2.2: Art History and World Art History

2.2.1 Art History and World Art History

  • Picasso, Guernica (1937)

    • Medium and dimensions: Oil on canvas, {11'6''} \times ${25'6''} (height × width). For precision in measurements, note the conversion to inches: {138''} \times ${306''}.

    • Visual strategy: abstraction and dramatic diagonals to highlight the chaos and terror of war; a massive, monochromatic painting.

    • Key quotation: Timothy Snyder — «What’s visible becomes thinkable, and what’s thinkable becomes doable.»

    • Context in politics and media:

    • In 2003, Colin Powell presented to the United Nations to argue for war with Iraq. UN officials discreetly covered the tapestry reproduction of Picasso’s Guernica at the Secretariat entrance while Powell spoke. Maureen Dowd of The New York Times noted this irony: «Mr. Powell can’t very well seduce the world into bombing Iraq surrounded on camera by shrieking and mutilated women, men, children, bulls and horses.»

    • This episode illustrates the power of images and objects to communicate ideas and influence attitudes, underscoring Snyder’s claim about visual culture.

    • Significance for art history as a discipline: interpret, contextualize, and think critically about visual culture; this work demonstrates how art history matters not just to specialists but to society at large.

  • Is art history a conservative discipline? A critical discussion

    • The field is often imagined as elite, white, and conservative, which feeds esthetic/political stereotypes about the humanities’ relevance in a STEM-driven era.

    • Obama portrait (reference to a non-traditional presidential portrait) is cited as an example of public debate about art history’s relevance and representation.

2.2.2 Kehinde Wiley, Barack Obama (2018)

  • Description of the portrait: oil on canvas, 92 1/4" × 65 13/16". National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (Photo by Adam Fagen, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

  • Visual strategy: Obama portrayed as an approachable seated figure, looking directly at the viewer, surrounded by flora representing life locations:

    • African lily for Kenyan heritage

    • White jasmine for Hawaii (birthplace)

    • Chrysanthemum for Chicago (political roots)

  • Critical response:

    • Many viewers are frustrated; image–object studies demand as much meticulous attention as traditional texts.

    • Close readings should attend to the maker’s conditions, the making, and the use of the work, not just formal/iconographic analysis.

  • Theoretical frameworks:

    • Formal analysis and iconography are foundational, but must be complemented by critical theory—feminist, post-structuralist, and postcolonial critiques of power, politics, and representation.

  • Art history’s non-conservatism and current relevance:

    • Art history is not inherently conservative; it is a field that engages with the contemporary moment just as art does.

  • Western canon critique and curricular issues:

    • Introductory surveys still lean on the Western canon due to textbook traditions, departmental requirements, and instructors’ training.

    • Even courses labeled “global” may feature a heavily Western-centric framework, effectively yielding surveys of “the West” with a token inclusion of ‘the rest.’

  • Center–periphery model critique:

    • Aruna D’Souza and Jill Casid highlight the persistence of a center–periphery framework in which Western art holds primacy and others are marginalized.

    • Periphery examples include Native American and some Spanish colonial art; women artists and artists of color remain underrepresented.

  • Origins of art history in a Western/colonial context:

    • The discipline’s foundations were shaped by colonial power relations and a notion of what constitutes a “work of art.”

    • Even seemingly simple categorization such as classifying a well-made ceramic as “craft” rather than “capital-A Art” reflects these biases.

2.2.3 Nampeyo (Hopi-Tewa), polychrome jar (c. 1930s)

  • Description: Clay and pigment; 13 × 21 cm. National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution.

  • Nampeyo’s significance: celebrated for preserving traditional Hopi-Tewa designs while introducing technological and stylistic innovations.

  • Center–periphery critique:

    • Even when used to critique marginalization, the center–periphery model reinforces Europe as a conceptual center and reifies power relations it seeks to critique.

  • Open questions for the field:

    • What should be done with legacies? Is it enough to add more works from underrepresented cultures, or should binary center/periphery be relinquished entirely?

    • Should we redefine how we define and analyze “art” and its histories beyond hermetic styles, schools, or traditions?

    • How can the canon be decolonized in classrooms without sacrificing rigor or accessibility?

  • Classroom implementation challenges:

    • The need for broad, seamless employability of approaches at the introductory level of art history.

    • Despite calls for a global approach, textbooks and curricula often persist in a Western-centric organization.

  • Global examples and provocations:

    • Alfredo Jaar, A Logo for America (1987): Times Square animation; 15 seconds; the artwork proclaims that the United States is not synonymous with America and challenges cultural narcissism and hegemony.

2.2.4 Decolonization, canons, and world/global framing

  • Self-reflexive decolonization:

    • The work of discursive decolonization involves examining and deconstructing the conditions that produce knowledge and power in art history.

    • Terminology matters for framing global identities and power relations; even seemingly neutral terms can encode bias.

  • Canon definitions and biases:

    • A canon can be defined as: (i) a rule for a standard of beauty artists should follow, and (ii) a body of works considered especially important.

    • The Western canon historically emphasized white Euro/American men, shaping what counts as significant art.

  • Dynamic canons:

    • Canons are not static; they are expanding and changing over time as scholars push for broader inclusion and new criteria.

  • Calls for decolonization:

    • Proposals to label colonialist or settler influences and recast canons with different values and actors.

    • Resources and discussions for educators include Catherine Grant & Dorothy Price's Decolonizing Art History; James D’Emilio; The New York Times’ Still Processing podcast; Amber Hickey and Ana Tuazon case studies and zines on decolonizing classrooms.

  • World vs global terminology:

    • John Onians introduced the term “world art studies” as an alternative to “global art history” to distinguish between:

    • research focused on the globalized, networked present through a traditional art-historical lens, and

    • scholarship looking at the longer historical span and geographic space using interdisciplinary methods.

    • Benjamin Harris emphasizes that a truly global field requires a critique of Western power and its reproduction in cultural terms.

  • Classroom and methodological challenges:

    • While many scholars advocate for decolonization, implementing these ideas in Western survey courses remains difficult because of entrenched narratives and institutional inertia.

2.2.5 Indigenous perspectives and alternative lenses

  • Emily Kame Kngwarreye (Australian Aboriginal, Anmatyerr people), Anooralya (Wild Yam Dreaming), 1995

    • Medium: Synthetic polymer paint on canvas; dimensions: 59\dfrac{13}{16}\,\text{in} \times \dfrac{48}{16}\,\text{in} or split as 59\frac{13}{16}\text{ in} \; \times\; 48\frac{1}{16}\text{ in} (Seattle Art Museum).

    • Context: Her career runs alongside a period of major change in Australia—from the end of colonial settlement toward a more ethical embrace of Aboriginal culture by the Western population.

  • Decentering Europe as the sole interpretive framework:

    • Carmen Robertson (First Nations University of Canada) advocates for interpreting Aboriginal art and other non-European traditions through indigenous values and interdisciplinary approaches, linking traditional ways to colonial adaptations and recent developments.

    • Example with West African Igbo art: read Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and discuss both traditional and contemporary expressions, museology, and effects of colonization on the arts.

2.2.6 Networks, interconnection, and cross-cultural reframing

  • Ikenga (Igbo peoples, Nigeria) – wood sculpture

    • Features: seated figure with curling ram’s horns; knife in the right hand; human head in the left; symbolizes power, life force, and social connection.

    • Source: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

    • Purpose: a key example of object-based inquiry and the way artifacts encode social meaning.

  • Networks as critique in global art history:

    • Global Renaissance studies reframing art production across the trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific; challenges traditional periodization and stylistic categories from European Renaissance art.

    • Ananda Cohen-Aponte notes multiple renaissances and baroques whose artistic fruits spilled into the Americas and Asia, highlighting intercultural exchange.

  • Cross-cultural folding screen (Mexico, c. 1697–1701): Folding Screen with the Siege of Belgrade (front) and Hunting Scene (reverse); oil on wood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl; 229.9 × 275.8 cm. Brooklyn Museum.

    • Source: Folding screen demonstrates a multicultural story of Japanese and Dutch influences on Spanish artistic styles; the Spanish word biombo derives from Japanese byōbu.

    • This object exemplifies how cross-cultural contact can reframe artistic production and challenge linear, single-origin narratives.

  • Decolonization and leadership in scholarship:

    • A call to create space for Indigenous scholars and Global South voices to lead the writing of art history.

2.2.7 Further readings and scholarly context

  • Canon and critical texts in art history:

    • John Berger, Ways of Seeing (1972) — a foundational critique of perception and canon formation.

    • Edward Said, Orientalism (1978) — a foundational critique of Western representations of the ‘Other.’

    • Hans Belting — globalization in the art world as a touchstone for understanding modern and contemporary practice.

  • Ananda Cohen-Aponte, Decolonizing the Global Renaissance: A View from the Andes (in The Globalization of Renaissance Art: A Critical Review, Daniel Savoy, Brill, 2017), pp. 73–74.

  • Smarthistory resource: Art history and world art history, Smarthistory, January 12, 2021 (CC BY-NC-SA).

  • Licensing and authorship:

    • The page 2.2 content is shared under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0; authors include Cerise Myers, Ellen C. Caldwell, Alice J. Taylor, Margaret Phelps & Lisa Soccio (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative).

  • Overall synthesis: The material argues for expanding and rethinking how art history is taught and written, moving beyond Western-centric canons toward a globally connected, critically engaged discipline that foregrounds power relations, intercultural exchange, and the social life of images and objects.

Art plays a significant role throughout history by serving as a powerful medium for communication, influencing attitudes, and reflecting complex societal dynamics. We can learn several key things from studying art:

  1. Communication and Influence: Art has the capacity to convey ideas and influence public perception. For example, Picasso's Guernica visually strategy of abstraction and dramatic diagonals highlighted the chaos and terror of war, being so impactful that a tapestry reproduction was covered during Colin Powell's UN address to prevent it from undermining arguments for war. This illustrates how art can communicate profoundly and shape global discourse.

  2. Contextual Understanding: Art helps us interpret and contextualize historical moments and cultural values. Works like Kehinde Wiley's portrait of Barack Obama, with its symbolic flora representing his heritage and political roots, offer insights into identity, representation, and public debate about art's relevance. Nampeyo's polychrome jar demonstrates the preservation of traditional designs and technological innovations within indigenous cultures.

  3. Critique and Decolonization: Art and its study allow us to critically examine power relations and challenge established norms. The discussions around the Western canon, decolonization, and the persistence of a center-periphery model reveal how art history can deconstruct biases and advocate for broader inclusion. Artists like Alfredo Jaar, with A Logo for America, actively challenge cultural narcissism and hegemony.

  4. Intercultural Exchange and Networks: Historical art objects often demonstrate cross-cultural contact and the flow of ideas across geographical boundaries. The Folding Screen with the Siege of Belgrade (front) and Hunting Scene (reverse) exemplifies how Japanese, Dutch, and Spanish influences merged, challenging linear, single-origin narratives. This highlights the interconnectedness of human societies through art.

  5. Social Meaning: Artifacts like the Ikenga (Igbo peoples, Nigeria) sculpture, which symbolizes power, life force, and social connection, show how objects encode deep social and cultural meanings, providing insights into the values and beliefs of a society.

In essence, art serves as a historical document, a socio-political commentary, and a critical lens through which we can understand human experience, power dynamics, and cultural evolution across time and space.

Communication and Influence

  • Claim: Art has the capacity to convey ideas and influence public perception.

    • Fact: Picasso's Guernica (1937), an oil on canvas measuring {11'6''} \times ${25'6''}, uses abstraction and dramatic diagonals to highlight the chaos and terror of war. Its impactful visual strategy led UN officials to discreetly cover a tapestry reproduction during Colin Powell's 2003 address regarding war with Iraq, as noted by Maureen Dowd of The New York Times, demonstrating art's power to communicate and influence attitudes.

    • Fact: Timothy Snyder’s quotation, «What’s visible becomes thinkable, and what’s thinkable becomes doable,» underscores art’s role in shaping public discourse and understanding.

Contextual Understanding

  • Claim: Art helps us interpret and contextualize historical moments and cultural values.

    • Fact: Kehinde Wiley's portrait of Barack Obama (2018), oil on canvas, 92\frac{1}{4}\" \times 65\frac{13}{16}" , features symbolic flora—African lily (Kenyan heritage), white jasmine (Hawaii birthplace), and chrysanthemum (Chicago political roots)—offering insights into identity and representation, and sparking public debate about art's relevance.

    • Fact: Nampeyo's (Hopi-Tewa) polychrome jar (c. 1930s), made of clay and pigment, 13 \times 21 \text{ cm}, is significant for preserving traditional Hopi-Tewa designs while introducing stylistic innovations, reflecting indigenous cultural values and heritage.

Critique and Decolonization

  • Claim: Art and its study allow us to critically examine power relations and challenge established norms.

    • Fact: Discussions around the Western canon often describe the field as elite, white, and conservative, focusing historically on white Euro/American men. This is challenged by calls for decolonization, which aim to recast canons with different values and actors, as highlighted by resources from Catherine Grant & Dorothy Price’s Decolonizing Art History.

    • Fact: Alfredo Jaar’s A Logo for America (1987), a 15-second Times Square animation, directly proclaims that the United States is not synonymous with “America,” challenging cultural narcissism and hegemony by critiquing a Western-centric framework.

Intercultural Exchange and Networks

  • Claim: Historical art objects often demonstrate cross-cultural contact and the flow of ideas across geographical boundaries.

    • Fact: The Folding Screen with the Siege of Belgrade (front) and Hunting Scene (reverse) (Mexico, c. 1697–1701), oil on wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl, 229.9 \times 275.8 \text{ cm}, demonstrates Japanese (byōbu, from which biombo derives) and Dutch influences on Spanish artistic styles, exemplifying how cross-cultural contact challenges linear, single-origin narratives.

    • Fact: Ananda Cohen-Aponte's work on Decolonizing the Global Renaissance highlights multiple renaissances and baroques that extended into the Americas and Asia, emphasizing intercultural exchange.

Social Meaning

  • Claim: Artifacts encode deep social and cultural meanings, providing insights into the values and beliefs of a society.

    • Fact: The Ikenga (Igbo peoples, Nigeria) wood sculpture, featuring a seated figure with curling ram’s horns, a knife in the right hand, and a human head in the left, symbolizes power, life force, and social connection. It serves as a key example of how artifacts encode profound social meaning within a cultural context.

Art and expression throughout history serve as far more than aesthetic embellishments; they are critical lenses through which we understand complex societal dynamics and human experience. To study these expressions is to engage in a profound exercise of critical thinking, moving beyond mere contemplation to dissect the layers of power, context, and influence embedded within visual culture. Such study reveals how art fundamentally shapes public perception, as exemplified by Picasso’s Guernica, whose stark depiction of war's terror was deemed so influential it was covered during a UN address. This act alone underscores the critical power of images to challenge or uphold narratives.

Furthermore, examining works like Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of Barack Obama or Nampeyo’s polychrome jar compels us to critically evaluate issues of identity, representation, and the inherent biases within established canons. The ongoing debates surrounding decolonization in art history highlight the necessity of scrutinizing whose stories are told and how. By analyzing intercultural exchanges, such as the Mexican folding screen blending Japanese, Dutch, and Spanish influences, we critically dismantle linear historical narratives and appreciate the interconnectedness of global cultures. Ultimately, studying art fosters a critical awareness of how artifacts encode deep social meanings, challenging us to interpret the past and present with greater nuance, empathy, and intellectual rigor.