How Art History Needs to Change in 2019

The underlying issue with history of any kind is that the subject itself is subjective. A saying commonly attributed to Winston Churchill is that “history is written by the victors.” In many ways, art history is no different in this regard.

According to a study conducted by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, staff hired by art museums tend to favor predominantly non African-American and Hispanics. A rough total of 7 percent of workers are made up of said minorities. This shows a distressing lack of cultural and racial diversity in regards to the staff employed in art museums.

This is an important factor as art history refers to the collective artistic culture of humanity throughout the ages. Every person has their own interpretation of how art is viewed, and this should be reflected by the staff hired to educate those who come to witness history.

Art is by its very nature a constantly changing structure where what’s vogue at the time is constantly in a state of flux. However, due to the perception of the kind of art that is considered popular or correct at the time, many artists find themselves marginalized. Those artists who pursue different styles, or create pieces particularly poking at the edges of civilized sensitivity, find themselves relegated to the wayside of history. More must be done to include such artists with the purpose of broadening horizons to better reflect the times of today.

That is not to say there has been no progress on that front. The museum located in Tate, Britain have recently opened a tour called “A Queer Walk Through British Art.” This tour includes pieces that highlight an alternate view of human sexuality throughout history. One such example is the “Ena and Betty”, a painting created in 1901 by John Singer Sargent that subtly highlights close female companionship of a possibly homoerotic kind.

This, of course, is open to interpretation as are many pieces in that same gallery. As noted before, everyone has a different view on art, and that is something that should be embraced. It is through these differing viewpoints that complex histories may be unraveled and new discoveries may be made. What one person sees as a simple, but tasteful painting, another may find hidden meaning underneath the canvas.

An oft-repeated (though false) account states that Moby Dick author Herman Melville was so underappreciated during his lifetime, the New York Times referred to him as “Henry Melville” in his obituary. While this story is untrue, there can be no doubt that many artists don’t receive their due until after they’ve shed this mortal coil. Here’s a look at some of these latter-sung heroes.

Vincent van Gogh

It’s true: The genius behind The Starry Night and Café Terrace at Night, as well as a legion of other influential works, sold only one painting during his lifetime. (Trivia buffs, take note: It was Red Vineyard at Arles.) His style didn’t fit with the Impressionists of the age, with critics denouncing it as too moody and dark.

Paul Gauguin

The post-Impressionist painter would later be a significant influence on fellow avant-garde artists, Matisse and Picasso among them, but he didn’t receive many kudos while he was still living. His experimental works were just a little too ahead of their time.

Claude Monet

It seems that leaders always bear the brunt of the battle, even in the relatively genteel world of paint and canvas. Monet was a founding father of the Impressionist movement, and as such was seen as something of a renegade for his use of light colors and proclivity for landscape scenes.

Georges-Pierre Seurat

Even if the name is unfamiliar, even amateurs are likely to recognize Seurat’s most iconic oil painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. He relied heavily on color to achieve the mood he wanted for his work, something that wasn’t widely appreciated at the time. Nor was his signature technique, Pointillism, which uses many tiny brush dots to create a bigger image. Both conceits have gone on to become art class staples.

Julia Margaret Cameron

This British photographer had a reputation for getting up close and personal with her subjects, creating intimate portraits that were perhaps a shade too revealing for the critics of her day. She passed away in 1879, but her work didn’t become widely seen or appreciated until 1948–nearly three-quarters of a century later.