假使这里有一个美术品，我们可以因见地不同而生种种的批判，有的从民族心理学的见地讨论美术品与民族风土的关系；有的从考古学或鉴定家的见地，考证作品的作代或判别作品的真伪，甚至有全凭一己的主观，不管他人同意与否，以从作品所得的印象，加上自己的想像力，而发为“文学的批评”——这些不同的见地，只要祂们各自独立不相混淆，都有充分存在的理由，然而非所沦于美术史。

美術史的职务，简括地说，可以分作三种：
第一考察美术品与其时代文化的关系，第二考察美术品与作家人格的关系，第二考察美术品与作家人格的关系，第三考察美术品与其前后各时代美术品的关系。

我们暫且举出一个例证来，好使上面这几句话容易明白。

譬如我们看米格兰基罗Michelangelo绘的奚斯挺Sistine礼拜堂的壁画，若从美术史的见地，第一我们不免想起米格朗基罗的保护者，预里优斯Julius二世是一个英迈的法王、他善用米格兰基罗的巨人的力量，这样大规模的绘画才能产生。这便是上面所说的美术品，与其时代文化的关系，第二这画上面人物的表情浮出一种暗泹痉挛的情趣，那便是象征米格兰基罗自身悲惨的的命运，而这画的表现法，如雕刻一般的坚硬，不外因为米格兰原来是一个大雕刻家，这便是美术品与作家人格的关系。第三，我们知道十五世纪的画品与十六世纪的画品完全不同，以这两世纪所绘的圣母像Madonna为证。前者如初春时节才开放的花蕊，颇饶优雅纤丽之趣。后者如暮春时节的茶蘼，快近充分的成熟期了。自十六世纪以来，意大利一般的社会都爱威严的趣味，而发挥这种趣味的，首推米格兰的作品，他所描写的人物大都筋骨开张，体势严重。这种作品，不知不觉地使他的后继者走入皮相的模仿和空虚的夸张的路上去了。这便是美术品与其前后各时代美术品的关系.

人类不断的活动，才使这个宇宙不断的更新，美术自然不在例外。我们试遥睇尼罗河畔盖索博达米亞平原希腊岛屿，那上面散播许多文化的种子。而这些种子一天一天地暴裂起来。上古时代美术绝对是神话和君主的臣仆。我们看那些壮丽的建筑和雕刻，立即可以明白。至中世纪美术算是时代文化的共同制作物。所谓艺术家的个性，能夠表现在作品上面，那是文艺复兴时代方有的事。然此时艺术家的个性，仍受多少束缚，不能自由地发挥十八世纪拿破仑执政时代，瑰奇俊伟的人物，为美术界最流行的题材，直到十九世纪才算美术家真正发挥自己个性的时代。如其我们承认美术自身有开拓独立的路径的必要。那我们对于这时代的美术，不得不感到特殊的兴味，单就绘画而论，牠们已经不是古代和中世的装饰画了，也不是文艺复兴时代的宗教画和官廷文化了，也不是文艺复兴时代的宗教画和宫廷文化时代王公妃嫔的肖像画了。他们所描画的，都是自然或物象的自身。譬如描画一个美丽的花瓶，或一个醜陋的躯体，目的全在纯艺术的表现，表现完了，他们的目的达了。这个时代可以称为表现本位时代。

美术与哲学诗文宗教，同属人类精神表现的一种形式，这种形式之下，结局有由古典主义，自然主义所代表的绝对的现实观和由浪漫主义，印象主义所代表的相对的现实观。换句话说，我们打开挽近欧洲的美术史，在创造的形式上，到处可以遇着两个相反的倾向，即是现象自身的理智的把捉，和超越现象的精神的表现。.有人说欧州的文化，是理智和本能的争斗史。这句话固然有语病，这种争斗同然不限于欧洲，不过我们打开欧洲的美术史，更能亲切地感到这种争斗的强烈。

If there is an artwork here, various criticisms can arise due to different perspectives. Some may discuss the relationship between artworks and national psychology from the standpoint of ethnopsychology. Others may approach it from the perspectives of archaeology or connoisseurs, examining the work's era or determining its authenticity. Some may provide subjective critiques, disregarding agreement from others, forming a "literary critique" based on the impressions derived from the artwork, coupled with their imagination. While these different perspectives exist independently, they all have valid reasons, yet they do not fall under the realm of art history.

The responsibilities of art history can be broadly categorized into three areas:

Examining the relationship between artworks and the culture of their respective eras.
Investigating the connection between artworks and the personalities of the artists.
Analyzing the relationship between artworks and other artworks from preceding and subsequent eras.
To illustrate these points, consider Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. From an art historical perspective, firstly, one may think of Michelangelo's patron, Pope Julius II, as a powerful figure who facilitated the creation of such large-scale paintings. This reflects the connection between the artwork and the culture of its time. Secondly, the expressions of the figures on the painting might suggest a tragic mood, symbolizing Michelangelo's own unfortunate destiny. The technique used in the painting, resembling the hardness of sculpture, can be attributed to Michelangelo's background as a renowned sculptor, illustrating the connection between the artwork and the personality of the artist. Lastly, considering the paintings of Madonna from the 15th and 16th centuries, we observe a shift in style and preference, influenced by societal changes. This demonstrates the relationship between the artwork and other artworks from different eras.

Human activities continually shape the world, and art is no exception. From the banks of the Nile to the plains of Mesopotamia and the islands of Greece, cultural seeds have been scattered, resulting in the constant evolution of art. In ancient times, art was predominantly intertwined with mythology and servitude to rulers. Middle Ages witnessed art as a collaborative creation of the culture of the time. Only during the Renaissance did artists begin to express their individual personalities in their works, though still constrained to some extent. The 18th century, under Napoleon's rule, marked a period where bizarre and grandiose characters were popular in the art world. It wasn't until the 19th century that artists truly liberated their individuality, creating a unique path for art. This era, often referred to as the Expressionist period, holds special interest as it represents a departure from the decorative and religious art of earlier periods.

Art, philosophy, poetry, and religion are all forms of human expression. Underneath these forms, there lies a struggle between two opposing tendencies: the absolute realism represented by classicism and naturalism and the relative realism represented by romanticism and impressionism. In other words, when exploring European art history, we encounter two conflicting tendencies in creative forms: the rational grasp of phenomena and the spiritual expression transcending phenomena. Some describe European culture as a history of the struggle between reason and instinct. While this statement may have its flaws, exploring European art history indeed reveals the intense nature of this struggle.