Monday, January 11, 2010

10 reasons to study art history

Here are 10 reasons why I study art history
  1. to understand better what I see when visiting art museums
  2. to learn just how many artists are influenced by other artists
  3. to understand better how art reflects different cultures and contexts
  4. to grasp how different forms of art travel between countries and continents
  5. to appreciate diverse forms of art
  6. to learn how to analyse a picture
  7. to exercise critical faculties
  8. to be able to 'read' a painting better
  9. to be able to converse with other artists about our favourite artists
  10. to begin to like art I never ever thought I would
Do any of these surprise you?

What are YOUR reasons for studying art history?

What are YOUR reasons for not studying art history?

The Artist's Studio,
a real allegory summing up seven years of my artistic and moral life

(Between 1854 and 1855)
by Gustave Courbet
Oil on Canvas; H. 361; W. 598 cm
Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France

A timeline in landscape art

If you're wondering why such a short post you should go and look at the very long list of art movements and artists I've just posted over on The Art of the Landscape.

Landscape Art - A Timeline in Art History attempts to outline which different art movements and artists have influenced landscape art.

It's a 'to do' list. This is going to be a very big project - I haven't even touched on the 'how to' art instruction aspects as yet!

Note: You can read more about the The Artist's Studio on the Musée d'Orsay website by clicking the link
"It's the whole world coming to me to be painted", declared Courbet "on the right are all the shareholders, by that I mean friends, fellow workers and art lovers. On the left is the other world of everyday life: the masses, wretchedness, poverty, wealth, the exploited and the exploiters, people who make a living from death".
Links:

The Art of the Landscape

4 comments:

  1. I love your '10' list and I so agree with your reasons. Ulimately the items on your list would contribute to one becoming a better artist! A lot of artists don't seem to be interested in what has gone on in the art world prior to now and that is a real shame and it is something I just don't get.

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  2. #11 To be able to intelligently discuss art with others.

    #12 Just because it's interesting!

    Great post! =)

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  3. I have a BA in art history in addition to my BFA (and partial MFA) - it has allowed me to dissect and discuss art, whether it's mine or someone else's, in a concrete and positive way. All the practice I got writing comparison and contrast essays immersed my brain and my eyes into that sort of analytical process, and it's made me a better artist in the end.

    In addition to all these other reasons and probably 1000 more, too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I recently did my b.a in fine art and one year bridge course in fine art .i am reading history from last four years .it is amazed me because I knew a lot about our previous generation intellectual exercise in the evolution of art .

    ReplyDelete

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