Art History: Scholars and Texts (00:23)
Scholarly writings help us understand objects and images in art and shape understanding of art history.
Origins of Art History (02:04)
Stephen Eisenman states that art history started during the Enlightenment with Anton Raphael Mengs. By the mid to late 19th century, many people were art historians; the modern discipline arose in the 20th century.
Evolution of Art History: Post-World War II (01:42)
The field of art history migrated to the United States; the reputation of principle European figures suffered. German and Jewish scholars established a discipline of art history.
Future of Art History (01:56)
Eisenman states that the field of art history has expanded beyond the ability to identify the greatest center of art production. See a list of resources for studying art.
Summary and Analysis (00:33)
Art historians use knowledge gained from previously written texts to form and support their arguments about a given artwork, style, or movement.
Importance of Summary and Analysis (00:41)
Eisenman states that art students must have the ability to summarize a written work before stating what is right or wrong.
Forming an Argument (01:35)
Summarize a work so that everyone has a common understanding. Consider four questions when listening to a summary before subjecting the argument to validity tests.
What is Criticism? (00:49)
Eisenman states that true art history begins with criticism. Criticism is subjecting an item to close scrutiny.
Role of Criticism (01:09)
Negative criticism is sometimes necessary for accountability. See a list of resources for studying art.
Constructing Arguments with Factual Evidence (00:34)
Art historians present arguments in the form essays to show new findings; they often have several sources to support their argument.
Getting Started (03:00)
Begin constructing an argument with an inductive process. Eisenman uses "Apple Harvest at Eragny" by Camille Pissarro as an example to explain the research process. See a list of resources for studying art.
Research: Steps and Procedures (00:41)
Steps to understanding artwork include: formal analysis, contextual analysis, and reviewing scholarly literature.
Researching a Work of Art (01:53)
Begin with basic texts before moving on to specialized material. When using Wikipedia, follow the textual references.
Role of the Internet (01:46)
Eisenman states that using the Internet as a sole resource is not enough; you have to go to the library. See a list of resources for studying art.
For additional digital leasing and purchase options contact a media consultant at 800-257-5126
(press option 3) or email@example.com.