Paintings and the Past

Philosophy, History, Art

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Art History, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book Paintings and the Past by Ivan Gaskell, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ivan Gaskell ISBN: 9780429581281
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: May 13, 2019
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Ivan Gaskell
ISBN: 9780429581281
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: May 13, 2019
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This book is an exploration of how art—specifically paintings in the European manner—can be mobilized to make knowledge claims about the past. No type of human-made tangible thing makes more complex and bewildering demands in this respect than paintings. Ivan Gaskell argues that the search for pictorial meaning in paintings yields limited results and should be replaced by attempts to define the point of such things, which is cumulative and ever subject to change. He shows that while it is not possible to define what art is—other than being an open kind—it is possible to define what a painting is, as a species of drawing, regardless of whether that painting is an artwork or not at any given time.

The book demonstrates that things can be artworks on some occasions but not necessarily on others, though it is easier for a thing to acquire artwork status than to lose it. That is, the movement of a thing into and out of the artworld is not symmetrical. All such considerations are properly matters not of ontology—what is and what is not an artwork—but of use; that is, how a thing might or might not function as an artwork under any given circumstances. These considerations necessarily affect the approach to paintings that at any given time might be able to function as an artwork or might not be able to function as such. Only by taking these factors into account can anyone make viable knowledge about the past.

This lively discussion ranges over innumerable examples of paintings, from Rembrandt to Rothko, as well as plenty of far less familiar material from contemporary Catholic devotional works to the Chinese avant garde. Its aim is to enhance philosophical acuity in respect of the analysis of paintings, and to increase their amenability to philosophically satisfying historical use. Paintings and the Past is a must-read for all advanced students and scholars concerned with philosophy of art, aesthetics, historical method, and art history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book is an exploration of how art—specifically paintings in the European manner—can be mobilized to make knowledge claims about the past. No type of human-made tangible thing makes more complex and bewildering demands in this respect than paintings. Ivan Gaskell argues that the search for pictorial meaning in paintings yields limited results and should be replaced by attempts to define the point of such things, which is cumulative and ever subject to change. He shows that while it is not possible to define what art is—other than being an open kind—it is possible to define what a painting is, as a species of drawing, regardless of whether that painting is an artwork or not at any given time.

The book demonstrates that things can be artworks on some occasions but not necessarily on others, though it is easier for a thing to acquire artwork status than to lose it. That is, the movement of a thing into and out of the artworld is not symmetrical. All such considerations are properly matters not of ontology—what is and what is not an artwork—but of use; that is, how a thing might or might not function as an artwork under any given circumstances. These considerations necessarily affect the approach to paintings that at any given time might be able to function as an artwork or might not be able to function as such. Only by taking these factors into account can anyone make viable knowledge about the past.

This lively discussion ranges over innumerable examples of paintings, from Rembrandt to Rothko, as well as plenty of far less familiar material from contemporary Catholic devotional works to the Chinese avant garde. Its aim is to enhance philosophical acuity in respect of the analysis of paintings, and to increase their amenability to philosophically satisfying historical use. Paintings and the Past is a must-read for all advanced students and scholars concerned with philosophy of art, aesthetics, historical method, and art history.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Grammar of Identity by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Escaping Japan by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book The Discourse of Musicology by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Regulatory Reforms in Italy: A Case Study in Europeanisation by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book The Routledge Handbook of Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Development by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Foreign Intervention, Warfare and Civil Wars by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Cities and Power by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Will Sustainability Fly? by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Exercise Dependence by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book UN Peace Operations by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Last Lectures on the Prevention and Intervention of Genocide by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Heart of Practice by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Ensemble Theatre Making by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Near Eastern Tribal Societies During the Nineteenth Century by Ivan Gaskell
Cover of the book Jesuit Civil Wars by Ivan Gaskell
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy