Synopses & Reviews
This unique book is the first comprehensive introduction to Marxist approaches to art history. Although the aesthetic was a crucial part of Marx and Engelss thought, they left no full statement on the arts. Although there is an abundant scholarship on Marxist approaches to literature, the historiography of the visual arts has been largely neglected. This book encompasses a range of influential thinkers and historians including William Morris, Mikhail Lifshits, Frederick Antal, Francis Klingender, Max Raphael, Meyer Schapiro, Walter Benjamin, Henri Lefebvre and Arnold Hauser. It also addresses the heritage of the New Left. In the spirit of Marxism, the authors interpret the achievements and limitations of Marxist art history in relation to the historical and political circumstances of its production, providing an indispensable introduction to contemporary radical practices in the field.
Review
'No other book has ever attempted this ambitious project with such care and intelligence. ... Important, timely, and provocative.' Professor Barbara McCloskey, University of Pittsburgh '[This] could be a defining text.' --Professor Paul Jaskot, De Paul University Chicago
Synopsis
Presents an introduction to Marxist approaches to art history. This book encompasses a range of influential thinkers and historians from the period of the Second and Third Internationals down to the heyday of the New Left. It also includes three essays addressing the heritage of the New Left.
Synopsis
This unique book is the first comprehensive introduction to Marxist approaches to art history. Although the aesthetic was a crucial part of Marx and Engelss thought, they left no full statement on the arts. Although there is an abundant scholarship on Marxist approaches to literature, the historiography of the visual arts has been largely neglected. This book encompasses a range of influential thinkers and historians including William Morris, Mikhail Lifshits, Frederick Antal, Francis Klingender, Max Raphael, Meyer Schapiro, Walter Benjamin, Henri Lefebvre and Arnold Hauser. It also addresses the heritage of the New Left. In the spirit of Marxism, the authors interpret the achievements and limitations of Marxist art history in relation to the historical and political circumstances of its production, providing an indispensable introduction to contemporary radical practices in the field.
Synopsis
The first comprehensive introduction to Marxist approaches to art history. 'The best in the field.' --Esther Leslie
About the Author
Andrew Hemingway is Professor of History of Art at University College London. He has written a number of books including Artists on the Left: American Artists and the Communist Movement, 1926-56 (2002), Art in Bourgeois Society, 1790-1850 (1998) and Landscape Imagery and Urban Culture in Early 19th Century Britain (1992).
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Introduction: Marxism and Art History after the New Left
Andrew Hemingway (University College, London)
2. William Morris: Decoration and Materialism
Caroline Arscott (Courtauld Institute of Art)
3. Mikhail Lifshits: A Marxist Conservative
Stanley Mitchell (University of Derby)
4. Frederick Antal
Paul Stirton (University of Glasgow)
5. Art as Social Consciousness: Francis Klingender and British Art
David Bindman (University College, London)
6. Max Raphael: Aesthetics and Politics
Stanley Mi