Art History and Its Methods - Softcover

Fernie, Eric

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0714829919 ISBN 13: 9780714829913

Publisher: Phaidon Press, 1995

Synopsis

Approaches to the history of art are probably more varied and more debated than in any other branch of history, and a study of different historical approaches has become an increasingly important component of many student courses. This critical anthology brings together the work of 27 influential art historians and writers from the Renaissance to the present day; key texts have been chosen in which the authors reflect on the nature of their subject and on their own methods of inquiry. Included are texts by Vasari, Winckelmann, Burckhardt, Wölfflin, Panofsky, Gombrich and Pollock, among others. The introduction is a lucid and readable summary of art-historical methods, and each of the texts is accompanied by a commentary that places it in context and discusses the issues it raises. A glossary of terms and a select bibliography make this book an invaluable resource in the study of art history.

About this title

About the Author

Eric Fernie was formerly Director of the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London and Watson Gordon Professor of Fine Art at the University of Edinburgh.

From the Back Cover

Approaches to the history of art are probably more varied and more debated than in any other branch of history, and a study of different historical approaches has become an important component of student courses.

Reviews

Critical essays culled from the writings of 27 significant art historians and writers comprise this scholarly collection. Fernie, the director of the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London, promises to provide a "view of the methods which art historians have found appropriate or productive in studying the objects and ideas which constitute their discipline." The chronologically arranged excerpts begin with Renaissance writer Giorgio Vasari's biographical approach and include Goethe's praise of Gothic style, Jacob Burckhardt's historical observations, Johann Joachim Winckelmann's reflections on the cultural context of art, Giovanni Morelli's study of attribution, Roger Fry's analysis of form, Erwin Panofsky's discussion of humanism, and Griselda Pollock's present-day feminist analysis. Fernie's introductory overview of approaches to art history, his insightful comments preceding each essay, and a helpful glossary provide a substantial framework for the erudite writings. Recommended for academic collections.?Joan Levin, MLS, Chicago
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0714829919
• ISBN 13: 9780714829913
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384