著者

太田 智己

出版者

美学会

雑誌

美學 (ISSN:05200962)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.64, no.2, pp.49-60, 2013-12-31

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An emphasis on the scientific production of knowledge garnered attention in the formation of Japanese art historical scholarship in the 1930s. The present study will delineate the significance of this academic trend in the field of Japanese art history by illuminating the sociocultural background, state initiatives and private agencies involved in the process. Ultimately, it will shed light on the ways in which modern Japanese scholars attempted to situate art historical studies within the "disinterested" academic realm of human science through the rational systemization of artifacts, historical accuracy, and empirical values. Indeed, this marked a turning point in the development of art historical study in Japan distinguishing it from antiquarian and hobbyist practices of art appreciation. This paper will contribute to the ongoing historical reassessment of Japanese art historical scholarship in the first half of the twentieth century. Moreover, I will analyze not only the interdisciplinary approaches but also a Neo-Kantian scientific perspective on Japanese art history. Finally, I will show how the scientific research trend had been avidly incorporated into the academic disciplines of Japanese art history, contrary to prevalent nationalistic rhetoric of this time.