Despite its omnipresence, art has always been difficult to define. In part that’s because the definition has been influenced by all sorts of factors, including changing social mores and the needs of powerful institutions like religion, government, and business. In addition, different people respond differently to the same work: one person might think it’s the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen; another might hate it; and a third might feel nothing at all.
This is why art history is such a fascinating subject—and why it’s also such a challenging one to teach. Students need to develop the ability to examine and interpret visual materials—whether they’re paintings, photographs, or coins—as if they were works of art themselves. They need to learn how to recognize and evaluate a piece’s artistic characteristics, and they also need to understand the importance of context in art historical analysis.
Art History Lessons
Introducing art history into your classroom can be a great way to boost student interest in any subject, from math to science to English. But it can be hard to know where to start, and there are plenty of resources available. Here are some suggestions:
The most widely used introduction to art history is probably the Oxford History of Art series. This includes a range of titles from elementary to graduate levels, and is available in most libraries and secondhand bookshops. Another good resource is the Art Since 1900 series, edited by Michael Fried. Each volume features short essays on a particular aspect of art history, from the publication of Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams to the 50th Venice Biennale.
Some theorists have tried to avoid the problem of defining art altogether. They argue that any attempt to define art is inevitably biased and incomplete, and that the history of art-related concepts and ideas has been a history of hierarchical, fragmentary, and mistaken understandings. (Kristoler 2000). Other theorists suggest that art is more than a mere catalogue of central art forms, and that the notion of what makes something an art form has changed over time.
Finally, some philosophers have argued that the definition of art is an institutional social kind, and that there are certain cases when objects qualify as an art because they serve an institution’s purposes. This argument has been opposed by those who believe that the concept of an “artwork” cannot be fixed because it can change over time.