Historical Image Worlds – How Art History Produces Knowledge
Take an online journey through Switzerland’s historic landscapes and discover how our view of these landscapes has changed over time. Through historical photographs and objects, learn how photographic reproductions influence our perception of works of art.
Images have always revealed how people perceive, explore, and interpret their environment. Today, art history explores these historical images using new digital methods, raising fundamental questions: How did landscapes—and our view of them—change? How did images shape our understanding of spaces? And how can historical visual media themselves be reinterpreted as objects of research?
The online platform “Images of Switzerland Online” provides digital, interactive access to Switzerland’s art and cultural history. Historical landscape views from around 1800 are not only displayed but also geolocated and embedded in their historical context. In this way, you can explore the Swiss Alps and settled areas around 1800 and experience the associated worlds of knowledge.
In addition, the booth of the Department of Art History offers insights into the use of historical photographs. Photography has played an essential role in art history since the 19th century. Photographs of works of art were used in teaching from an early stage. The quality of the reproductions, as well as the colors used for coloring, significantly influenced the appearance of a work of art. Through a small selection of historical photographic objects, you can experience the materials and techniques of photography up close.
Further information:
Project «Bilder der Schweiz Online» (BSO)
Center for Studies in the Theory and History of Photography at the Institute of Art Historyi
Partner: Zentralbibliothek Zürich
Partner: Schweizerische Nationalbibliothek Zürich
Funding: Stiftung Familie Fehlmann
