Art breaks cultural, social and economic barriers because everyone has emotions and personal experiences that can relate to art. It can help us understand our world, our history and traditions in a way that could be easier to grasp than through text books or historical recordings. It can even help us level the playing field for education by giving students the opportunity to learn from and appreciate works of art no matter their backgrounds.
Art teaches us about our world and culture by connecting it to historical events, current affairs, human emotions and experiences, as well as the various ways that people communicate in the modern world. Art is not a tool that can solve poverty or promote equality, but it can provide an opportunity to explore the issues through a medium that is relatable to all. It can inspire young minds to pursue careers in science, technology and the arts.
A degree in art history can lead to a career as an art historian, curator or director of an art museum or historic trust. The degree requires advanced research skills and the completion of a dissertation, an academic paper that summarizes the student’s research. In addition to earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree, some art history students go on to earn a doctoral degree in the field.
Most art historians specialize in a particular period and culture, and often that specific culture is a nation. This concentration on a specific nation and its artistic production can limit the scope of an art historian’s work, but also may contribute to more precise definitions of what is considered art.
The question of what is considered art in the context of a certain time period is a central concern of art history. The idea is that certain properties are important in determining what constitutes an artwork, but this determination may be difficult to make without a clear sense of the history of art.
For this reason, some have argued that the standard for what is considered art must include the ability to discern these properties. This approach is problematic, however, because it focuses on the ability of experts to determine what makes something an artwork. It also undermines the fact that a painting is an object in itself, and imposes a standard of quality on paintings that is not present in them. It is not clear whether this criterion will be more effective in evaluating art than the old criteria of “interesting” or “unique.”