This clear and concise new introduction examines all the major
debates and issues using a wide range of well-known examples. It
discusses the challenge of using verbal and written language to
analyse a visual form. Dana Arnold also examines the many different
ways of writing about art, and the changing boundaries of the
subject of art history. Topics covered include the canon of Art
History, the role of the gallery, 'blockbuster'
exhibitions, the emergence of social histories of art
(Feminist Art History or Queer Art History, for example), the
impact of photography, and the development of Art History using
artefacts such as the altarpiece, the portrait, or pornography, to
explore social and cultural issues such as consumption, taste,
religion, and politics.
Importantly, this book explains how the traditional emphasis on
periods and styles originates in western art production and can
obscure other critical approaches, as well as art from non western
cultures.
Dana Arnold is Professor of Architectural History at the University of Southampton and Director of the Center for Studies in Architecture and Urbanism. Her recent publications include Re-presenting the Metropolis and The Georgian Country House: Architecture, Landscape and Society.
Inhaltsangabe
1. What is Art History? 2. Writing Art History 3. Presenting Art History 4. Thinking about Art History 5. Reading Pictures Timeline Glossary Further Reading
