‘History and the Historian of Classical Art’

Abstract

The study of classical art occupies an uneasy position in both institutional structures and the disciplinary definitions they reflect. The criteria by which the field is judged tend to be exclusionary in nature and effect alike. Of particular interest to historians of classical art are characterizations of the subject that challenge its very standing as a historical discipline. The most prominent of these is Arnaldo Momigliano’s account of antiquarianism as distinct from history. Although recent critiques of Momigliano’s formulation have done much to reveal its flaws, its influence continues, not least because it was itself founded on deeply rooted ideas and practices that remain problematic, not only for the classification of the subject, but for its practice as well.

Keywords

• Momigliano
• antiquarianism
• archaeology
• classical studies
• art history
• historical discipline