Using the arts in historical research / author, Amy Louise Smith (University of Lancaster, UK).

Format:

Website/Database

Author/Creator:

Smith, Amy Louise, author.

Contributor:

Adam Matthew Digital (Firm), contributor, commissioning body, digitiser.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Research.

Methodology.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Marlborough, Wiltshire : Adam Matthew Digital, 2021.

Summary:

This case study outlines how students of history may engage with sources from the arts. It will give the students the skills they need to approach a range of sources, analyse them, and apply them to their own work. Using three examples, a bound collection of letters from dramatic performers from the long eighteenth century, a British watercolour painting of Indian dancers c. 1800, and a series of Assyrian songs recorded in the mid-twentieth century, this case study will demonstrate the value of the arts to historical inquiry. As well as reflecting on cultural history, this case study will show that thoughtful engagement with these sources can offer a variety of information on social, political, and economic history. The case study begins by identifying the essential questions historians need to ask of their sources, before moving on to a more in-depth analysis of the content, medium, and language. It will also ask students to consider the problems posed by sources in the arts. This includes a discussion around the importance of appreciating provenance, audience, and intention. Given the breadth of this theme, this case study will give an overview of the different methods that students may use to address art objects in their own historical research.

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on August 17, 2022).

Publisher Number:

10.47594/RMPS_0160

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.