Reframing Art History

Abstract

Taking into account the call of this journal to examine the epistemological and methodological assumptions in the field of art history on the verge of its digital turn, the aim of this essay is to contribute to the ongoing discussion by questioning the role of the framing device in the context of image appropriation and critical interpretation of visual documents. Focusing on the cognitive and structural potential of the frame, a common feature between analogue and digital art historical practice, we try to provide points of historical perspective through a selection of particular examples (Giorgio Vasari, Gustav Ludwig and Aby Warburg) and bring them closer to the notions of instrumentation and interface.