine upon a single moment of passion. ​ He thought that sculpture deals exclusively with the human form, takes up the entire medium to embody spiritual expression (trembling, blushing, melting with excitement, etc.), displays suggestive movement, and is closer to reality, yet by its pure form holds limitations that allow imaginative intellect. Hellenism ​ Hellenism is about capturing the cultural and intellectual spirit of ancient Greece through the ideals of beauty, balance, and harmony as an educational and moral guide. ​ Winckelmann described Hellenism as "pre-eminent for light", emphasizing the qualities of simplicity and clarity over complexity. The Greek Ideal ​ The Greek Ideal is Winckelmann’s concept of what Greek culture is. ​ He believed that the Greek Ideal was not just about physical representation and form, but a balance of embodying the pinnacle of moral and physical beauty. The Impact of Art Historical Methods ​ Formalism, style, and connoisseurship are all important methods in art history. ​ These methods have helped art historians to better understand and appreciate art. ​ Formalism helped define the concept of style, which helps us to organize and categorize art. ​ Riegl’s work emphasized the importance of judging art beyond face value, advocating for an understanding of each piece within its historical and cultural context. ○​ He showed that every art style reflects the unique values and intentions of its time, encouraging a deeper, more respectful approach to interpreting art. ​ Wölfflin said: “Every artist finds certain visual possibilities before him, to which he is bound. Not everything is possible at all times. Vision itself has its history, and the revelation of these visual strata must be regarded as the primary task of art history.“ ​ Winckelmann’s method of criticism towards art from a specific period and place promotes a deeper understanding of certain cultures and worldviews, allowing them to be shared with other cultures and the following generations, as well as bring about new concepts and movements. ○​ This is what made Greek art and culture a timeless benchmark in the history of Western art. This is a comprehensive analysis of the provided source material about methods in art history.