The history of art is an expansive and fascinating subject. It covers all forms of visual expression, from painting and sculpture to architecture, photography, and digital media. But who invented the history of art?
The exact answer to this question is difficult to pinpoint as the history of art has been shaped by many different cultures over thousands of years. However, it’s widely accepted that the roots of the history of art can be traced back to ancient Greece.
In Ancient Greece, art was used to express religious beliefs and convey political messages. The earliest known works of art date back to c. 3500 BCE in the form of cave paintings found in France and Spain. These early works were created by hunter-gatherers and are believed to be some of the earliest examples of representational art.
By around 500 BCE, Ancient Greece had become a flourishing cultural centre with its own distinct style of artwork that drew inspiration from mythology and natural landscapes. This was a period when sculpting became popular, with artists such as Phidias becoming widely acclaimed for their work. This period also saw the emergence of writing about art, with authors such as Plato and Aristotle discussing aesthetics in their philosophical writings.
It wasn’t until the 17th century that we see the first modern-day attempts at writing a history of art. During this time, Italian philosopher Giorgio Vasari wrote ‘Lives of Artists’ which focused on biographies about famous painters and sculptors from classical antiquity through to his own time period. This book is often considered to be one of the first recorded histories of Western Art and has been hugely influential throughout subsequent centuries.
Conclusion
The invention or discovery of the history of art is difficult to pinpoint due to its expansive nature and various influences from cultures around the world over thousands of years. However, it can be said that its roots can be traced back to Ancient Greece where it was used for religious purposes before being further developed into an academic discipline during the 17th century with Giorgio Vasari’s book ‘Lives of Artists’.