Antonio Natali defends art history education against minister's joke
Antonio Natali, former director of the Uffizi Gallery, criticizes Italian culture minister Alberto Bonisoli for joking that he would abolish art history and that studying it in high school was a 'pena' (pain). Natali argues that art history teaching in Italy focuses too much on style and formal relations, neglecting the ideas and content behind artworks. He compares this to teaching literature only as language without exploring meaning. Natali calls for a reform that emphasizes the conceptual, philosophical, and theological dimensions of art to make it more engaging for students. The article was published in Grandi Mostre #13 on Artribune.
Key facts
- Antonio Natali was director of the Galleria degli Uffizi from June 2006 to November 2015.
- Natali worked at the Uffizi from 1981 to 2016.
- Alberto Bonisoli is the Italian culture minister.
- Bonisoli joked that he would abolish art history and called its teaching a 'pena'.
- Natali argues art history in Italy is taught as history of language, not history of thought.
- Natali believes focusing on content and ideas can make art history more appealing to students.
- The article was published on Artribune in Grandi Mostre #13.
- Natali obtained professorship in art history at Politecnico di Milano in 2006.
Entities
Artists
- Antonio Natali
Institutions
- Galleria degli Uffizi
- Artribune
- Politecnico di Milano
Locations
- Italy
- Milan