Why Is Art History Important?
- Tatyana
- Feb 25
- 7 min read
At surface level, you could say that art history is simply the study of artworks and artists throughout history. But the truth is, it’s so much more than that. It’s about learning how humans have seen, understood, and represented the world around them over time.
Here are nine reasons why art history is important.
YOU GET A MENTAL WORKOUT
Studying art history means that you will constantly be looking at paintings and sculptures that are beautiful, captivating, mesmerizing - in short, aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Think of the beautiful and ethereal figures in Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera...
...or the soothing colours of Claude Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond.
Studies in neuroscience and psychology suggest that looking at visually engaging or beautiful images can help reduce stress, stimulate pleasure responses such as dopamine release, and activate the brain’s reward system.
A widely cited study by King’s College London found that viewing original artworks in a gallery was associated with reduced stress markers and increased feelings of wellbeing, while also increasing excitement. The research, which monitored people’s physiological responses to paintings by artists such as Manet, Van Gogh, and Gauguin, showed that art can engage the immune, endocrine, and autonomic nervous systems simultaneously. In other words, art history is good for your overall health.
YOU LEARN TO SLOW DOWN & LOOK CLOSELY
Studying art history means spending time with artworks in order to visually unpack them. This study of ‘slow looking’ can train you to be more patient and disciplined with your attention, as it takes time to notice small details.
For example, it might take time to notice the reflection in the convex mirror in Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait (1434)...
...the barely visible reflection of Clara Peeters herself on the urn’s surface in her Still Life with Flowers, Gilt Goblets, Dried Fruits, Sweets, Biscuits, Wine and a Pewter Flagon (1611)...
...or the handwritten line of text hidden in the top left corner of Edvard Munch’s The Scream (1893).
These are details that are earned by being patient and focused.
Taking the time to practice ‘slow looking’ is especially important in our age when social media platforms like TikTok are leading to our attention spans getting shorter.
YOU LEARN ABOUT HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION, AND MUSIC
Art History teaches you about everything. I know this claim is bold - but stick with me. Art is inextricably linked with the people, society, place, context, and time in which it was created. You cannot talk about an artwork without eventually also talking about these factors. The same goes for humans. In order to truly understand a person’s values, point of view, and character, you need to consider the context of their upbringing. So, as a result, the discipline of art history inevitably extends to history, philosophy, politics, psychology, science, spirituality, religion, and even music.
For example, you cannot fully understand Michelangelo’s David (1501-04) without discussing the biblical story of David and Goliath, Renaissance humanism, the influence of classical antiquity during the Italian Renaissance, and civic pride in Florence. You cannot fully understand Picasso’s Guernica (1937) without discussing the Spanish Civil War and political violence. You cannot fully understand Francisco Goya’s Black Paintings (1819-1823) without discussing his declining health and psychological state at the time of their execution. And you cannot fully understand Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s painting Proserpine (1874) without delving into Greek mythology.
Scientific advancements are also embedded within artworks. Think of how linear perspective emerged in Renaissance painting alongside advances in mathematics and optics, or how photography radically changed the course of modern art in the 19th century. I see art history as the body of a spider inseparable from its many legs which represent each of the tangents the discipline bridges into. It truly is a lens through which to understand so many different modes of thinking, seeing, and understanding the world around us.
YOU LEARN TO LOOK AT AND TALK ABOUT ART, CONFIDENTLY
This one is perhaps a little niche, but studying art history makes museum and gallery visits so much more enjoyable. Not only will you have general context surrounding the making and history of certain works, you will also know how to approach unfamiliar artworks and unpack them in a way that feels fun and intriguing, as opposed to scary and impossible.
Art history equips you with the tools, words, and techniques needed to confidently look at an artwork, visually digest it, and ask questions like: Why was this made? Who was it made for? What was happening in the world at the time this was made? What choices has the artist made, and why? You’ll also feel comfortable using words such as: composition, chiaroscuro, foreshortening, palette, impasto, etc, which can be useful in articulating your thoughts about an artwork.
This is especially useful with contemporary or abstract art. Instead of standing in front of a Rothko painting feeling confused or even a little intimidated, you can engage with the work’s colour, scale, emotion, and likely intention, and even realise that not ‘getting it’ immediately is often the point.
IT GIVES YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAITY AND CULTURE
Since the very beginning of my art history journey, I have always said that it is a study of humanity over time, providing a fascinating insight into the values, beliefs, and historic events that have shaped past and present civilizations.
From prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux, to Ancient Egyptian funerary art; from medieval altarpieces, to Baroque canvases; from Impressionist portraits, to contemporary installations - you are essentially tracking how humans have tried to make sense of life, death, power, beauty, and meaning across thousands of years. Art becomes a visual record of what people have cared about, feared, worshipped, and believed in over time.
I see art as a lens for understanding humanity over time,
as it offers some of the most intimate insights into how we have and continue to see, experience, interpret, and understand the world around us.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO TRAVEL AND BUILD CULTURAL AWARENESS - IN A SENSE
We all know that flying is expensive. And planning a trip to visit another country can be time-consuming. But discovering and experiencing another culture is always rewarding. Well, being exposed to paintings by different artists from different parts of the world can, in a sense, allow you to do just that.
Through art, you can encounter Japanese ukiyo-e prints...
...Mughal miniature paintings...
...West African sculpture...
...and Islamic geometric designs...
...sometimes in a single museum visit. This isn’t a replacement for travel of course, but it is a way to build cultural awareness, curiosity, understanding, and empathy for ways of seeing the world that are different from your own.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOURSELF AND COPE WITH HARDSHIP
For years, artists have used art as a means of expression and as a way to evoke both positive and negative experiences, feelings, and emotions that words sometimes cannot.
Think of works like Frida Kahlo’s vulnerable self-portraits...
...Mikhail Vrubel’s brooding demons...
...or Edvard Munch's anguished figures...
...deeply personal artworks that articulate pain, anxiety, identity, trauma, and memory.
Engaging with such works can feel strangely validating, as it can make you realise that emotions you thought were private or inexpressible have indeed been felt before, and powerfully articulated. So studying art from the past can not only provide you with instances of emotional catharsis, but it can equip you with the tools to create your own form of emotional release, whether in moments of euphoria or incredible hardship.
Paintings of lost love and sorrow can offer emotional catharsis in times of heartbreak. Love, Heartbreak, & Tragedy in Art brings together a carefully curated collection of paintings centered on the theme of heartbreak. Filled with beautiful illustrations and concise, easy-to-read descriptions, this book (by me) is perfect for casual art lovers and those new to art history. Click here to find out more.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO BREAK INTO THE ART MARKET - IF YOU WANT TO
It’s no secret that the art market is one of the most lucrative businesses in the world, and I have to be honest, I don’t think I will ever understand it. But, having studied art history, I feel that I have a strong foundation that would allow me to break into the market, if I wanted to.
I know that it’s very much about having contacts, connections, and influence, but at its core, the art market is about art, and knowing how to look at and talk about art is arguably the first and most important step to gaining your footing in it. Art history also teaches you how value is constructed - historically, culturally, and economically - and why certain artists or movements are canonised while others remain overlooked, and this knowledge is crucial in light of the art market. Even if you just wanted to buy some art for your own home, I think you will feel more informed doing so having studied art history.
IT TEACHES YOU ABOUT THE POWER OF ART AND GOOD STORYTELLING
Part of what makes art good is its ability to effectively tell a story or narrate a particular point of view. And with that comes the ability to sway the opinion of others. Since the dawn of time, art has been used to influence public opinion, amongst other things. Art History teaches you to always question what you are looking at, and to be more inherently aware of the power images can have over you. Essentially, it teaches you to be wary of propaganda, and the influence that carefully crafted images can have in swaying public opinion.
Why is this important? Because we are constantly surrounded by images in the form of media, TV, news, our phones, bulletins, you name it - more so today than ever before. I always find myself questioning things like the angle of a particular photo, its composition, the colours used, because all of these factors can influence its emotive impact, and I think this is in part because of my art historical degree. Sometimes influence can feel very subtle.
For example, Ancient Roman statues deliberately idealised the human body in order to project strength, power, and authority...
...Caravaggio’s dramatic use of chiaroscuro was intended to manipulate emotion and focus...
...Abstract Expressionism - including artists such as Jackson Pollock - was promoted internationally during the Cold War, in part through cultural initiatives covertly supported by the CIA, as a symbol of American freedom and individualism...
...and today political imagery - from campaign posters to carefully staged photographs of presidential figures like Obama and Trump - continues to borrow visual strategies that are rooted in art history.
Once you start noticing this, you can’t unsee it, and that awareness is powerful.
All images have been sourced from Wikimedia Commons and are in the public domain.
Comments