My Major

For this post I will be explaining the disciplines and current discussions associated with my major, Art History. Given that it's not a very common major, I tend to receive a lot of questions on what it entails or I plan to "do" with my major. Below are 5 general questions addressing this topic (and one of my favorite paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.)

Bruegel, Pieter. Netherlandish Proverbs,. 1559. Berlin State Museums, Berlin, Germany.
 Accessed via: Netherlandish Proverbs. Wikipedia. Web. 31 Aug. 2015. Public Domain.

1. What do students in your program learn how to do?

Art History students study art in a cultural context. They look at evolving artistic traditions and link them to interactions with culture by look at extraneous factors such as religion, society, and popular iconography. It forces students to have deep critical thinking skills, grapple with the nature of creativity, and have a deeper understand of world cultures.

2.What do people who get degrees in this field usually go on to do for work?

An Art History degree can open up quite a range of job opportunities, mainly working with museums, galleries, or teaching. There isn't really one basic job that is flocked to, though one of the more highly coveted jobs is a curator for a museum,  and is very competitive. I would like to work in the field of conservation, restoring and preserving books, paintings, frescos, and so much more. 

3. What drew you to this field?

I've always had a fondness for history (it's consistently been a favorite subject of mine) and have been drawing on and off since I was a little. I've always been told I should look into Art History as a field of study, and my senior year decided to take AP Art History. Within the first couple classes I had fallen in love. To me, it was a perfect combination of my interests and I loved how much historical depth you could glean from a piece of art. 

4. Who are the leaders/most exciting people involved in your field right now? Why? 

Art History is a funny field in that most of the revolutionary historians are dead. The leaders in Art History right now are mainly art critics (namely Rosalind Krauss and Michael Fried). The reason for this is that art criticism often plays directly into art history itself. Krauss, for example, tends to look at modern art and try to understand it in historical dimensions. Art critics can shape the way the art world moves, encouraging and destroying artists, controlling the kind of art available on the market, and much more. 

5. What are the leading academic/scholarly journals in your field? Where are they published? 

Two of the most important academic journals are the peer-reviewed academic journal "Art History" published by the Association of Art Historians, the "Oxford Art Journal" published by the Oxford University Press. They create ongoing content on a timely basis, while most journals are independent publishings by historians. 

EDIT:
After reading other blog posts, I felt a bit better about my field. Since I discovered my field I've felt a strong passion for it, despite not always having an idea about what career I'd like to pursue. It's comforting seeing other people (like Evan) who have a clear idea about what direction they'd like to g o in. Even if I didn't necessarily understand the field, he seems to know what he wants and how to get there. However, William's blog made me feel better because he and I feel similarly. We both love our fields but aren't sure where exactly to jump in. It reassured me that I wasn't behind because I'm still not entirely sure of where I want to go with my future degree. It's interesting that both sides of the coin soothed me a little. It made me feel like just because I haven't decided yet doesn't mean that I won't ever, and people find out what they want to do at their own pace.