Art history is a discipline that studies the development of visual arts from its origins to the present day. It focuses on understanding the style, media, technique, function, and context of art works.
Art historians often use a variety of methodologies to analyze art works and their cultural importance. The three main methodologies used by art historians are formal analysis, iconography/iconology, and contextual analysis.
Formal Analysis
Formal analysis involves examining the physical characteristics of an artwork such as its composition, color palette, line, shape, texture and form. This type of analysis seeks to understand how the elements within an artwork interact with one another in order to create meaning. Art historians may also consider how an artist’s use of certain elements influences their stylistic choices.
Iconography/Iconology
Iconography is the study of symbols used in artworks and their meanings or interpretations. It looks at how symbols are used in a particular culture or time period.
Iconology is a related method that looks at the symbolic or allegorical meaning behind an artwork as a whole instead of individual elements within it. These two methods help art historians understand how a particular artwork reflects its cultural context.
Contextual Analysis
Contextual analysis examines an artwork by considering its historical and cultural context. This involves looking at factors such as political and religious beliefs, philosophical ideas, social norms, economic conditions, artistic trends, and so forth. Contextual analysis provides insight into why certain artistic choices were made by artists as well as how these choices reflect broader societal trends.
Conclusion:
The three main methodologies used by art historians are formal analysis, iconography/iconology, and contextual analysis. Each methodology provides insight into different aspects of an artwork such as its composition and stylistic choices as well as its cultural context and symbolic meanings. Together they provide a comprehensive understanding of artworks throughout history.