The History Man

 

I've always thought that art historians are uncomfortable with history, and historians are uneasy about visual art.

However, David Starkey, presenting the first of a promising series aired on Channel 4 last Sunday: 'The Genius of British Art', seemed to be meeting art history halfway. Opening the programme, the frosty historian broke into a smile as he reminisced on his old history don, Geoffrey Elton, who never lectured with visual aids. Starkey himself was more liberal in his use of art; he trotted out a whole range of English portraits from the time of Raphael up to the Warhol prints of Elizabeth II and other modern royals. Given his enthusiasm for visual art fostered by visits to museums in North England in his formative years, it's surprising that Starkey didn't become an art historian.

As Starkey reminded us, every lecturer is a "performer manqué" at heart, and Elton's party piece was to draw a codpiece on a schematic drawing of Henry VIII, his only concession to the image as a teaching aid. Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Starkey gave us an entertaining programme- shades of the performer manqué returning- as he popped up under a Roman arch to underline the use of such structures in Van Dyck's 'Equestrian Portrait of Charles I'; or as he materialized in San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome to make connections between the grandeur of Julius II and the ambitions of Henry VIII.

Though I enjoyed the show, I was sceptical of such connections as comparing modern portraits of Princes William and Harry with the 17^th century cavaliers of Van Dyck. I also didn't buy the links between Julius and Henry, which seemed too contrived to me. Such speculative parallels seemed as schematic as the drawing of the Tudor monarch mentioned above. I could have looked for more stylistic analysis too. Starkey must know Erna Auerbach's Tudor Artists whose preface states: "This study in the history of art is founded on a combination of two methods: the examination of original documents and the comparison of artistic styles." Still, Starkey is a history man- and this is a set of polemical visual essays where anything goes. Speaking of another history man- the so-called History Czar- I wonder how Simon Schama would have tackled this subject?

This sort of series is just as much about the presenter as the art, so it'll be interesting to see how the other talking heads compare to Starkey. Lined up are curator and cultural historian Gus-Casely Hayford, novelist Howard Jacobsen, historian and former museum director Sir Roy Strong, T.V. presenter Janet-Street Porter and newscaster Jon Snow.

Comments

[Hels]

I always believe that the best and most original scholarship is done on the boundary of a discipline eg where history meets art history, or where politics meets literature.

Having said that, it was almost impossible to find a supervisor for my master's thesis back in the 1970s. The History Department thought that history was what was found in documents, not in wanky objects like paintings, sculptures, pieces of architecture or smalls (eg textiles, silverware, treen etc). The Art History Department didn't mind me using court records, letters, government reports etc, but they didn't have the number of students or the finances to share a master's student with another department.

I wonder if university departments have broadened their thinking since.

[H Niyazi]

I must admit, I have always favoured pieces on art history that are presented in a strong historical context - this is why I prefer Schama, AGD and Wal Januszczak to commentaries by 'Critic' types like my over-eating compatriot Mr Robert Hughes.

I'm also becoming increasingly aware of classicists being nonplussed by the Renaissance. Where Vasari and Burckhardt insist that Ancient Rome was being reinvented, classicists such as Bettany Hughes call the Renaissance for what it is - an often inaccurate appropriation of Pagan symbolism to suit 15th Century personal and political aims. The fact that these juggernauts happened to have some unique image makers along for the ride was just a wonderful stroke of luck for having their names and faces forever immortalised rather than swept aside in the ever flowing current of history.

@Hels... I doubt it has changed. When it comes to the study of Humanities, cross departmental collaboration is not seen as viable. There are likely financial and political forces at play, but I'm glad we don't have that type of separation in the Sciences.

Kind Regards
H

[Art History Today]

Hels,

I'd have to agree with H about the unlikeliness of working across disciplines on a humanities postgraduate course.

H- It seems to be the high profile media types who want to re-evaluate the renaissance. In renaissance art history, that esotericism centred on pagan mythology/rituals still prevails.

I wouldn't mind working with historians on art historical problems. In recent work on POussin, I got away from the pictures towards the historical tissue- documents, contracts, wills etc. So I think I do have one foot in the historical studies camp despite my training as an art historian.

David

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