This course unit studies the models and theories of art history, and the phenomenon of artistic creation and the mission of the Art Historian and the Heritage Technician.
This curricular unit takes into account the issues concerning the work of art as a living document in history, the value of cultural heritage and the processes of preservation and cultural exploration.
The second part of the course unit addresses issues on history as art-science, the relationship between humanities and auxiliaries sciences of art history, the heuristic and hermeneutic processes in Art History.
This course unit also intends to support the preparation and drafting of a scientific work (from choosing the subject to its writing and presentation).
The concept of Science
The contemporary scientific thought
The questions of method
• the inductive method
• the deductive method
• the hypothetical-deductive
Karl Popper
Imre Lakatos
The social sciences
• the historical knowledge
• the historical source
The Art History
The concept of work of art and the lecture of a work of art in the context of art history
• the two major levels approach the work of art
• interdisciplinarity of art history as a human and social science
Part II
The completion of a scientific work
The choice of theme and the first steps to understanding their feasibility
Scientific research
• how should we take the readings
• summaries and personal notes
• bibliographic sources, or printed sources
• the manuscript sources
• the ordering of the material
• the importance of the work plans
• fieldwork
• what do we find in loco?
The ordination and treatment of the research
Part III
The writing and the format of a dissertation
The formal elements that embody the scientific text
• the title
• architecture text
• the Introduction
• chapters and subchapters
• completion
• bibliographic files
• citations, references and footnotes
General structure of the presentation.
Argan, Giulio Carlo, FAGIOLO, Maurizio, Guia de História da Arte. Lisboa: Editorial Estampa, 1992;
Calabrese, Omar, Como se lê uma obra de arte. Lisboa: Edições 70, 1997;
Ceia, Carlos, Normas para a apresentação de um trabalho científico. Lisboa: Editorial Presença, 1995;
Eco, Umberto, A definição da Arte. Lisboa: Edições 70, 1981;
─, Como se faz uma tese em Ciências Humanas, Lisboa, Editorial Presença, 1984.
Gonçalves, Carla Alexandra, Metodologia do Trabalho Científico, Universidade Aberta, 2012 (PDF inédito publicado na sala de aula).