Member-only story
Interested in Studying Art History? Start Here
Tips on how to begin your studies into the history of art
A question that I get asked a lot is: “How do I get started in learning about art history?”
In my experience, most people who develop an interest in the history of art have usually had their curiosity kindled by a meaningful interaction with a single work of art or perhaps the work of a specific artist.
As this initial interest develops, they begin to read articles and browse through books. The kinship with the world of art deepens, but along with it comes a sense that the history of art is complicated, perhaps even confusing. All too quickly, disorientation begins to bite.
This is a common experience. I actually think it is probably the most healthy way to begin looking into art history. Why? Because an interest that begins with a personal connection lays the strongest foundations possible. A love of an individual work or artist can instigate a lifelong passion.
Now to get to the heart of the question: where does a beginner actually begin?
Connect your first passion with a wider setting
My first piece of advice is to return to your first passion and try to understand its place in the wider context. Perhaps it was a painting by Monet, perhaps it was a Greek sculpture you saw in a museum, or perhaps it was an abstract painting from the 20th century by someone like Mark Rothko.
Wherever your initial spark began, my advice is to start there. Read around the artist. Learn about the subject matter of their work. Learn a bit about their life and which other artists they were friends with and so on. It is amazing how quickly you can begin to make connections. And sooner or later, connections turn into knowledge.
Structuring your study
A test of whether your study process is well-structured or not is if you actually retain the material you take in. It’s fairly easy to sweep up masses of information; it is less easy to digest it and mentally assemble it into a meaningful body of learning.
