Concepts and Problems in the Visual Arts, Lecture H4: Dividing art into periods

About this video

• Video Title: Concepts and Problems in the Visual Arts, Lecture H4: Dividing art into periods
• Channel: James Elkins
• Speakers: James Elkins
• Duration: 22:13

Overview

This lecture explores various methods and challenges in dividing art history into periods. It discusses traditional Western periodization, alternative approaches like "atomism" and generational analysis, the concept of "megaperiods," and the influence of presentism and non-Western perspectives on how art history is structured.

Key takeaways

• Traditional Periodization: Western art history is commonly divided into periods like Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Modern, and Post-Modern, which are often based on political, cultural, and stylistic characteristics.
• Challenges in Periodization: The inherent mix of political, cultural, and stylistic elements within periods leads to an "apples and oranges" problem, making clear-cut divisions difficult.
• Alternative Approaches: "Atomism" treats each artwork or artist as unique, while generational analysis attempts to group artists by birth cohorts. Neither has become as dominant as traditional periodization.
• Megaperiods: These are broader divisions of art history, such as "pre-Renaissance," "Renaissance," and "post-Renaissance," or the more contemporary "pre-modern" and "modern" divide, serving as the largest conceptual units.
• Hinge Points and Turning Points: The Renaissance and Modernism (or the 1960s/Postmodernism) are often considered significant "hinge points" or turning points that fundamentally shift the trajectory of art history.
• Presentism: This approach prioritizes contemporary art and its relationship to the present, potentially downplaying or disregarding historical context and older art forms.
• Non-Western Perspectives: The lecture touches upon how non-Western cultures, like China and Korea, use their own historical structures (e.g., dynasties) for periodization, and suggests alternative frameworks for organizing world art history, such as regional categories (African, European, Asian art).