Art History Research Articles

Digital reconstruction of partially lost altarpieces. The case of the Rosary's altarpiece of Sant Pere Màrtir de Manresa

An important challenge of Digital Cultural Heritage is to contribute to the recovery of artworks with their original shape and appearance. Many altarpieces, which are very relevant Christian art elements, have been damaged and/or partly or fully lost. Therefore, the only way to recover them is to carry out their digital reconstruction. Although the procedure that we present here is valid for any altarpiece with similar characteristics, and even for other akin elements, our test bench is the altarpieces that were damaged or destroyed or that disappeared during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) in Catalonia, where most suffered these effects. The first step of our work has been the classification of these artworks into different categories on the basis of their degree of destruction and of the available visual information related to each one. This article proposes, for the first time to our knowledge, a workflow for the virtual reconstruction, through photogrammetry, digital modeling, and digital color restoration, of whole altarpieces partially preserved with very little visual information. Our case study is the Rosary’s altarpiece of Sant Pere Màrtir de Manresa church. Currently, this altarpiece is partially preserved in fragments in the Museu Comarcal de Manresa (Spain). But it cannot be reassembled physically owing to the lack of space (actually the church does not exist anymore) and the cost of such an operation. Thus, there is no other solution than the digital one to contemplate and study the altarpiece as a whole. The reconstruction that we provide allows art historians and the general public to virtually see the altarpiece complete and assembled as it was until 1936. The results obtained also allow us to see in detail the reliefs and ornaments of the altarpiece with their digitally restored color.

Enhancing the Creative Arts Skill of Generalist Teachers in the Ga East Municipality, Ghana

The objective-based curriculum previously in use was replaced by a standards-based curriculum for the 2019–2020 school year, bringing a fresh approach to the fundamental study of visual arts. However, the current curriculum places greater emphasis on art history and cultural practices, presenting challenges for generalist teachers in the Ga East Municipality who lack significant training or experience in creative arts. This study aimed to explore the impact of different levels of educational leadership on enhancing the teaching skills of generalist teachers in creative arts education. Employing a convergent parallel mixed methods approach, both qualitative and quantitative data were analysed. The study collected a total of 210 questionnaire responses and conducted interviews with 3 participants. The respondents included 185 generalist teachers, 25 headteachers, and 3 municipal education officers, selected through purposive sampling. The study held importance for the practical ability of generalist teachers to navigate complex artistic concepts through adaptability and flexibility in their teaching methods. The findings demonstrated that implementing innovative intervention strategies, such as collaborative projects, professional development training, integration of online resources, and pre-service education into the curriculum, while equipping generalist teachers with enhanced skills, can effectively inspire and engage students. Additionally, it highlighted the necessity for generalist teachers to exhibit passion, enthusiasm, instructional prowess, and imaginative skills to foster creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression in students through creative arts, ultimately influencing the quality of future art education.

Simulacra and historical fidelity in digital recreation of lost cultural heritage: Reconstituting period materialities for the period eye

The advancement of digital technologies in art history has opened avenues for reconstructing lost or damaged cultural heritage, a need highlighted by the deteriorated state of many artworks from the 1785 Salon. Grounded in the concept of the “Period Eye” by art historian Michael Baxandall, which emphasizes understanding artworks within their original historical and cultural contexts, this study proposes a subfield focused on Reconstituting Period Materialities for the Period Eye. This methodology bridges comprehensive historical research with generative visual artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, facilitating the creation and immersive virtual reality viewing of artworks. Beyond mere visual replication, the approach aims to recreate the material and textural realities of the period, thereby enabling contemporary audiences to experience these works as they were originally perceived. The process includes replicating building materials using Quixel Megascans, employing AI for generating images of lost artworks, and utilizing normal maps for simulating painting textures, all contributing to an authentic reconstruction of the Salon’s ambiance and materiality. This approach, met with some skepticism from traditional historians and archeologists, asserts that such digital reconstitution, backed by rigorous empirical research and detailed period-specific datasets, yields reconstructions of greater historical accuracy and contextual richness. This mirrors strides in sound archeology, endorsing a similar empirical approach in visual material recreation. The significance of this study is underscored by its potential to enrich our comprehension of historical artworks through a “Period Eye,” blending historical insights with modern technological innovation for a deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural heritage.

Reading Cisheteronormativity into the Art Historical Archives

Madeleine Lemaire (1845–1928) might appear to be a typical “woman artist” of the Belle Époque, a painter of images of fashionable women, equally popular for her watercolor flowers and her skills as a salon hostess, with biographical sketches of her then and now assuming that if she had sex or romance, it was with men. However, a closer look has also revealed Lemaire to be potentially atypical. Unlike her women colleagues, she exhibited salacious nudes; her work was once described as having “a bit of the mustache”; and she generally dodged discussions of either her gender or her sexuality, even though her social group included those who openly flaunted their own non-conformities. Using archival materials, artworks, and contemporary theory to unpack the possibilities presented by Lemaire’s case, I also explore the gains for art history in reconsidering previously female-identified and straight-seeming artists in more fluid gender and sexual terms. What might we discover if we recognize ourselves as the constructors of a cisheteronormative past, reading into the archives the assumptions that our current culture’s binary norms enforce?

The Final End of Man: Reading the Moralist Aesthetics of Fr. Alfredo Panizo, O.P.

Alfredo Panizo was a philosopher who served in various capacities at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) during the twentieth century. In 1954, he gave an address at the university that was also published in book form as Art and Morals. In his address/book, Panizo systematically laid out his aesthetics, which offers a criticism of modern art during a time when Edades and other modernists received institutional support from UST. Unfortunately, scholars have neither provided a comprehensive explication of Panizo’s aesthetics nor situated it in the broader history of Philippine modern art. This paper aims to address this problem. By employing Gadamerian hermeneutics, the author of the paper offers an interpretation of Panizo’s aesthetics that (1) forms a connection between his ideas and S. P. Lopez’s thoughts on proletarian art, (2) explicates Panizo’s views on beauty and transcendence, and (3) investigates Panizo’s position on modern art. Through this paper, the author hopes to add more nuance to the story of modern art in the Philippines. Although much has been written about the modernists, who made UST a springboard for spreading their ideas, scholars have barely looked at what the Dominicans at the university thought about modern art.

The key characters of animal-style art in the Middle and Late Bronze Age

This paper aims to illuminate the archaeological cultures of the Middle and Late Bronze Ages in the neighboring regions of Mongolia. It delves into the phases and chronology of Mongolia’s Bronze Age development, scrutinizing key characters and their symbols in early animal-style art. The artistic expressions stemming from the nomadic way of life are categorized as “animal-style art,” wherein nomads transitioned the characters from two-dimensional to three-dimensional representations a significant and invaluable contribution to the history of global art. The distinctive characters of art from the Middle and Late Bronze Age not only played a central role in subsequent cultures such as Arjan, Pazyryk, Chandman- Sagil, Slab Burial, and Tagar but also evolved in terms of expressive meaning, attaining a heightened level of perfection. In other words, the origins of this distinctive “animal-style art” can be traced back to the 13th century BC in Central Asia, particularly within the territory of present-day Mongolia. Subsequently, it proliferated across the expansive plains of Eurasia, reaching its artistic zenith between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC.

The Development Process of Wushu Under the Influence of Wuju Selection System

Wuju, historically known as Wuke, was began in Tang Dynasty, the second year when Wu Zetian became empress. It was developed in successive dynasties. However, with the invasions of Western colonists in 19<sup>th</sup> century, the traditional martial arts were clearly no longer suitable for the needs of modern warfare, finally, it was abolished in the 27th year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty. The abolition of Wuju system caused a fierce debate in the imperial court. Although there is still little research on the influence of Wuju to the development of martial arts in various dynasties, as the earliest main way to select martial arts talents, it has existed for more than 1,200 years in Chinese history and has improved the selection criteria for talents that are adept with both the pen and the sword. Wuju in Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, military martial arts and folk martial arts are the earliest martial arts system in China. The rise and fall, as well as combination of Wuju and martial arts have a profound impact on the history of martial arts. Therefore, the paper tries to explore to the development process of martial arts by explaining the five stages of Wuju: rise, development, imprisonment, prosperity and defeat, then provides a theoretical basis for future scientific research on martial arts.

The Royal Chapel of Pedro I of Castile in the Christianised Mosque of Seville

Pedro I of Castile (1350–1369) founded a royal chapel in the Christianised Mosque of Seville. He intended to house there his body, that of Queen María de Padilla, and their son the Infant Alfonso (1359–1362). This mausoleum is well documented both in the king’s will and in the chronicles of López de Ayala; however, there are no material remains as it was demolished with the construction of the new cathedral in the 15th century. In this article, we seek to produce a state of the art history of the building, a compilation of all the documentary sources that exist for its analysis, and an approach to the problems that hinder its study. We have also tried, unsuccessfully, to put forward a hypothesis about its original location, but we have come up against a dead end. Despite this, we consider it essential to lay all the cards on the table and prevent the mausoleum from falling into oblivion.

Take me to the River: Sophie Anderson and Elaine of Astolat

Abstract Sophie Gengembre Anderson (1823–1903) is not a painter of considerable critical acclaim; her work has been largely disregarded by art history and criticism, charged on the often-fatal count of sentimentality and lumped in with the kinds of ‘kitsch’ art rejected by modernism and its descendants. Despite this, her work continues to sell – at multi-million-dollar auctions and printed on cheap paraphernalia. Anderson’s appeal at these very different cultural echelons is testament to her technical effectiveness and to the enduring quality of her particular brand of Victorian mawkishness, and though her many paintings of children may never quite find purchase amidst the innovations and revelations of art in the recent century, these qualities do lend themselves to a deeply sympathetic mode of historical and literary painting. Anderson’s large, Tennyson-inspired literary depiction of Elaine of Astolat signalled her desire to enter the aggressively male-dominated space of historical and literary art and offers a valuable new perspective on a story and a character which has been so often – even obsessively – depicted by men. Elaine, which sits high above the entryway to Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery, was one of the first such paintings by a woman to be purchased with public funds, and it represents a valuable entry-point for critique – both of the Victorian art establishment and of Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. Anderson’s artistic choices betray a profound sympathy for Elaine of Astolat and serve to highlight the pathos of a character who has seen her story and her character distorted from its inception.

Future (Re)view : Re-ing and (Re)reading “Future (Re)vision: A Few Reflections on Recollection, Reception and Response in Practice-Based Art Research or: Hindsight isn’t always 20/20”

This paper presents re-ing as a critical and creative method for experience-based learning. In this reflective dialogue between an art researcher and an art historian, re-ing is considered vis-à-vis the conference themes of Art of Research VIII (2023): re-placing, re-interpreting and re-visioning. The holistic significance of research in art and design is also explored from the perspective of practice, and the journey from Ph. student to PhD supervisor. The exchange draws on work by the artist featured in The Art of Research II (2012), a legacy publication in The Art of Research series.

Finding Yourself in the Narrative

The Emic staff interviewed with Dr. Dori Griffin, Associate Professor in the School of Art + Art History at the University of Florida.

Understanding Breast Cancer Images in Art History as a Form of Health Communication

Can art and visual images meant for public consumption (museums, galleries, social media platforms) serve as a critical form of health communication for breast cancer patients? For their clinicians? For the population at large? Art history research methods are applied to a range of breast cancer images in western art in order to understand what the images communicate to us about patient experience, agency, and inequity in health care at the time of their construction. The following is a selective look at western art as it reflects and informs our understanding of breast cancer over time.

Aesthetics and symbolic meaning of ancient Chinese snowy landscapes from the IV to the XX century.

The article examines the aesthetic and symbolic aspects of ancient Chinese snowy landscapes, covering the period from the IV to the XX century. The focus of the research is Guohua painting, representing classic snowy landscapes, compositions with birds and flowers, as well as snow portraits. An in-depth analysis of the symbolism and meaning of elements such as "four seasons", "snow", "snowy mountains", "three friends of cold time" and "cold beasts" was carried out, as well as the narrative characteristics of snowy landscapes were studied. It was revealed that snow scenes reflect the vitality and stability of a person, causing reflections on life difficulties. The work highlights how snowy landscapes have become a means of expressing emotions, reflecting sadness, but also demonstrating strength, well-being, morality and the sublimity of cultural values. The study uses the methodology of symbolism and iconology analysis to study the aesthetics of ancient Chinese snowy landscapes. A comparative approach is applied to various eras and techniques, including ink painting and engraving, to assess the cultural and emotional meanings of snow in Chinese art. The research touches on a rarely covered topic in the history of art — the aesthetic and symbolic depth of ancient Chinese snowy landscapes, from the IV to the XX century. Introducing into scientific discourse a deep analysis of changes in the perception and image of snow, the work presents a comprehensive study using iconology and semiotics to uncover hidden meanings in Chinese Guohua painting. She reveals how artists have reflected the emotional and philosophical aspects of life through snowy landscapes, demonstrating their influence on cultural representations of nature, man and society. The innovation of the study lies in the fact that it connects the aesthetic elements of snow with cultural and historical changes in China, showing their importance for understanding Chinese identity and aesthetic perception. This study not only enriches the academic understanding of Chinese painting, but also highlights the layering of symbols and metaphors in traditional art, reflecting a unique combination of natural phenomena and cultural meanings.

Marriage and motherhood: Insights on a crucial life course process from the perspective of female arab-palestinian undergraduate students

Despite changes in women's status in recent decades in Arab-Palestinian society in Israel, marriage and motherhood still play a central role. Moreover, although the increase in the integration rates of young Arab-Palestinian women into the higher education system, as girls belonging to a minority group with traditional structures, they are expected to prioritize family and community expectations over personal aspirations. This study focuses on art projects of female Arab-Palestinian college students in Israel, which serve as a prism for detecting cultural perceptions of pathways to entering adulthood among this population today. These topics are central themes in the projects in question. Working on these projects forced the students to profoundly contemplate their life stage - being engaged or newly married and young mothers. The aim of the study was to decode the artworks in order to explore the students’ feelings and thoughts on a topic rarely considered through the eyes of the young women themselves. The study provides a nuanced examination of the social processes that young educated Arab-Palestinian women experience in the current family structure. By analysing the projects using visual tools from semiotics and art history, along with verbal texts provided by the students, we assert that these projects serve as a crucial avenue for students’ self-expression regarding topics seldom addressed. Even though the projects cannot be understood as critical of traditional gender expectations, we did find some interesting voices of unease regarding them. The move from their parents' home to their new one is widely described as difficult, where sadness and concern about the future are highly noticeable. In addition to accepting the stages of marriage and motherhood with joy and excitement, they also express fear and hesitation. This tension between fulfilling their expected roles and being unsure and hesitant about them exists in the projects. We claim that even if implicit and careful, these signs are important to recognize. However, it seems that higher education has failed to significantly undermine patriarchal and gender expectations.

The study of Marions Painting Theory

Marion's painting philosophy primarily addresses the dialectical unity between the visible and the invisible, suggesting that neither can be deemed more "real" than the other. Instead, they act as mutual validations of each other's existence. The concept of visibility is constrained by human perceptions and physical limitations, often leading individuals to see only what aligns with their desires and past experiences. This selective perception underscores the inherent limitations or "void" within visibility.Marion quotes in her book: "Fire in water, divinity in humanity, paradoxes arise from the intervention of the visible in the realm of the invisible." This highlights why philosophical discussions on painting inevitably involve introspection. Artistic creation is about transforming the visible into the invisible and then manifesting the invisible as visible. Throughout this transformation, individual consciousness merges with collective human consciousness, allowing art to preserve its uniqueness within the broader narrative of art history and to establish its own value. This personal perspective can also be termed as one's gaze, a human attribute adept at self-justification and pattern creation within one's cognition. Through vision, we acknowledge the 'void of visibility,' which becomes a dense, chaotic mass at the moment of observation, generating an 'invisible void'the brain organizes the visible and extends it into the invisible, blending the unseen into the seen.

From Gaze to Rebel: A Study of Female Figures in Art History

This paper discusses the evolution of women's portrayal in art, from objectified figures in early history to empowered subjects in modern times. Initially, women were depicted through the male gaze, embodying idealized beauty or fulfilling societal roles. During the Renaissance, this trend continued with artists like Raffaello Santi, who focused on physical beauty but often overlooked real-life women's experiences. The paper then highlights a shift to representing everyday women, as seen in works like Jean Franois Millet's "The Gleaners," yet these portrayals still echoed traditional gender norms. The narrative progresses with the emergence of female artists challenging these conventional depictions. Figures like Kathe Kollwitz and Sylvia Sleigh reversed the male gaze, empowering women as active subjects in art. The paper concludes by emphasizing the transformation in art from objectifying women to portraying them as autonomous and influential, mirroring societal shifts in gender roles and perceptions.

Toward a theory of perspective perception in pictures.

This paper reviews projection models and their perception in realistic pictures, and proposes hypotheses for three-dimensional (3D) shape and space perception in pictures. In these hypotheses, eye fixations, and foveal vision play a central role. Many past theories and experimental studies focus solely on linear perspective. Yet, these theories fail to explain many important perceptual phenomena, including the effectiveness of nonlinear projections. Indeed, few classical paintings strictly obey linear perspective, nor do the best distortion-avoidance techniques for wide-angle computational photography. The hypotheses here employ a two-stage model for 3D human vision. When viewing a picture, the first stage perceives 3D shape for the current gaze. Each fixation has its own perspective projection, but, owing to the nature of foveal and peripheral vision, shape information is obtained primarily for a small region of the picture around the fixation. As a viewer moves their eyes, the second stage continually integrates some of the per-gaze information into an overall interpretation of a picture. The interpretation need not be geometrically stable or consistent over time. It is argued that this framework could explain many disparate pictorial phenomena, including different projection styles throughout art history and computational photography, while being consistent with the constraints of human 3D vision. The paper reviews open questions and suggests new studies to explore these hypotheses.

A new canvas of learning: Enhancing formal analysis skills in AP art history through AI-generated Islamic art

This study explores the use of AI art generators to enhance formal analysis skills in AP Art History students, with a focus on Islamic Art and Architecture. Students, often entering the course with high academic achievements, find the unique challenge of articulating detailed visual descriptions of artworks. The study’s approach involves using AI image-generation websites, like wepik.com, where students create AI images resembling Islamic artworks studied in class. This method aims to refine their descriptive skills, focusing on visual evidence rather than relying on identifying details. The choice of Islamic Art, markedly different from other historical periods covered in the curriculum, is intended to boost retention and learning engagement. The results show that students were more successful in describing architectural artworks compared to two-dimensional narrative pieces, with limited site access and the need for iterative description refinement being key challenges. Successful attempts were marked by precise vocabulary usage and detailed descriptions, resulting in AI images closely matching the original artworks. In contrast, less successful attempts revealed deficiencies in comprehensive and detailed descriptions, particularly in narrative artworks. These outcomes highlight the potential and limitations of AI tools in art history education, suggesting that their effectiveness depends largely on the depth and precision of student inputs. The study not only demonstrates the innovative application of AI in education but also underscores the importance of detailed visual analysis, pointing towards future enhancements in AI-assisted educational methodologies.

The Night Banquet of Han Xizai in the Perspective of Socio-Historical Criticism

The purpose of this article is to explore in depth the historical background, iconographic content, and its historical value and significance of Han Xizai's Night Banquet through the perspective of socio-historical criticism. The article firstly analyzes the socio-historical situation of the Five Dynasties period, especially the political and cultural background of the Southern Tang Dynasty, as well as the association between Han Xizai and the Southern Tang Dynasty royal family. Secondly, it provides a detailed pictorial interpretation of Han Xizai's Night Banquet in terms of its picture content and scene arrangement, character image and costume props, artistic style and presentation method. Finally, the historical value and significance of the painting are discussed. Han Xizai's Night Banquet not only reflects the social and political background of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, but also reveals the relationship between Han Xizai and the royal family of the Southern Tang Dynasty. With its fine brushwork style and unique narrative technique, the painting shows the prosperity of the court culture and the luxury of aristocratic life in the Southern Tang Dynasty. At the same time, the painting also has important value in art history, painting technique, cultural relics and collection history. As a precious historical document, The Night Banquet of Han Xizai not only helps to enrich our understanding of ancient history, but also enhances our appreciation of ancient art, and has certain reference value for historical and artistic research.

Systematising the Main Fund of the Museum of the Academy of Arts in 1948 (based on the materials from the archive of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts)

The article is devoted to the important year in the history of the Museum of the Academy of Fine Arts. It was in 1948 that the restoration of the Museum began after the Great Patriotic War. The article was written on the basis of museum documents of that time, now stored in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts and making it possible to study the lost museum valuables and the reasons for their loss. The article is extremely useful for art historians involved in the provenance of works of art, museologists and museum staff, as it publishes archival information that is being introduced into scientifi c circulation for the fi rst time.