In this study, research on the art has been presented and classified historically from a multidisciplinary perspective. In this classification, it was determined that there are three tendencies: aesthetics, sociocultural and relational. The works on art started with the philosophy of Enlightenment in the 17th century with aesthetic tendency. Aesthetic tendency is the beginning of the research on art and still its most important tendency. It can be said that aesthetic tendency tries to grasp the art through its beautiful and sublime concepts. The sociocultural tendency that emerged against aesthetic tendency has been defended by socialist and, other opposition theorists and social scientists who are against idealist philosophy. Sociocultural tendency sees the art as a reflection of the social, historical and cultural area. Both these tendencies have brought various criticisms to each other. While sociocultural tendency claims that aesthetic tendency approaches to art essentialist and idealist way; aesthetic tendency says that sociocultural tendency is reductionist. Relational tendency emerged in the second half of the 20th century to reveal a synthesis of this tendency. Relational orientation opposed the analysis of art through art product and artist and claimed that art occurred within a field or world. In this article, which classifies the art researches in social science and humanities and aims to map it, has revealed the theoretical tendencies resulting from this effort. The tendencies emerge in this study have provided ideal types for better understanding of trends rather than an absolute classification of the area.

art research, aesthetic tendency, sociocultural tendency, relational tendency, social and human science