Philosophical criterions and critical studies

This essay is about art history and involves pilosophical criterions for critical studies, this is some criterions research that we can see in ancient philosophers and that we can use also to art history; we must consider that these are general criterions that we can involve every field research, from Eubolides, a philosopher of 3th century b.C. we can take a concept that in art history, history, economic and other studies is essential, this is relativism, this is every thing is realitive to other and every concept is realitve other concepts, therefore we can involve art history with a basic concept, this is that art history is connected with space and economic state, and public of this space, this is people of a town that can understand a painting or no; questions that artist had to ask his self, therefore everything was relative, about economic matter we can consider that a commission can guarantee other commissions if place was rich or, better, if a place  was important for policy or other; then much purchaser can make commissions, and culture of place because this factor could guarantees other works, but this is factor was connected with culture of place and culture of purchasers. Other criterion is the dialectic; this is fight between generations of artist and styles, in Rome cultural fight between Cavalier d’Arpino and Caravaggio, this is between Mannierism and realistic painting, then fight between two schools and two styles; but after this consideration emerges the third philosophical step, this is the Hegelian synthesis, this is the fusion of contrary principles, and this fusion at last about Caravaggio is to the first version of Conversion of saint Paul, very next to Mannierism, and very little realistic, but this dynamic energy of dialectic is present also in head of artist, models and styles that are fighting among them and after they take synthesis, and final style is collected in painting, then we can find much cultural addresses in one single painting; then a painting of Sementi, an Italian painter of 17^th  century, that for an altarpiece he used Pieter Paul Rubens, Charles Saraceni, Guy Reni and Cavalier d’Arpino, together in one painting, today in Sermoneta; every artist takes and transfers much models that he chose and that have fought in his head for dynamic dialectic, then relativism, dialectic and synthesis are principles of philosophical think that we can use in art history also.

Alessandro Lusana