Materializing Art History

Quite A Number Of Studies Have Assessed The Value Of Marxism To Literary Criticism, But There Has Been No Recent And Systematic Study Of What Marxism Has To The Social History Of Art. In Situating The Various Strands Of Marxist Art History And The Social History Of Art Within Ideological, Political And Historical Contexts, This Book Represents A Significant Contribution To The Study Of Visual Culture At A Time When Old Trends In Marxist Art History Are Being Reappraised. The Author Argues That The Fragmented And Confused State Of The Social History Of Art Is The Result Of Many Radical Cultural And Art Historians' Move Away From, Rejection Of, Or Even Ignorance Of Marxism, And Their Espousal Of Postmodern Theories Without Any Adequate Method To Position Themselves In Relation To These Theories.