Nodes, Edges, and Artistic Wedges: A Survey on Network Visualization in Art History

Abstract

Art history traditionally relies on qualitative methods. However, the increasing availability of digitized archives has opened new possibilities for research by integrating visual analytics. This survey presents a comprehensive review of the intersection between art history and visual analytics, focusing on network visualization and how it supports researchers in analyzing and understanding complex art historical relationships through nodes (e.g., artists, artworks, institutions) and edges (the relationships between them). We explore how these approaches enable dynamic analysis, offering novel perspectives on artistic influence, stylistic evolution, and social interactions within the art world. Through this, we also examine wedges, a metaphor for the friction often present in art history between individuals and institutions. These tensions, which have historically played a pivotal role in shaping artistic movements, are now better understood through the lens of network visualization, revealing how conflicts and power dynamics influenced the development of art. Through a hierarchical categorization of the literature, we outline saturated problems and research areas as well as ongoing challenges in art historical research. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of visual analytics to bridge the gap between traditional qualitative research and modern computational analysis, offering interactive exploration, temporal analysis, and complex network visualization. We provide a structured foundation for future research in art history, emphasizing the value of network visualization in enriching the understanding of art history.