Week 6 Aug 6 - 11

Module 6.1: Exploring Art History's Methodologies

Contents:

To do this week

  • Read Modules 6.1-6.3
  • Attend tutorial 6 (it will focus on exam prep)
  • Submit assignment 2 by August 11
  • Start thinking about the final exam (August 16!)

A Brief History of Theory in Art History

After six weeks very packed weeks of FAH101, I hope your interest in studying art history has been piqued! As noted in Week 1, art historians ask a lot of questions to gain an understanding of the artists, patrons, function, audience, reception, style, and iconography of each work. To support this work, art historians engage with theories to inform our work.

There was a period before art history called its interpretive methods "theories," followed by a period in which art historians identified what they did, and implicitly distinguished it from what neighbouring disciplines did, by enumerating their theories. In the 21st century theories have proliferated, but so has the idea that art historians don't need or use theories and that inquiry can be guided by the objects themselves or by any number of individual texts. Through all these changes there's been the question of what art history does differently from other fields.

In the video below, esteemed art historian James Elkins talks about the ways people have thought about the theories (semiotics, feminism, iconography, deconstruction, psychoanalysis, style analysis, connoisseurship, etc.) and theorists (Panofsky, Wölfflin, Rancière, Laruelle, Malabou, Foucault, Deleuze, etc.) in the discipline of art history.

A brief history of theory in art history (22:30)

Styles and flavours of Art History

As we consider the skills we need for further art historical analyses and discussions, it is helpful to explore the methodological debates that have shaped and continue to shape the discipline. Let's start by reading two brief chapters: the Introduction and "A Variety of Interpretations: A Preview" from Michael Hatt and Charlotte Klonk's Art History: A Critical Introduction to its Methods.

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Michael Hatt and Charlotte Klonk, Art History: A Critical Introduction to its Methods (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2006).

These methodologies will contribute to future art history debates that you may engage in through further studies in art history. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

Further Studies in Art History

Websites and Accounts to Follow

Have you enjoyed exploring the art world this semester? If yes, consider bookmarking or following some of the websites and social media accounts listed below. Most of the communities and individuals highlighted below operate on multiple platforms. In addition to the list below, consider following your favourite museums, galleries, and artists. The possibilities are endless.

Check out the following collections and galleries owned by the University of Toronto:

More Art History Courses!

Want to take more courses from the Department of Art History? Check out the 2024 Winter course offerings in the Timetable Builder. To search for art history courses, enter the following information:

There are many options to choose from, including courses about shocking artists and bad art, Indigenous North American Art, Black Art, and more!