Art History and Its Methods

By: Fernie, Eric

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0714829919
• ISBN13: 9780714829913
• Release Date: July 1995
• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

A review of "Art History and its Methods"

Includes: Giorgio Vasari, the lives of the artists, 1568, Karel van Mander, Dutch and Flemish Painters, 1604, Giovanni Bellori,the idea of the painter, the sculptor and the architect chosen from the higher natural beauties of nature, 1672, Johann Winckelmann, history of ancient art, 1764, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Von deutscher Baukunst, 1772, Jakob Burckhardt, reflections on history, 1872, Giovanni Morelli, Italian painters, 1880, Alois Tiegi: late Roman art industry, 1901, Heinrich Wolfflin, principles of art history, 1915, Paul Franki, principles of architectural history, 1914, Roger Fry, reflections, 1920, Henri Focillon, the world of forms, 1934, Alfred H. Baff, chart of modern art, 1936, Erwin Panofshky, the history of art as a humanistic discipline, 1940, Nikolaus Pevsner, an outline of European architecture, 1943, Arnold Hauser, the scope a limitations of sociology of art, 1959, Susan Sontag, against interpretation, 1964, E.H. Gombrich, in search of cultural history, 1967, William Fagg, studying primitive art, 1973, T.J. Clark, the conditions of artistic creation, 1974, John Onians, art history, Kinstegschichte and historia, 1978, Michael Baldwin, Charles Harrison and Mel Ramsden, art history, art criticism and explanation, 1981, Svetlana Alpers, interpretation without representation, or the viewing of Las Meninas, 1983, Hans Belting, the end of the history of art?, 1984, Griselda Pollock, Feminist interventions in the history of Art, 1988. Olu Oguibe, in the heart of darkness, 1993 It is an excellent anthology, but it lacks colour plate images. Since it is a book about methods in art historical practice, the focus is much more directed to looking at texts. Yet, there are a few black and white images printed in the book that provide examples of the works being discussed. However, I would forfeit my desire for colour plates in light of the affordable price (appx. $30 for almost 400 pages of quality reading) and its promise for longevity for being an oft-consulted book for a serious art historian. I am not sure why Fernie decided to omit the footnotes of the original essays, which makes this only a lead-in to the original texts. I would also like to see Fernie add more contemporary essays with subsequent editions, as the latest date of the essays included is 1993 (recent only in light of the 1995 publication date). The theories shaping the widely varied practices of of art history are highly contested, often misunderstood, and a `hot topic' in many schools of academia. Eric Fernie has collected some of the most interesting writing, from the Renaissance to the contemporary, about methodology in the practice of art history, introducing each of the essays with a brief summary of its contents. Fernie's considerable ability to summarize and contextualize key points of dense texts in a thoughtful and accessible way makes the reader look forward to diving into this carefully laid out anthology of 27 classic texts about methodology in t

A *Critical* Anthology

Fernie's book is indeed a little gem, a compilation of most of the major players and critical thinkers that shaped the discipline of Art History as we know it today. The format is user-friendly, with an excellent table of contents, select bibliography, and index. The glossary in the back provides definitions that are indispensable for beginners and masters alike. His intros are succinct; they provide a historical context, and distill most of the main points of each reading into a short, interesting, and easy to digest summary.The selected texts provide the reader with a good definition of some of the historical and contemporary differences between different schools of Art History and Art Criticism. The methods provided in this book are applicable to any humanistic discipline. While not totally comprehensive, the material presented does give an excellent starting point for further excursions into art historical methodology.That said, Fernie does allow some of his own biases and methodologies to colour some of his introductions, and the selections of representative texts. The critical thinking of his readers needs to be applied to these aspects of the book, as much as the texts presented. However, all in all this is an excellent "History of Art History". I reccomend this book highly to "students" (of any kind) interested in a higher understanding of art, art criticism, and historiography.

A rare breed: a stimulating read

The prospect of a book filled with extracts from some of the greatest art criticism written may not fill every one with excitement, but when this is the book, it should. Eric Fernie has collected the major works of the most important art historians and critics, all translated in to English. With each he adds a slight biography and handy pointers as to what the aim of the writer was. It is true that these are just extracts (in some cases, like Goethe, it is the whole of the piece) but they give you a taste of the whole, without leaving you confused. Apart from the actual writings, there is a very handy guide to "buzz" words and terminologies, as well as theories from the world of art and philosophy, so if you do get lost, you have a map to refer to. The format of the book is good too, being arranged in such away that it is almost a text or reference book: you have a well designed index which allows you to dip in and out with out getting bemused or frustrated. This book is a good introduction to the world of art criticism. If you ever read reviews of artists or exhibition and get confused by the terms used or people mentioned, it is likely that a look and then read of this book will make everything clearer, or distract you so much that you forget. Though this group of works may appear boring at first, it is not because Fernie's mini-biographies and explainations make it all clear: bordom soon becomes interest when the fear of getting lost among the technical terms is taken away.A good introduction to art history and criticism, and the more general world of philosophy.