Form and formalism: problematic and inevitable

Formalism is endlessly caught between seeming absurd to some art historians and essential for others. For its supporters, it might offer the only way to get to grips with how artworks actually operate, including their truly historical dimension. For just as many critics, however, formalism ignores the true interests of works of art, and risks being elitist, ahistorical, and imperialist. This chapter first examines why formalism is so despised: the arguments that make it problematic for many. It then discusses why so many others regard formalism as inevitable: why it is impossible not only to engage with artworks on their own terms, but also to do art historical analysis without in part accepting formalism. If partial acceptance is inevitable, despite the problems, the chapter finally asks, what do we do now?