Art History and Its Methods: A Critical Anthology

by Eric Fernie (Editor)

'Approaches' are probably more varied -- and more debated -- in the history of art than in any other branch of history, and a study of different historical approaches is becoming an increasingly important component of many student courses. In this anthology of art-historical writings 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, Wolfflin, Panofsky, Gombrich and Pollock, among others. The introduction gives 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. Also provided is a critical glossary of terms and a select bibliography.

Genres: Art History, Art, Nonfiction, Reference, History, Academic, Textbooks

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 1995

Reviews

[Martin Ridgway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike most books that classify themselves as "readers" (collections of writings about a subject) this one goes for long extracts. Most readers of this length feature a lot of short extracts (something like Art and its Histories edited by Steve Edwards, which was used on the same Open University course and has 89 texts in less pages) . Fernie has just 27 and, as a word of warning, uses smaller type. Hence each writer featured here is given space to make their points without too much editing by Fernie. In my opinion, this makes for a much more useful book, though not one for dipping into at leisure - it's a more serious approach.

[Zoe Deacon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe March? I found this in a charity shop and thought, yeah, that'll do. Perfect revision plan laid out for me, and all I had to do was put up with the musty smell and the awkwardness of attempting to pay with my loose change as the cashier tries to tell me "its okay love", but not now, you see I had committed to it, making up three pounds with every type of coin one can have. Not some pseudo card shit.

In spite of it all, life is only as pretty as a horse's arse can be, so you have to choose a bit of luck and make everything plan b. Thorough revision? I'd believed I'd just always find a fluke and feel I've beat it. Unsurprisingly, it helped to some extent. Or to its full extent, as it only had a half-shot-shod-up chance anyways. Now, you see I can also own the evidence of my greatness in the form of the book itself, so when I'm in my late 20s and possibly depressed, I'll look up at my bookshelf and think you pragmatic smart cheek. Fucking brilliant pride when you need it. Yeah, now she's holding up my speakers in my childhood room whilst I, at the other end of the 20s, question if I am an insomniac. That's what a pragmatic smart cheek actually looks like, 18th century German philosophers holding up a KEF egg speaker. Do those curves inhibit the viewer into the frugality of somaesethics? That's what Winckelmann would've really wanted, to grope a swollen, bulbous speaker than to be read by a careless sod. Feel I've done him truly proud.

[jakira · Rating 4 out of 5]

this feels weird to "rate" but a pretty solid anthology of some of the most critical theoretical and methodological texts/approaches in the field

i really appreciated the glossary at the end -- this is def a 'textbook' i foresee myself returning to

[Jonathan]

Rebind

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

read in college