ABSTRACT
The applicability of computational strategies to the study of art history was similarly noted in the mid-1960s by Kenneth C. Lindsay. Recognizing that “sophisticated mechanical instruments can promote both the production of art and a better organization of the data of art history,” Lindsay proposed distinguishing “between two kinds of activity: the independent venture which is self-sufficient, and the interdependent venture which makes sense only if organized in long-term cooperative plans.” It is noteworthy that at an early moment in the integration of the computer into the discipline of art history as a means of organizing data, pioneers recognized the enduring benefits, needs, and challenges intrinsic to these efforts. In the digital era, one must understand a project to be “launched,” with the attendant metaphorical implication that one will tend its safe voyage, as opposed to “published,” implying that an effort has come to a close.
