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Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science

ISSN Print: 2576-0556 Downloads: 472819 Total View: 3629434
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Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.03.038

Heroes Make History—Reviews Pevsner’s View of History and Its Shaping of Art History

Qiongyue Zhang1,*, Ying Shen2

1College of Mechanical and Material Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, China.

2College of Architecture and Art, North China University of Technology, Beijing, China.

*Corresponding author: Qiongyue Zhang

Published: April 23,2024

Abstract

Pevsner's approach to historicism has been a subject of controversy for generations, as he favored an innovative interpretation of 'historicism' while opposing a straightforward restoration of historical styles. This paper firstly discusses Pevsner's historicism. Pevsner predicted future design trends, such as rationalism, functionalism, and pragmatism, by studying past design history. He adhered closely to these trends but faced criticism, with the reasons for these criticisms gradually emerging in discussions. The first issue is his paranoia regarding the spirit of the times. This leads to the notion that in his historicism, "characters" and multiple styles are no longer important. Instead, only the "spirit of the times" is considered crucial for the historical existence of all types of design and its continuous progress. The second issue is his heroism, where the selection of specific historical figures is deemed unimportant. Secondly, in his heroism, his selection of some historical figures is biased. His paranoia about the spirit of the times and his insistence on heroism are what bind him. Pevsner, as a pioneer in the study of modern design history, is irreplaceable in his influence on the field and remains a foundational figure in modern design historiography.

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How to cite this paper

Heroes Make History—Reviews Pevsner's View of History and Its Shaping of Art History

How to cite this paper: Qiongyue Zhang, Ying Shen. (2024) Heroes Make History—Reviews Pevsner's View of History and Its Shaping of Art History. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science8(3), 763-766.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.03.038