Art History

Art identifies a diverse range of human activities and the resultant products of those activities, mainly involving technical or imaginative skill. Generally, these activities entail the criticism of art, the production of artworks, the aesthetic dissemination of art and the study of the history of art. Before the 17th-century, art referred to any mastery or skill and was not differentiated from sciences or crafts. After the 17th century, where aesthetic consideration is paramount are inevitable, the fine arts are distinguished and separated from acquired skills in general like the applied or decorative arts.

Art may be categorised with respect to mimesis (its representation of reality), communication of emotion, expression or other qualities. During the romantic times, art came to be perceived as a special faculty of the mind of the human to be categorised with science and religion. Art is constituted of an idea of technical or imaginative skill stemming from human creation and agency.

Anything that is designed by human beings portrays visuals traits that are unique to period and place in which it originates. Art history concentrates on objects and things depicted as art, though in some instances art encompasses objects beyond fine art.

Aims of art history

Art history aims at arriving at a historical understanding of artefact’s origin within particular world cultures, asking about the circumstances of their makers, their making, the functions of the objects and images, the media used, their subsequent history and their critical reception. Also, art history aims at educating people on the artefacts’ historical interpretation in their cultural context and provision of skills in the broad and critical analysis of objects via cultivation of visual literacy. The gained skills have a wide applicability in a broad range of professional setting, as well as fulfilling the needs of personal enlightenment.

Importance of art history

We are exposed and around at almost daily both from the past and the present. Art has significant influences and effects on societal beliefs and perspectives. Art history is crucial for the stories it tells. Even seemingly, insignificant pieces and unknown work all have their message to convey and their story to tell. Anything that can survive for an extended period say over a hundred years, be in a painting, a sculpture, a sketch or even a print can educate us more than we think; in most cases art significantly speaks for itself and is one of the limited indicators of how a society at a given period was operated and run.