Abstract
This research examines how contextualization of artists within historical cohort networks affects art historical commemoration. Examining a population of 236 artists who first exhibited between 1946 and 1955 in three of the Netherland's largest museums (Boijmans, Stedelijk, and Van Abbemuseum), we examine the cohort connections curators create for these artists through exhibition and analyse how such connections affect historical commemoration. We argue a “historic network” is created through museum exhibitions, where exhibitions position artists within history. Employing network analysis, we examine exhibition connections established for artists with prior (1930–1945), concurrent (1946–1955), and subsequent artist cohorts (1956–1989)—altogether examining connections across 317 exhibitions and analysing a network of 4 428 individual artists. Using sequence analysis, we show when historic cohort networks are employed within exhibition and how these networks evolve over time. Next, we examine which type of networks receive the greatest art historical commemoration. Our findings indicate those artists with the most consistent and coherent networks are far more likely to be recognized and remembered. We argue because history is presented relationally, those artists with overarching historic cohort connections fit more easily into a historical narrative, leading to a greater likelihood of being commemorated over time. Overall, the research introduces the idea of historic cohort networks to provide an analysis of how museum exhibitions contextualize artists within history and affect art history and commemoration.
Highlights
When artists’ works are shown together in museum exhibition, a connection between these artists is created in the mind of, first, the curator and the audience
Examining a population of 236 artists who first exhibited between 1946 and 1955 in three of the Netherland's largest museums (Boijmans, Stedelijk, and Van Abbemuseum), we examine the cohort connections curators create for these artists through exhibition and analyse how such connections affect historical commemoration
We show when historic cohort networks are employed within exhibition and how these networks evolve over time
Summary
When artists’ works are shown together in museum exhibition, a connection between these artists is created in the mind of, first, the curator and the audience. Because exhibitions advocate a meaningful association between artists (literally presenting artists side-by-side), we argue exhibitions can conceptually link artists with those who worked before, concurrent with, or after the artist In this way exhibition networks may function to position artists within art history and, increase the artist's chance at historical commemoration. While emphasis is usually placed on the actor's efforts, reputation is fundamentally a social phenomenon—an evolving attribute assessed and ascribed to the actor by others (for a discussion on reputation, Braden and Teekens, 2019) In this way, the importance of symbolic networks is evident in long-term and historic reputation building: whereas social connections are grounded in immediate, physical proximity (such as friendships, collaborations, etc.), reputational connections are often made outside personal contacts and beyond the lifetime of the historical personage. We begin by introducing the concept of historic networks, offering an idea of how this concept may expand work already done in the field of reputation-building
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
