‘One of the greatest challenges of art has always been its dual nature: simultaneously historical product and (contemporary) aesthetic phenomenon. This tension – between the historical study of individual artworks and the philosophical inquiry into the essence and developmental laws of art as a whole – emerged as a central concern of German-speaking art history around 1900. Under the term ‘Kunstwissenschaft’, scholars sought to determine whether and how art history could constitute a ‘genuine’, independent science by addressing these questions. Fan Baiding offers a brilliant analysis of these dazzling debates, tracing them from Alois Riegl and Julius von Schlosser to Aby Warburg and Erwin Panofsky.’

Professor Ulrich Pfisterer, Director of the Central Institute of Art History, Munich

‘A unique contribution to world art scholarship that offers an alternative perspective on European historiography in art from a Chinese viewpoint.’



Professor Cao Yiqiang, Senior Professor, China Academy of Art

‘Professor Fan Baiding’s book is a landmark exploration of the intellectual foundations and evolving frontiers of art historiography. The Ends of Art Studies offers a rigorous, cross-disciplinary, and incisive account of how conceptions of time, experience, and disciplinary boundaries have shaped the study of art.’

Professor Maurizio Marinelli, Professor of China and Global Prosperity, The Bartlett, University College London