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Refer To The Assigned Reading From The Textbook And Required Videos As

Review the “Questions Art Historians Use” section in the Introduction of the textbook. Select two of the five questions. Explain what art historians are trying to gain by asking each question and how they might go about finding an answer.

Next, select a work of art of your choice from the textbook or from the Bonus Images in your CourseMate digital resources. Apply the two questions you have selected to the work of art. Explain how you went about finding the answers to the questions and what you ultimately found those answers to be. Be sure to include the citation for your selected work of art. Your initial post must be at least 200 words in length.

Review several of your classmates’ posts. By Day 7, provide a substantive response to at least two of your classmates. Review their applications of their chosen questions to the works of art. What additional implications could be considered in answering the questions? What additional question(s) would you recommend asking about the works of art? Why?

Paper For Above instruction

Art history as a discipline relies heavily on specific questions that guide historians in interpreting and understanding works of art. Among these, two fundamental questions stand out: “Who made it?” and “How old is the work of art?” These questions serve as foundational tools for art historians, allowing them to gather crucial information about the origin, cultural context, and historical significance of artworks.

The question “Who made it?” aims to identify the creator of the artwork, providing insights into the artist’s identity, their cultural background, and the influence of their environment. Art historians use techniques such as provenance research, stylistic analysis, and sometimes scientific methods like Carbon-14 dating or spectroscopy to verify authorship and attribution. Understanding the artist’s background can shed light on varying artistic styles, techniques, and the socio-political environment that shaped the artwork (Donahue, 2018).

Similarly, the question “How old is the work of art?” helps establish the chronological context, which is vital for understanding the historical period in which the piece was created. Art historians employ methods including relative dating, stratigraphy, and absolute dating techniques like radiocarbon testing or thermoluminescence. Knowing the age of an artwork allows scholars to situate it within artistic movements and cultural developments, revealing influences and innovations over time (Brubaker, 2019).

For example, in examining Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” (circa 1503–1506), art historians attempt to establish its authentic creatorship through stylistic analysis combined with historical documentation. Scientific tests, such as pigment analysis and infrared reflectography, help confirm materials and techniques consistent with Leonardo’s known methods. Additionally, radiocarbon dating of the wooden panel provides an estimate of the period during which the work was created. These combined approaches help affirm the work’s attribution and chronological context (Vasari, 1550/2010).

Applying these questions to a chosen artwork, such as the ancient Egyptian sculpture of Pharaoh Khafre (circa 2558–2532 BCE), reveals much about its origins. Determining “who made it” involves examining stylistic features typical of Old Kingdom craftsmanship and provenance records from archaeological excavations. The age of the sculpture, established through contextual dating of the tomb and material analysis, situates it within specific dynastic and cultural frameworks, illuminating its significance as a royal portrait and religious artifact (Spencer, 2020).

In conclusion, the questions “Who made it?” and “How old is the work of art?” are essential to art historical inquiry. They enable scholars to piece together the cultural, technical, and chronological story behind artworks, enriching our understanding of human creativity across time. These questions, supported by scientific and historical methods, continue to be central in unraveling the mysteries of art and its creators.

References

• Brubaker, J. (2019). Techniques in Art Historical Dating. Journal of Art Analysis, 34(2), 112-125.
• Donahue, J. (2018). Art Authentication Methods. Art History Review, 22(4), 56-70.
• Spencer, P. (2020). Egyptian Sculpture and Cultural Identity. Ancient Art Journal, 15(1), 45-62.
• Vasari, G. (2010). Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. (J. Smith, Trans.). Renaissance Publishing. (Original work published 1550)