Course Historiography in Art, Literature and Culture: Methods and Problems

Course description

Most studies of literature, art and culture have a historical dimension. Even contemporary research objects can be studied historically. Indeed, ever since the 19th century there has been a strong tendency in the humanities to equate understanding of a work of art or a cultural phenomenon with historical understanding. In this course, we discuss recent scholarly approaches to fundamental questions of historiography: How do we historicize? How do we delimit a period, how do we select representative works or events? How do periods overlap and how do we work with anachronisms or the untimely? Do we write histories of rupture or continuity, of the global or of the local? Whose history is it, anyway, and how do we make it matter to contemporary readers?

Aim/Learning outcomes

The aim is to reflect on the possibilities, limitations and choices involved in writing literary art and cultural history. But also, importantly, to link this general reflection to the participants’ individual PhD projects, and hopefully provide participants with fresh ideas and inspiration for the historiographical challenges they face in their projects.

Target group/Participants

PhD-students from all fields within Art, literature and culture, who have projects on old or new art, literature and culture, are invited.

Workload

The course consists of three 6-hour workshops.

For each workshop, the participants will hand in a presentation of a specific problem in their own research that relates to the topic of the workshop (approx. 0,5-1 page for each workshop). Participants will be asked to read all theoretical texts and texts handed in by fellow PhD students.

Language 

English

Lecturers

Jakob Ladegaard, Associate Professor, Comparative Literature, Aarhus University

Venue

• 16 February 2026. 09.00.15.00. Langelandsgade 141 , 8000 Aarhus C. Building 1586, room 114
• 23 February 2026. 09.00-15.00. Langelandsgade 141 , 8000 Aarhus C. Building 1586, room 114
• 9 March 2026. 09.00-15.00. Langelandsgade 141 , 8000 Aarhus C. Building 1586, room 114

Course dates:

• 16 February 2026 09:00 - 15:00
• 23 February 2026 09:00 - 15:00
• 09 March 2026 09:00 - 15:00