Principles of Art History Writing

David Carrier is Professor of Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University and author of Artwriting (1987) and Poussin's Paintings (Penn State, 1992).

“Art history has only lately come to the recognition that it is part of its own subject, and that there is an art history of art history to be written, and a theory of art history to be formulated. The controversy over the ‘New Art History’ is a primitive acknowledgment of this truth, even if the terms chosen remain those of the mid-nineteenth century. David Carrier, a philosopher, has thus raised the level of discussion by an immense distance, providing theoretical analyses and case examples, commendably sophisticated. It is an immense contribution to and clarification of art, of history, and of art history as well. All further discussion must now begin with him.”—Arthur C. Danto, Columbia University