Julian Luxford
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197266724
- eISBN:
- 9780191916052
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266724.003.0008
- Subject:
- Sociology, Migration Studies (including Refugee Studies)
This chapter addresses English medieval art and architecture in the long term and is of a basically methodological character. It argues for a view of immigrancy rooted in stylistic and (less ...
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This chapter addresses English medieval art and architecture in the long term and is of a basically methodological character. It argues for a view of immigrancy rooted in stylistic and (less urgently) iconographic influence, in favour of an approach through case studies of individual immigrant artists or particular works. In an extended introduction, the traditional, formalist nature of art history is presented as a justification of this point of view. This is followed by an object-focused section in which some of the main practical functions and ambiguities of the concept of influence are exposed, and the problems of ignoring these ambiguities suggested. A case study focused on English church architecture is then presented in order to clarify the theoretical points. The chapter concludes with a brief, essentially sceptical review of the usefulness of medieval documentation as a basis for understanding stylistic influence in art.Less
This chapter addresses English medieval art and architecture in the long term and is of a basically methodological character. It argues for a view of immigrancy rooted in stylistic and (less urgently) iconographic influence, in favour of an approach through case studies of individual immigrant artists or particular works. In an extended introduction, the traditional, formalist nature of art history is presented as a justification of this point of view. This is followed by an object-focused section in which some of the main practical functions and ambiguities of the concept of influence are exposed, and the problems of ignoring these ambiguities suggested. A case study focused on English church architecture is then presented in order to clarify the theoretical points. The chapter concludes with a brief, essentially sceptical review of the usefulness of medieval documentation as a basis for understanding stylistic influence in art.
