The Difference Between Art History and Art Appreciation

By Jonel Andrew Francisco

As stated in an article written by IESA Arts and Culture, Art history doesn’t consist in simply
listing all the art movements and placing them on a timeline. It is the study of objects of art considered
within their time period. Art historians analyze visual arts’ meaning (painting, sculpture, architecture)
at the time they were created. Also, another of art history’s mission is to establishes authorial origins
of artworks, i.e. discovering who created a particular artwork, when, when and for what reason.

The statement simply defined that Art History is the study of art with respect to the time
period when it was created. It is not just a compilation of artworks and put it together in a timeline.
Art History is more than just a timeline. It actually discusses the deeper understanding of an artwork.
More likely, what an artwork really signifies or what story behind it wants to convey. In addition to
Art History, Iconography is a major part of art history. It consists in analyzing the symbolism of works
of arts. For instance, art historians identify the visual elements of a painting and interpret its meaning.
Art historians are interested in what the works of art represented at the time they were created. It is
a way to learn about the civilizations of the past.

While on the other hand, Art Appreciation as stated by Ashok Gaikwad a creativity and art
appreciation teacher, Art appreciation means to feel what the artist wants to communicate. Mostly,
the artist wants to convey his experience, his feeling or his view. Our senses must be sensitive to feel
his/her feelings. For that, we have to sharpen our senses. I mean some sort of training or some
experience of that art form is the added advantage for feeling/understanding the message of the
artist. Since our babyhood, we train our senses. The environment in which we grow plays a major role.

Art Appreciation in my own understanding is putting our own point of view or perspective in
line with the point of view that the artists wants to tell us. And for us to be able to do that we need to
open our minds and senses. Art Appreciation also refers to the exploration and analysis of the art
forms that we are exposed to. It can be highly subjective, depending on an individuals personal tastes
and preferences, or can be done on the basis of several grounds such as elements of design and
mastery displayed in the piece. Art appreciation also involves a deeper look into the setting and
historical implication and background of the piece, a study of its origins. Art appreciation is extremely
relevant for multiple reasons. It is a good way to understand the history behind the work, and the
period from which the piece originated. Artists often reflect the problems that they face, and the
issues of the society in their work. By analyzing and putting ourselves in the mind of the artist, we can
better study how differently society functioned then, compared to now. We can empathize and relate
to the problems they faced on a personal level.

To end this essay, I want to state some importance of studying Art History and Art
Appreciation based on my own idea. For me, we need to learn Art History and Art Appreciation to
understand cultures and for us to develop critical thinking. Because I believe that visual art recounts
stories of our past, it gives an account of past events. Art history allows us to look back and understand
how our civilization evolved over the centuries. It is a way to know ourselves better. Why do we have
certain values? What shaped the way we think and our vision of the world? And also Studying art
history is really not about memorizing dates, artists’ names, art movements, etc. Instead, it drives you
to analyze paintings, photographs, sculptures, etc. To support your analysis, you must build rational
and convincing arguments, hence developing your critical thinking.