Product Description
In 15th-century Florence, Brunelleschi's buildings and Alberti's treatise first established the principles of Italian Renaissance architecture in practice and theory. This survey ranges from Brunelleschi's dome for the Florence Cathedral to the works of Bramante and Leonardo in the Quattrocento. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Only useful for the specialist.
This book is considered to be "the great survey" of early Renaissance architecture, and is, in fact, the only one that has ever been written covering the subject (except for a 1998 book in Italian that is really more a collection of articles). I find this lack of surveys rather surprising as Renaissance architecture is one of the most well-loved subjects in art history, and I would think that specialists, students, and laymen would demand a simple World of Art kind of treatment of the topic. The Pelican series generally does not provide this type of clear, thesis-driven introductory text, and Heydenreich's book is no exception. It is a collection of facts--a catalog of "this building was built then and it shows influence from that and the architect was so-and-so"--with minimal interpretation and explanation (we generally don't even learn what details indicate that "this" building was influenced by "that" one). A great deal of familiarity with the material is required on the part of the reader, so the text entirely failed my mission of gaining a broad understanding of quattrocento architecture. If you are well-versed in the topic and are looking for a reference, this book may be helpful; if you're looking for elucidation, it almost surely won't be. The most Heydenreich seems to be able to say about the style of buildings or the reason they were compelling to their contemporaries is that they were "perfect" and "beautiful," terms I have heard altogether too frequently (and too frequently unexplained) from Renaissance art historians. I regret that I have no better book to recommend in Heydenreich's place.

On a somewhat different note, the binding of the paperback Pelican books is shoddy at best. By the time I had finished this book, which I did read cover to cover despite really disliking it (it's only 151 pages anyway), all of its pages were falling out! ... Read more

Product Description

Art History Portable Edition by Marilyn Stokstad offers exactly the same content as Art History, Third Edition but in smaller individual booklets for maximum student portability.  The combined six segment set consists of four booklets that correspond to major periods in Western art and two that cover global art.  Each book is available individually, making them ideal for courses focused on individual periods.

Book 6:  Art History:  Eighteenth to Twenty-First Century can be used for such courses as:

• Eighteenth-Century Art in Europe and the Americas
• Nineteenth-Century Art in Europe and the United States
• Modern Art in Europe and the Americas, 1900-1945
• The International Scene Since 1945

 Book 1:  Art History: Ancient Art

Book 2:  Art History: Medieval Art 

Book 3:  Art History: A View of the World, Part One: Asian, African, and Islamic Art and Art of the Americas

Book 4:  Art History: Fourteenth to Seventeenth Century Art

Book 5:  Art History: A View of the World, Part Two: Asian, African, and Oceanic Art and Art of the Americas

Book 6:  Art History: Eighteenth to Twenty-First Century

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Art
It arrived in excellent time.It wasn't for me but for my dauther for her university studies....she had no complaints. ... Read more

Product Description
The seminal work, originally published in two separate clothbound volumes, is now made available in a revised one-volume edition, both in hardback and in paperback. It brings to light an aesthetic passage of European history which has never before received full-scale treatment in English. It explains, monumentum of a magnificent movement of German art, and shows, through this powerful and expressive art, how religion and political ideaology were interwined in Ottonian culture from about 950 to 1050. Besides dealing with the great imperial books such as the Gospels of Otto III and the Pericopes Book of Henry II, as well as other splendid liturgical manuscripts, the author also writes with penetrating insight about the great art-loving bishops such as Egbert of Trier and Bernard of Hildesheim, whose aims and personalities are expressed in the books they commissioned. In addition, the most important art centres of the Ottonian Empire - Reichenau, Cologne, Fulda and Corvey - are discussed in detail. ... Read more

Product Description
This paperback edition of the DK classic is one of the most comprehensive art reference works ever published.

From prehistoric cave paintings to Postmodernism to modern computer art, this encyclopedic reference -- now available in a handy, portable paperback edition -- lavishly illustrates all of the major movements in art, architecture, and the visual and decorative arts. Updated to include new artists and styles, Art: A World History is an absorbing, definitive, and up-to-the-minute account of the history of the world of art.Amazon.com Review
Like a visit to a single museum that happens to house all themajor works from all the major movements in art, architecture, andvisual and decorative arts, this hefty tome lives up to itstitle. From pre-history to present day, cave paintings to computerart, it delivers on its promise to bring together "art from every ageand from every corner of the world." In 720 pages and more than 2,200color illustrations, this includes, in addition to the traditionaldisciplines, fashion, advertisement, performance art and theater, andcomputer-generated virtual art. Readers can research, peruse, study,or simply flip through the history of art, arranged geographically andchronologically and placed in social and historical context. Call-outboxes focus on particularly important features of the period, culture,or environment under examination, and summary timelines highlightwhole chapters in a few pages and break up running text on eachpage. This makes for busy pages, chock-full of textual and visualinformation, but if anyone can successfully present too muchinformation, it's Dorling Kindersley. There's even a section on theaesthetic importance of nouvelle cuisine, a late 20th century style ofpreparing and presenting food. You can't get that in Gardner's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

If you only own one book about art . . .
If you could only own one book about art, this book should be it. The reproductions are true, the writing insightful, and the coverage extensive. All significant periods in art history are covered, including non-western, and the book is more than just about art, but about history, as well. I found some fascinating tidbits that I didn't know before: the Emporer Claudius proposed to the Roman Senate that Christianity be officially recognized (the Senate refused); the Chinese practiced a form of Cubism centuries before Picasso and Braque; archeologists date the arrival of Christianity in areas by how the dead were buried (all pretty cool stuff). This is one of those books that is worth rereading with the expectation of greater enjoyment the second time around.

A Definitive & Intriguing Guide
Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self.
- Jean-Luc Godard

If you are interested in following the evolution of art through the ages, you will find this to be lavish and comprehensive. The book begins with a question. "What is Art Today?"

Erich Steingraber explains how we can no longer answer this question unequivocally. Art has undergone a radical change from art in the past. This guide explores all these aspects and shows the changes, page by page.

Features Include:

2,200 Color Illustrations, photographs and drawings
World History of Art
Everything from Prehistoric cave paintings to Post-Modernism and Present-Day computer art
A Chronological Overview in each chapter
Significant Movements in Art
Analyses of key works
Insight into artist techniques

Contents:

1. Prehistoric and Ancient Art

In this section there is a chart of old world Neolithic ceramic forms. Then you can find pictures of Egyptian jewelry and discussions about famous tombart. In the Hellenic and Italic Civilizations you will find page after page of Greek and Italic Art. The elongated figures in some pictures look like modern art and strangely do look similar to figures sculpted by the 20th century Italian sculptor Giacometti. The authors explain why temple architecture in Italy developed differently from Greek architecture. I was fascinated by the "Nile Landscape" on page 92 because I love mosaics. If you have been to the Louvre, Paris, you will recognize "The Victory of Samothrace."

2. The Ancient World from the Roman Empire to the Fourth Crusade

Then you can delve into the rather serious art of the Roman Empire. Barbarian Art? Yes, but it is only loosely describing a broad range of people and art styles that existed alongside the "civilized" cultures of the Mediterranean, China and the Near East.

Byzantine Art, Persian & Islamic Art, India and the Far East and the Classical Art of sub-Saharan Africa complete this section. I enjoyed seeing the intricacy of the "rock crystal jug with bird decoration and inscription" from AD992. The transparent and colorless quartz was one of the most sought-after semiprecious materials and you will realize why.

3. From the Great Cities of Europe to the Four Corners of the World

This section really brought back memories. The Notre-Dame Cathedral is probably the most beautiful cathedral I've ever visited. They have a full-color picture on more than half a page. It is truly even more magnificent when you see it in person.

In the Early Renaissance and High Renaissance they feature:

Andrea Mantegna: "Oculus of the Camera Picta" - 1473; fresco. Detailed analyses is included with a variety of close-up "shots."

Michelangelo: "Creation of Adam" from the vault of the Sistine Chapel

In the 17th Century: The Age of Spectacle we find pictures of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's art. This section really focuses more on sculpture and architecture.

The Splendors of the 18th Century includes a delightful array of tapestry from the Palace of Versailles and Musee du Louvre, Paris.

The art of Asia is in such contrast with zen gardens and painted scrolls depicting fierce deities.

Pre-Columbian Art has a small section and focuses more on vases, temples, goldwork.and pyramids.

4. Art, Commerce & Industry

Neoclassicism - inspired by the excavations of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Romanticism - You have to see the exquisite piece called "Morning" by German artist Philipp Otto Runge who took refuge in the myth of childhood.

Orientalism - After the British expansion in India, curiosity about these lands influenced European taste and we see elements of the exotic permeating trends in literature, music and the visual arts throughout the 19th century.

Official Art

This was the name given to a style of paintings that flourished in Europe in the second half of the 19th century. They feature:
The Birth of Venus, 1862
Flaming June
The Death of Cleopatra, 1874

The Creation of the Metropolis

This chapter will make you want to go traveling just to see this architecture in person. Pleasure Gardens, castles and bridges are featured.

Art, Technology & Industry - focuses on printing and photographic techniques.

Furnishings & Fashions - One of my favorite chapters as they include pictures of the interior of castles and a picture of Neuschwanstein Castle.

The European Influence - Artistic styles were imitated and adapted in the colonies. Explanations of Theatre design, architecture, American Classicism and Tiffany Glass.

5. A Crisis of Tradition & The Birthplace of Contemporary Art

The Birth of Realism - Sunlight streams into some of these pictures and yet some show the contrast in the harsh realities of life.

The Impressionists - Claude Monet and Renoir. Art reaches a delicate beauty.

Post-Impressionism - Exquisite paintings by Gustave Moreau
The Modern Style - Detailed information about Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss"
Edvard Munch really worries me, but who could forget "The Scream."

Artistic Cultures of sub-Saharan Africa - Statues
Artistic Cultures of the Pacific - Statues

6. Art of the 20th Century

Expressionism & Fauvism
The Great Avant-garde Movements
The New Architecture
Art & Politics
Art in the Postwar Period
The New Avant-garde & Postmodernism
Architecture in the Second Half of the 20th Century

Toward a New Century - Computer art, fashion, consumer goods, publicity, architecture and movies

"This is not a cold, scholarly history of art. What we are trying to do is to share with the reader our love of art, to reflect on its past splendor, its present vitality, and its future potential." -Art, A World History

I think they succeeded. I was mesmerized for hours!

~The Rebecca Review

Great book....
It's a great book. Stop reaidng this and buy it! :)

Great summary for beginning art lovers
I was given this book as a gift by a friend who knew I was interested in learning more about art. It is a wonderful, overall introduction to the subject. It is easy and interesting reading with 1000's of pictures. Ienjoy it in short segments when I wish to be taken to another place. ... Read more

Product Description
For two-semester courses in Art History, Global Art History, and for Introductory Art courses taught from a historical perspective. Renowned for its authorship, scholarship and pedagogy, Art History has quickly become the gold standard of introductions to the history of art. Engaging and accessible, Stokstad's Art History gives students rich cultural and social contexts for art, along with eloquent explanations of art's formal qualities and particular terminology. Presenting a broad view of art through the centuries, it introduces beginning students to the works of all artists in all media in a positive and sympathetic manner. Art History is the most comprehensive, accessible, and magnificently illustrated work of its kind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

SUPERB
I needed the book for a class that had already started, thank goodness it came with the quickness and I was able to catch up on the semester.Quality was in very good condition and it is serving me well!The world can only benefit from such exemplary professionalism.Keep it up!

Disappointed with seller, Bordeebook
The seller, BORDEEBOOK, sent a replacement shipment when the original order did not arrive.The replacement order took 6 weeks to arrive following the original order.The dissatisfaction is due to the condition of the replacement book.I ordered and paid for a NEW book but received a USED book with a broken DVD.This is the first time that I failed to receive an original Amazon order.BORDEEBOOK did honor the order but not to my satisfaction.
Jean C.G.

Art History, Revised Second Edition, Volume II
The item received was as described in the posting, both in content and condition advertized.Although not specifically listed in the posting, the item included an accompanying DVD which one would have gotten if the item had been purchased new in a store.The item arrived in excellent condition but, 2 days beyond the latest date given in the posting.

Fast Shipper
I got the book within a week of order. The book arrived in great condition. It was a good experience, stress free.

Very GOOD
The book was in great shape and arrived quickly. I was very pleased ... Read more

Product Description

History as Art, Art as History pioneers methods for using contemporary works of art in the social studies and art classroom to enhance an understanding of visual culture and history. The fully-illustrated interdisciplinary teaching toolkit provides an invaluable pedagogical resource—complete with theoretical background and practical suggestions for teaching U.S. history topics through close readings of both primary sources and provocative works of contemporary art.

History as Art, Art as History is an experientially grounded, practically minded pedagogical investigation meant to push teachers and students to think critically without sacrificing their ability to succeed in a standards-driven educational climate. Amid the educational debate surrounding rigid, unimaginative tests, classroom scripts, and bureaucratic mandates, this innovative book insists on an alternate set of educational priorities that promotes engagement with creative and critical thinking.

 Features include:

• A thought-provoking series of framing essays and interviews with contemporary artists address the pivotal questions that arise when one attempts to think about history and contemporary visual art together.
• An 8-page, full color insert of contemporary art, plus over 50 black and white illustrations throughout.
• A Teaching Toolkit covering major themes in U.S. history provides an archive of suggested primary documents, plus discussion suggestions and activities for putting theory into practice.
• Teaching activities keyed to the social studies and art curricula and teaching standards
• Resources include annotated bibliographies for further study and lists of arts and media organizations.

This sophisticated yet accessible textbook is a must-read resource for any teacher looking to draw upon visual and historical texts in their teaching and to develop innovative curriculum and meaningful student engagement.

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Dissapointment
I do not want to be that customer that gets upset over a book or anything, because I used to work for someone that sold books online. But this particular book never made it to my home yet. It said that it could take until September the 5th. But that was the Labor Day weekend so I was hoping that it was just delayed. So please help me with this situation. Its hard to read it for my class when it is not here.

Thanks,
Joshua Rodgers

Just What I Needed
This book is just what I needed for my art history course. It has quite a few nice photos. ... Read more

Product Description

Art History Portable Edition by Marilyn Stokstad offers exactly the same content as Art History, Third Edition but in smaller individual booklets for maximum student portability.  The combined six segment set consists of four booklets that correspond to major periods in Western art and two that cover global art.  Each book is available individually, making them ideal for courses focused on individual periods.

Book 3:  Art History: A View of the World-Part I can be used for such courses as:

• Islamic Art
• Art of South and Southeast Asia before 1200
• Chinese and Korean Art before 1279
• Japanese Art before 1392
• Art of the Americas before 1300
• Art of Ancient Africa

 Book 1:  Art History: Ancient Art

Book 2:  Art History: Medieval Art 

Book 3:  Art History: A View of the World, Part One: Asian, African, and Islamic Art and Art of the Americas

Book 4:  Art History: Fourteenth to Seventeenth Century Art

Book 5:  Art History: A View of the World, Part Two: Asian, African, and Oceanic Art and Art of the Americas

Book 6:  Art History: Eighteenth to Twenty-First Century

Customer Reviews (1)

Not pleased
I recieved the wrong book.The title, author and ISBN number of the book I recieved did not match what I ordered.I have tried twice to contact the seller and they have not responded.The order was for a text book for a college student.She is still without her book.I have ordered other books from other sellers and have had bascially no problems and when there has been a problem the seller responded within hours. ... Read more

Product Description
This clear and concise new introduction examines all the major debates and issues in the field of art history, using a wide range of well-known examples. Dana Arnold also examines the many different ways of writing about art, and the changing boundaries of the subject of art history. Other topics covered include the canon of art history, the role of the gallery, "blockbuster" exhibitions, the emergence of social histories of art (such as feminist art history or queer art history), and the impact of photography. The development of art history using artifacts such as the altarpiece, the portrait, or pornography to explore social and cultural issues such as consumption, taste, religion, and politics is discussed. And the book also explains how the traditional emphasis on periods and styles originated in western art production and can obscure other approaches. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Vague
This essay, sprinkled with expressions of feminist ideas, is trying to convince readers that some approaches to art history are invalid. It is hard to be certain what art history is in the book author's opinion; I think it boils down to the following: art history is how artworks make us feel. This is historically legitimate, since artist contemporaries view artworks in different ways from generations that supersede them.

The author also pays attention to how the ways art is exhibited and written about influence our perceptions.

At the end of the book you will find a little bit of information on progression of fine art techniques.

If you like to read critical articles, I think you will enjoy reading this book. ... Read more

Product Description
In an era of unprecedented change--rapid urbanization, economic growth, and political revolution--European artists from 1700-1830 were in the business of finding new ways of making, selling, and talking about art.Matthew Craske creates a totally new and vivid record of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century art in Europe, taking a critical view of such conventional categories as the "rococo," the "neo-classical," and the "romantic."He goes on to explore crucial thematic issues, such as changes in "taste" and manners, and the impact of enlightenment notions of progress, and at the same time goes well beyond the usual geographic limits of surveys to include St. Petersburg, Copenhagen, Warsaw, and Madrid.The result is a refreshingly holistic text which sets the art of the period firmly in its social history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Academic indulgence
Somehow Craske has managed to find the most bland and lifeless art from this period in art history.He does love his caricatures and monkey paintings.Had I no experience of the subject other than this book I probably would not dig any deeper; thankfully that is not the case.

Good Historical Overview
A good addition to your Art Book Library.Good analysis of art in the 18th and early 19th centuries, in conjunction with world events.

An excellent art history book
I bought this for an art history course in college.The book has many high quality illustrations and half of them are in color.The book also features many details of the works presented in it.There are alsocomments about what was happening in the artists' lives when they werepainting the works shown.The book also includes the political events thatoccured during the 18th and early 19th centuries.There is even a timelinein the back which shows what was happening in the art world and in thepolitical world at the same time.The book focuses on the Rococo,Neo-Classical, and Romantic movements in painting and sculpture.There isno mention of architecture.This is a great book to have if you like arthistory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The real money shots
On page ninety-six of this 1988 published book there is a quote from ace ad man David Ogilvy: `If you have a remarkable idea for a photograph, it does not require a genius to click the shutter'.This sort of sums up this book to my mind because so many of the photos throughout the pages are just ordinary ad shots.Technically correct but not too memorable.This isn't helped by a rather serious editorial flaw: too many of the images don't show the ad they were used for and rather annoyingly there is plenty of empty page space where this could have been shown next to the photo.

There are a few pages that caught my eye which had commercial work from Lewis Hine, Edward Steichen, August Sander, Paul Outerbridge and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy.These are all world famous and rightly known for their individual creative work rather than ad shots.Photographers from recent decades include Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Hiro and Henry Wolf who are known as much for their ad work as editorial assignments.At the end of the day though ads pay the money.

The text from Sobieszek is not much more than names, dates and comments about style genres through the decades.The book's production doesn't make this an easy read either.The columns (three to a page) consistently have different depths and use a line space between paragraphs making the copy look very uninviting.Strangely the text uses: (fig. xx) to refer to the pictures and photo portfolios that following each chapter refers to them as Plates.The captions are just the merest technical detail without taking the opportunity to flesh out some aspect of the photo.

Overall I don't think there is really a story to tell about the history of advertising photography, least not to me after reading this book.Sure, there are a few great photos but without the ad they appeared in most of those included are not really worth a second look.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.

Beautiful
A hard to find book, but a must have one for those interested in the history of adverting photography. It shows mostly on a visual manner the development of photography within the adverting field. Short chapter introductions help the reader find himself in time and figure out what is going on with the technical aspects of the period in the photography field. ... Read more

Product Description
Rome continues to be the monumental expression of a legend. It is the eternal city where all roads of the ancient world converged, and through the millennia has been the model for the very concept of a universal empire. Through art, architecture, and urban planning, the empire expanded with an exceptional synthesis of technology, politics, law, and propaganda, conquering Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East. Accompanied by masterpieces of architecture, sculpture and painting and the words of illustrious figures, Ancient Rome: Art, Architecture, and History follows the arc of the city and its civilization from their beginnings to their height and decline. Included are discussions of the emperor Augustus; the Julio-Claudian dynasty; the ill-fated town of Pompeii; the architecture and planning of the metropolis; the art and architecture of the provinces of Europe and North Africa; and the fall of the Western Empire and the establishment of the Byzantine Empire as the heir of Rome. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1951, Arnold Hauser's commanding work presents an account of the development and meaning of art, from its origins in the Stone Age through to the "Film Age." This new edition of a classic work explores historical and social movements and the effects these have had on the production of art--the centrality of class and class struggle, the cultural roles of ideologies and the determining influence of modes of economic development. There are 144 illustrations within the four volumes and each volume has a new general introduction by Jonathan Harris which traces the history of Hauser's project, discusses the relevance of the work for art history today, provides a synopsis of Hauser's narrative, and offers a critical guide that highlights major themes, trends and arguments. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Proves that intellectual history has advanced since 1950
A very nice introduction to the volume points out the intellectual confusions and tensions throughout. A crude marxism and psychologism overlies a fairly traditional stylistic chronology. One realizes how important are later studies that emphasize patronage and actual political power as opposed to disembodied "forces" and "spirits."

Hauser is always provocative and sometimes amusing. There are surprisingly few examples or paintings analyzed in any detail and sometimes he goes off in such detail on literature that one wonders where the focus of the book truly lies.

This book is worthwhile reading to understand the roots of modern art history - for Hauser is responding to 19th century writers and sees Impressionism as the great watershed in his discipline. He is thus aware of the importance of his own historical nexus, yet is caught up in a kind of analytical conformity that all too often seems like a grey flannel suit imposed upon the art in question. ... Read more

Product Description
The most widely read history of art in the English language for more than 80 years, GARDNER has built its stellar reputation on the inclusion of the most significant images and monuments, discussions of these images in their full historical and cultural context, reproductions of unsurpassed quality, scholarship that is up-to-date and deep, and more help for students and instructors than any other survey text. The 13th Edition adds to this heritage with new images and new full-color reconstructions, as well as a unique ?scale? feature that helps students visualize the size of each work. ... Read more

Product Description

Making Art History is a collection of essays by contemporary scholars on the practice and theory of art history as it responds to institutions as diverse as art galleries and museums, publishing houses and universities, school boards and professional organizations, political parties and multinational corporations.

The text is split into four thematic sections, each of which begins with a short introduction from the editor, the sections include:

• Border Patrols, addresses the artistic canon and its relationship to the ongoing 'war on terror', globalization, and the rise of the Belgian nationalist party.
• The Subjects of Art History, questions whether 'art' and 'history' are really what the discipline seeks to understand.
• Instituting Art History, concerns art history and its relation to the university and raises questions about the mission, habits, ethics and limits of university today.
• Old Master, New Institutions, shows how art history and the museum respond to nationalism, corporate management models and the 'culture wars'.

Product Description

Focusing on the dynamic connections between art history and real life, this introductory survey of Western art history introduces readers to the complexity of issues and approaches that characterize the discipline today in a unique, multi-perspective anthology that covers everything from the power of images to shape the way we know things, to the political and policy debates about the place of the arts in our society. Pairs short readings of contrasting views on specific issues and themes in art history, helping readers think critically about differences in interpretations and approaches, and realize that in our increasingly visual world, art history is a vital discipline that is closely tied to the most challenging debates in other disciplines and in society at large—including post-modernism, feminism, “political correctness” , multi-culturalism, and censorship. Features readings from many diverse contributors with different backgrounds and experiences—including critics, literary scholars, political figures, journalists, and art historians. Separates readings into classical, medieval, renaissance and baroque, and modern periods. For art historians and general readers interested in a contemporary and dynamic study of the history of Western art and visual studies.

Product Description
Basic History of Art provides students and instructors with a beautifully illustrated and masterfully concise introduction to the Western tradition of art history. The Seventh Edition builds on the best of this tradition with the contributions of several scholars who made many critical improvements to the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Gets me threw class
I really needed the 8th edition ($50 used) but i bought this one which was like 5 :] and all that is different is the chapters are a bit different, but hardly.

it's almost brand new!
Got my product on time and it was in fabulous condition!I'd definitely use this vendor again.More than satisfied!

thorough and very readable standard textbook on art history
I purchased this book for a class and am very happy with it. It is a beautiful edition of a standard work on art history with high quality prints of masterworks and illustrations. It is also very well written and makes history and art very approachable without dumbing it down. Good Book.
I liked the CD that comes with it - very practical study companion.

Not perfect, but really good
To attempt to put the entire history of Western Art into one volume containing all the necessary illustrations that is nonetheless light enough for students to carry is indeed an ambitious undertaking, and the Jansons do an outstanding job of it.I found it pretty darn fabulous up until it got to the 20th Century.Then I felt that it lost focus as a survey of Western Art and became more of a cheerleading squad for particular artists.But there are more things to admire about this book than to denigrate.First of all, the text is quite readable and tells what's important.Second, the quality of the color illustrations is excellent, especially for a book of this price.My biggest complaint is that certain works that I think are important, or were important in their time, are not mentioned.For example, can one really talk about Surrealism and not even mention Salvador Dali?Whether you like him or not, I don't think you can just ignore him when you talk about 20th Century art.Can you talk about Victorian art and not mention Alma-Tadema?The sections on late 20th Century art completely ignore such influential artists as Robert Crumb and Keith Haring, but yet devote a lot of space to work that could only be of interest to frequent gallery-goers.(I regarded these final pages as the equivalent of including some current off-off-Broadway shows in an anthology Western Drama along with Sophocles, Shakespeare, Shaw and Tennessee Williams.)Of course, you can't include everything and the authors have, I'm sure, had a lot of pressure put on them to include works by people who fit certain demographics.An artist friend of mine, who happens to be a lady of a certain age, told me that she had used an earlier edition of this textbook 40 years ago.She said that there was a big protest at that time because there were no women artists included.That is not the case with this edition.I felt that women artists were well represented by top-notch works, and it wasn't just the usual suspects (e.g., Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassat, Georgia O'keefe).This edition includes a couple of great ones that I was previously unfamiliar with, like Artemesia Gentilischi and Judith Leyster.And then for all the omissions of artists I have a particular liking for, I was delighted to see discussions of John Singleton Copley and Caspar David Friedrich included.

Despite my criticism, I think that this is an excellent choice for an art history textbook.It manages to take a large and complex subject and put it into one plainspoken and cohesive volume.That's an accomplishment:Four stars.

EXCELLENT
If your an artist or interested in art history...this book is very helpful....I had to get it for class..but i still reference it to this day... ... Read more

Product Description
Appropriate for one-semester art history surveys or historically-focused art appreciation classes, A History of Western Art, Revised Fourth Edition, features additional color which provides students with a greater understanding of the works of art.Focusing on the Western canon of art history, the text presents a compelling chronological narrative from prehistory to the present. A non-Western supplement, World Views: Topics in Non-Western Art, addresses specific areas of non-Western art and augments the Western chronology by illustrating moments of thematic relationships and cross-cultural contact. World Views is available at a discount when packaged with A History of Western Art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

A History of Western Art
I ordered this book for my daughter at college. It arrived on time, and my daughter said it looked brand new! Very good service.

like new
boughtthis text book "used" with quality listed as "good" - received a book that looks brand new - defnately recommend purchasing used "good" textbooks from amazon

Good Buy
The book was in good shape and intact. Came fairly quickly. Only problem is teacher barely uses the thing in class. But anyway not your problem. Thanks for the book either way.

WESTERN ART
This book came very fast and it was in great condition as it was stated....also i contacted the seller & he/she gave me all the information on when my package was going to be shipped...THANKS ALOT...

Western Art Review
This was purchased as a textbook for an art history class.It arrived quickly and is presently seeing duty at the university.All is well. ... Read more

Product Description
For two-semester courses in Art History Survey and for Introductory Art courses taught from a historical perspective.The definitive survey of the Western Art tradition-the standard against which all other art history surveys are measured-this classic text uses an exceptional art program, impeccable scholarship, rich color, accurate illustrations printed in five colors, and student-friendly pedagogy to introduce readers to the vast world of Western painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, and the minor arts. With an effectively written, balanced, and interesting narrative, it presents art as a succession of styles-from Prehistory through the 1990s-and enlarges students' capacity to appreciate individual works of art in and of themselves, not merely to accumulate data about them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Useful survey of Western art
In the introduction to this edition, Anthony Janson (whose father, H.W. Janson, still has top billing for the volume) talks about the long tradition he and his father have had toward this volume and the larger work that carries the same name. It has been a standard in Western art education for decades, and the revisions periodically placed serve to bring new interpretations, perspectives and finds into the mix of history.

Prior to diving into the depths of art, Janson provides a primer - art history is a relatively new discipline, and often studied by historians and others with interest but relatively little training in artistic areas themselves. This book is about the visual arts (those of drama, music, etc. are not included here, but architecture is to some degree); Janson gives a brief survey of key concepts that are critical to understanding the mediums (artists, Janson states, prefer to use the plural of medium as mediums rather than media). Geometric and visual appreciation concepts are introduced, as are philosophical/aesthetic ideas.

The majority of the text is divided into four broad sections: The Ancient World, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance through the Rococo, and the Modern World. This is a book that really a survey or history of Western art - it does have a brief section at the beginning of the Ancient World on cave art and neolithic art in North America, but apart from this never wanders outside the main courses of Western art even in the modern period. As an introductory text, this is not surprising - many of the values and concepts of art in non-Western cultures require more explanation for adequate aesthetic appreciation of their art than an introductory survey course could cover. Still, it is a deficit worthy of note for those who are looking for a more comprehensive volume.

The Ancient World covers art of Egypt, the Fertile Crescent and Persia, Aegean/Greek art, Etruscan art, and Roman art. The section on the Middle Ages begins primarily with the rise of Christendom as the dominant political power - this includes Byzantine art, early Medieval art (Carolingian and Ottonian times), Romanesque, and the ascendancy of the Gothic style, including the great Abbey of St-Denis. The Renaissance focusses early on Italy, but also explores the Renaissance influences in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and England. The Modern Period is the most diverse, with movements such as Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau and other schools that had a greater tendency to cross national boundaries. The twentieth century brought about a great explosion of artistic expressions, in architecture, sculpture, painting and photography, each of which get a chapter. While the fourth section begins with a discussion of modernism, it ends with the discussion of post-modernism, a period of transition.

The colour reproductions throughout are stunning, and the use of black-and-white images to highlight details is also useful. Two-thirds of the 600 illustrations are in colour. The photographs showing architectural styles are interesting, far from being boring 'sample' shots. The text is engaging and informative, achieving a good balance between the artistic, the philosophical and the historical. There are maps, chronological tables, a glossary of terms, suggestions for further readings arranged topically, and a very useful index (always a plus for students and scholars).

This edition is not a full survey
ISBN# 0-13-019729-7 is for volume 1 which only covers "Prehistoric Through Gothic Art"... very disappointing considering I ordered this book under the assumption that it went up through the postmodern period ... Read more

Product Description
Although its painters and sculptors have mostly been overshadowed by their contemporaries in mainland Europe, Britain has produced many outstanding artists, who are often overlooked in European studies. This phenomenon is examined in this study of British art from the Reformation to the present. The book is linked to a BBC2 television series. As he considers the works of artists as disparate as Stubbs and Bacon, Hogarth and Hockney, Constable and Henry Moore, the author depicts the cultural life of Britain since the Middle Ages which embraces not only painting and sculpture but also history, politics, architecture and literature. ... Read more