Final answer:
Historians encounter issues with context, subjectivity, and bias when using art as a historical source. They must analyze art with a critical eye and consider historiography to understand potential biases in how the past is presented.
Step-by-step explanation:
When historians use art as a source for information, they encounter several potential problems. One issue is the lack of context, which makes the interpretation of past events quite challenging. For example, a modern magazine cover featuring a pop star may be misinterpreted if this is the only surviving evidence of our current era, especially in the absence of textual information that provides clarity.
Art can also be subjective, and interpretations can be influenced by contemporary issues such as feminism, globalism, and identity politics. This subjectivity and the need for critical analysis make it imperative to investigate the full context of any artistic source and look for corroboration across different sources.
In addition, written sources, such as government documents and diaries, often focus on the lives of elites, leaving out details about the ordinary people and their experiences. This bias in historical narratives requires attention to historiography, the study of how history has been written, to identify potential constraints and cultural biases in historical accounts.
Art historians contribute to our understanding of history by studying the people who made artifacts as well as the materials and techniques, which provide insights into the cultures and stories of the past. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that these studies are shaped by the methods and perspectives that have evolved within the field of art history over time.