งานเขียนประวัติศาสตร์ศิลปะยุคต้นสงครามเย็น: สำนักศิลปากรกับแนวคิดชาตินิยมสายกลาง/ Early Cold War Art Historical Writings: Silpakorn School of Art History and the Idea of Moderate Nationalism

Abstract

The paper aims to study Thai art historical writings in the early Cold War period that have been ignored for years in the Thai academic field. The paper suggests that the early Cold War was an important factor to form two major characteristics of the writings which have influenced until now. The first one, the rise of writing style which based on scientific method and value-free that related to the ‘free world’ knowledge-building approach in the Cold War period, named ‘Silpakorn School of Art History’. The second one, after World War II, Thailand could never again imagine itself as a member of the club of ‘Great Nations’. Thai nationalism which was based on ‘racism’ as a tool of nation-building in the World War II has been forced turned into ‘moderate nationalism’. As a result, the writings of Thai art history in this period were changed to emphasize on creating new meaning of antiquities, especially the antiquities of the Sukhothai period, as a symbol of ‘Independence’ and ‘freedom’ of Thai people from the Khmer empire. The writings were used as a tool for promoting an idea of maintaining Independence and freedom of the nation from the Communist invasion at that time.