Art history is all about challenging the creative side of yourself,
in inspiring you to find beauty in all forms. Since the existence
of this world, mankind have known and practiced art in
different styles. May it be the crude drawings and paintings of
the caveman or the masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci. Art
history spans the entire account of the human race, right from
the primeval times to the 21
st century.
It is the study of objects of art and the ancient style, design
and genre that they have been made in. This includes
paintings, sculptures, architectures even furniture and other
decorative like ceramics and many more. Art History embraces
various methods to study the works of art and architecture.
The field of art is much easier to understand when divided
into three parts, which is the specialists, the critics and the art
historians.
The part played by the art critics is very imperative and
crucial, reason being they are the ones who help in establishing
a comparative artistic value to the piece of work with respect
to the works of others of the same genre. They have the
authority to sanction an entire new style or a movement or
philosophy of art and art theory, which is apprehensive with
the nature of art. There is another department of study known
as, study of Aesthetics and it majorly deals in investigating the
problem of the transcendent and defining the quintessence of
beauty. On the other hand, Art History has nothing to do with
any of these.
Art historians use historical methods to find answers to a
historical piece of art, to questions such as: How did the artist
inspire to create the particular work?, who were the
supporters?, Who was the teacher?, who were the spectators?,
who were the followers?, what historic events forced the artist's
work?, what effects did the art create socially and politically?.
Many questions like such arise for each piece of art, the art
historians' work is to find those answers. It is however,
uncertain whether or not questions like these would get a
satisfactory answers to it.
This book is on a revitalizing and awe inspiring revelation
about art history the study of Art History. The meaning of it,
and the methods used to study the artefacts by the art
historians. How it came to improve in the developing years and
different eras.