Caro Fowler and Scott Nethersole discuss the evolving stakes of Renaissance art history amid the rise of “global” approaches. Rather than assuming seamless networks of exchange, Nethersole questions whether such frameworks can obscure the uneven, often disjointed nature of historical encounters, particularly in early European-African contact zones. The conversation revisits foundational disciplinary tools such as comparison and periodization, while considering how attention to moments of disconnection might reframe familiar narratives. Together, they reflect on the methodological and ethical challenges of writing art history that resists totalizing claims without abandoning interpretive ambition.