Art History Special Issues – serie

This thought-provoking book explores the increasing visibility of women’s art in Britain, Europe and America. Considers the work of American artists Martha Rosler and Kara Walker, Irish artist Alice Maher, British artists Lubaina Himid, Christine Borland, Sarah Lucas, Cornelia Parker, Gillian Wearing and Rachel Whiteread, and the international performance group, moti roti. Features specially-commissioned interviews with some of these artists. Covers diverse media, from sculpture and painting through to photography, installations, video and performance.

A distinguished group of art historians reflect on the work of Michael Baxandall, in terms of its importance for their own formation, its location in the development of a new art history, and its influence on the broader languages and theories of contemporary cultural theory.

This book examines key moments in the emergence of London as a metropolis and considers different ways in which its image has been formulated and presented. The chapters address a range of topics from specific questions of architectural style to the relationship between the City of London and London as a metropolis, and explore different methods of constructing urban identities.

This book is a reassessment of the role of Ingres studies in the writing of nineteenth-century art history. The title Fingering Ingres refers to a remark of Jean Cassou, the French art critic, political militant and founding director of the Musee National d'Art Moderne, in which he wrote of Ingres' 'caressing' his materials with the tip of his 'finger-nail'. The volume pays tribute to Ingres' historiographical enigma in bringing together a set of essays that scratch at and perhaps puncture the surface of his received framings. Ranging from the scrupulous study of Ingres' incapacity to allow himself a finished oeuvre, to the artificial construction of his conflict with Delacroix, to a radical re-thinking of his role in cultural modernity, the essays pick out the textures of a crucial mytheme of nineteenth-century French art. Combining scholarship from different generations of the contemporary critical, social and semiotic histories of art,Fingering Ingres offers a freshly virtuoso and deconstructive approach to the art-historical genre of the artist's monograph.

Other Objects of Desire; Collectors and Collecting Queerly explores gay identities and identifications as they are communicated in and through art, and provides a critical approach to the study of collectors and collecting. From Jean de Berry to the internet addict, from Christina of Sweden to Andy Warhol, this collection of essays sets about questioning the terms and methodologies of gay or queer historical studies and the very nature and definition of collecting. Richly illustrated, scholarly and bold, this anthology respresents the work of both young and established Art Historians in trenchant, original and groundbreaking style.

The Erotics of Looking: Early Modern Netherlandish Art presents a collection of provocative essays that explore the material qualities of early Dutch art to reveal ways new forms of visual imagery solicit a beholder’s involvement. Explores how descriptive pictures during the early modern Dutch art period operated as social things and were designed to pleasurably engage the eye and prompt discussion and debateShows how these works potentially raised ethical and political questions about the interconnectedness of engaging with pictures and the material worldRepresents a major contribution to the field of early modern Netherlandish art and to general debates about the status and functions of descriptive artFeatures essays addressing a variety of aspects of the field, from the historiography of Dutch art to closely attentive readings of particular worksCrafts an original theoretical framework by applying recent insights about the making of early modern publics and the study of material things to the analysis of Netherlandish art

The Clever Object presents a multidisciplinary exploration of the ways objects materialise, embody, or negotiate various forms of intelligence, revealing its use as an analytic tool of art-historical interpretation. Presents an original theory (“the clever object”) that draws on contributions from a variety of fields, including history of art, anthropology, philosophy of science, and design historyFeatures interviews with two contemporary artistsAdvances a theoretical conversation by combining historical contributions (from medieval/early modern) with contemporary perspectivesRepresents the results of a project developed from an intensive research seminar in which all contributors participated and developed their work in evolving dialogue

The theory and practice of imitation has long been central to the construction of art and yet imitation is still frequently confused with copying. Theorizing Imitation in the Visual Arts challenges this prejudice by revealing the ubiquity of the practice across cultures and geographical borders. This fascinating collection of original essays has been compiled by a group of leading scholarsChallenges the prejudice of imitation in art by bringing to bear a perspective that reveals the ubiquity of the practice of imitation across cultural and geographical bordersBrings light to a broad range of areas, some of which have been little researched in the past

This innovative new volume offers an in-depth exploration of scale, one of the most crucial elements in the creation and reception of art. Illustrates how scale has compelled audiences to rethink the significance and importance of specific works of artTakes a comparative art historical approach exploring issues of scale in an array of forms, from Islamic architecture to contemporary photographyA global consideration of scale, with examples of work from ancient Egypt, eighteenth-century Korea, and contemporary EuropeThe newest addition to the Art History Special Issue Book Series

In 12 essays by a distinguished group of art historians, Art and Technology in Early Modern Europe explores the relationship between artistic and technological advances from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution. Provides a broad definition of technology for this period and addresses the influence of technological shifts on the history of early modern artCovers c.1420-1820, the time period between the advent of the printed image and that of the photographically produced imageDiscusses a wide range of early modern artists’ tools, instruments, skills, and techniques and their historical applicationsHighlights a frequently overlooked aspect of research within art history that yields substantial insights into the analysis of the making and viewing of art

Material Imagination examines the interrelated concepts of matter, materialism, and materiality in postwar European art, from 1946-1972. Provides a unique perspective on European art by prioritizing material dimensions over concept or context, while also paying attention to theoretical and historical concernsExplores artists’ methods and materials in order to better understand the social and cultural environments in which their works of art were madeDemonstrates how materials can be harnessed to affect the critical interpretation of artworkBrings together exceptional illustrations and new research in eight essays by art historians and scholars

The religious turmoil of the sixteenth century constituted a turning point in the history of Western Christian art. The essays presented in this volume investigate the ways in which both Protestant and Catholic reform stimulated the production of religious images, drawing on examples from across Europe and beyond. Eight essays by leading scholars in the fieldBrings art historians and historians into productive dialogueBroad chronology, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuryBroad geographical coverageRichly illustrated

Tracing Architecture looks at the impact that knowledge of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman and British architecture had on aesthetic attitudes and architectural design. It explores the changing relationship between text and image in an era before the introduction of mass mechanical reproduction. Discusses the discovery of the ancient world through the medium of print in the long eighteenth century. Looks at the impact that knowledge of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman and British architecture had on aesthetic attitudes and architectural design. Considers the interrelationship between architecture, antiquity and aesthetics in a pan-European context. Explores the changing relationship between text and image in an era before the introduction of mass mechanical reproduction.

This innovative collection of essays offers exciting new research and thoughtful reflection on the subject of visual culture and its relationship to art history. Brings together innovative scholarship by major scholars. Engages with cross-cultural questions, asking if attention to visual culture is a western preoccupation. Draws on a wide range of cultures, locations and historical periods, from the eighth century China to contemporary South Africa, from Byzantium to early modern and modern Europe. Covers a wealth of visual forms and media including photography, film, painting, sculpture, drawing, installation and the decorative arts

This collection brings together studies on the French decorative arts in the eighteenth century, extending from bookbinding, typography and engraving to those related specifically to the domestic interior: porcelain, upholstery and furniture. A collection of studies on the French decorative arts in the eighteenth century.Covers an extensive range of subjects from bookbinding, typography and engraving to porcelain, upholstery and furniture.Demonstrates how the advancement of knowledge in porcelain and loom technology resulted in new luxury goods to the glory of Absolutism.Looks at how Revolution demanded that political change be reflected in the details of everyday life, such as dress and furniture.

A collection of essays by art historians, anthropologists and commentators on contemporary visual culture on the theme of 'Location'. Explores the theme of 'Location', including transatlantic exchanges and global connections, and the nature of hospitality that arises in acknowledging migration and diasporaQuestions how important location is in producing, understanding and curating art.Contributors consider such topics as site-specificity, examinations of the trans-national/trans-cultural, how images/visual forms migrate, and the repositioning of ownership

A distinguished group of eminent contributors reflect on the writings of Stephen Bann and his influence on the fields of visual studies, art history and cultural history. A collection of essays reflecting on the influence of Stephen Bann on the fields of visual studies, art history and cultural history.Written by a distinguished group of eminent scholars.Engages with a wide range of subjects from French art and architecture to histories of the garden and painting in China.Discusses and analyses many of the key debates and developments in art history, visual studies and cultural history.Includes a portfolio of Bann's poem prints.Continues the series started with About Michael Baxandall (Blackwell Publishing, 1999).

Leading international scholars and younger researchers address issues such as museum display, collecting, the creation of visual spectacles, institutional histories, curatorial strategies, cultural exclusion and definitions of heritage. An authoritative analysis on the way that art and the visual are displayed and presentedExplores a variety of cultural contexts and historical periodsA benchmark collection addressing specific displays and notable objects alongside the politics of spectacle and questions of audience

A collection of essays celebrating Mieke Bal - one of Europe’s foremost scholars in art history and visual studies, with a stellar international reputation. Brings together contributions by senior and younger scholars in the fields of art history and visual studies who reflect on Mieke Bal’s writings and art practice, assessing her contribution and legaciesThe first collection to consider her writing and art in depth, and to develop and extend her thinking in substantial waysThemes include some of Bal’s most important ideas and concepts in the visual field, such as the theoretical object, preposterous history, narrativity, vision and the gaze, cultural memory, self-reflexivity—of the artist, the viewer, the scholarThe essays consider historical art – the Sistine chapel, Renaissance altar paintings, and watercolours—alongside more recent film, photography, graffiti, interactive immersive environments, online performance, and areas of visual interest often positioned outside the pages of art historyWhile Bal has, unsurprisingly perhaps, become a key figure in the debates between art and visual culture, the extraordinarily wide range of visual materials collected here speaks of her path-breaking movement between the visual registers of high art and popular cultures, her resistance to clear-cut distinctions between image and word

Photography After Conceptual Art presents a series of original essays that address substantive theoretical, historical, and aesthetic issues raised by post-1960s photography as a mainstream artistic medium  Selected by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2011Appeals to people interested in artist's use of photography and in contemporary art  Tracks the efflorescence of photography as one of the most important mediums for contemporary art Explores the relation between recent art, theory and aesthetics, for which photography serves as an important test case Includes a number of the essays with previously unpublished photographsArtists discussed include Ed Ruscha, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Douglas Huebler, Mel Bochner, Sherrie Levine, Roni Horn, Thomas Demand, and Jeff Wall

Theatricality in Early Modern Art and Architecture offers the first systematic investigation of exchanges between the arts, architecture and the theatre.The authors present many new instances of the interaction between the arts, providing a theoretical and historiographical context for these interactions. Offers the first systematic investigation of exchanges between the arts, architecture and the theatre, not simply the influence of the theatre on the arts, and vice versaDevelops a theoretical and methodological model to study such exchanges and interactionsPresents many new, hitherto unknown instances of the interaction between the arts, particularly architecture, and the theatre, and provides such interactions with a theoretical and historiographical contextAuthors have opened up new ways of analyzing theatricality both in the arts, architecture and the theatre

Creative Writing and Art History considers the ways in which the writing of art history intersects with creative writing. Essays range from the analysis of historical examples of art historical writing that have a creative element to examinations of contemporary modes of creative writing about art. Considers the ways in which the writing of art history intersects with creative writingCovers a diverse subject matter, from late Neolithic stone circles to the writing of a sentence by FlaubertThe collection both contains essays that survey the topic as well as more specialist articlesBrings together specialist contributors from both sides of the Atlantic