Dong Rui

DOI: 10.64212/DDUZ2892

Abstract

When Gombrich first proposed the concept of the “Father of Art History” in 1977, it was a time when Western historiography was trying to get rid of the influence of Ranke’s historiography, and completely abandoned the basic viewpoints of the Annales School and turned to the new historiography. The new historiography focused on the interpretation of historical events rather than on chronicles. Vasari’s The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects can be seen as the earliest history of art, while Winckelmann’s The History of Ancient Art should be seen as the birth of the discipline of art history, and Hegel as a sign of the full maturity of art history. Hegel’s Lectures on Aesthetics not only explore the concept, origin, scope, functions, types, and categories of art, as well as the methods of study of artists and art, but more importantly, the scope of art refers not only to painting, sculpture, and architecture but also to music, theater, and poetry, encompassing the various disciplines of art. All these aspects were not present in Vasari and Winckelmann. Therefore, not only Gombrich, but also Danto, Fischer, and Bertin after him considered that only Hegel was the real father of art history.

Key Words

Hegel, Gombrich, father of art history