One of the first studies of medieval art, Mâle’s book was also one of many first to make use of iconography to unlock the meaning of pictures. Another book, Heinrich Wölfflin’s Principles of Art History, from 1915, formulated the now widespread methodology of comparing artworks on the premise of fashion. The Books that Shaped Art History takes an admittedly deep dive into its topic, but it’s nonetheless a captivating take a look at how writing has formed art and vice versa. None of these was wholly new in art but the Romans, as in so many different fields, pushed the …