Product Description
Art historical theory is a forum of intense, often passionate debate. This book provides the art history student with an introduction to the range of theoretical perspectives used in looking at and analyzing art. It covers a broad range of approaches, presenting individual arguments, controversies, and divergent perspectives.

The book begins by introducing the concept of theory and explains why it is important to the practice of art history. Each of the six chapters that form the core of the book presents a group of related approaches that are then discussed in turn and applied to one or more works of art. The book ends with some practical ideas about writing theory-based art history essays. ... Read more

Product Description
BarronÂ's brand-new AP Art Historytest prep manual is now available with an optional CD-ROM. The book offers test takers a review of art history, starting with the earliest Western civilizations and extending to art of the present day. Additional chapters focus on non-European art traditions in India, China, Japan, the Americas, Africa, and the Pacific. Major periods are reviewed in separate chapters, each containing historical background, artistic innovation, major artists and movements, key works test takers should know, and relevant vocabulary. Each chapter has multiple-choice review questions and a practice essay with a model response. Every work of art discussed is illustrated in the text with an adjoining bulleted list of its characteristics. A diagnostic exam precedes the chapters surveying art history, and two full-length AP practice exams are presented at the end of the book with answer keys, diagnostic charts, answer explanations, and model essay responses. The text is profusely illustrated and a glossary of important terms is provided The optional CD-ROM presents two additional practice tests with answers and automatic scoring. In addition, the CD-ROM contains a flash card feature to test studentsÂ' visual memories as they learn to identify 300 works of art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

NY CST- visual arts
Good book for studying for the NY CST- Visual Arts test. Not everything thats in this book is useful but it's a very good tool. Some of the questions from this book is on the CST- visual arts test.

Really prepared me well for the AP
When I started to study for the AP, this book really helped me out. It provided all the information on works of art and architecture, the periods associated with them, as well tons of helpful practice questions and tests. The flash card program on the included CD also helped me out. I was able to flash through hundreds of pictures the night before the AP and memorize the ones I didn't know.

If you are going to take AP art history, are currently taking it, or deciding on which review book to buy to study from, this is definitely the one to choose. It will prepare you well and has everything you need to do well on the exam. It definitely brought my score up atleast a point.

Helpful supplement
I teach AP Art History and have read both of the new competing AP Art History Review books.I guess I expected this to be better than the one that came out about a year before this one (created by the teachers & published by REA) since this one carries the well known Barron's brand. I found that each were helpful but I didn't see this as superior to the other. Both included information that clarified some things that are a bit obtuse in the textbooks. It would be impossible for either of them to replace all the info in the textbooks but both are helpful supplements.They are also better than the previous "workbooks" that were available which just asked questions for the students to fill in.
AP Art History SOUNDS like it would be one of the easier AP courses but it has double the content of most others because it covers TWO college semester courses (of course the reward of a high score is double the college credit in most schools!).It is the sheer volume of new information that overwhelms students (and frankly teachers) so anything that summarizes and clarifies is helpful.

Test preparation review
This book was very helpful as I prepared for my Pre-Admissions Content Test for Art EC-12.It is a very good review of Art History.

Nothing short of a lifesaver
With only 1 week to go until the AP Art History exam, I found myself begin to panic. I had bought this book a month prior to the exam, but it had been sitting in my room, collecting dust. I thought that I would get around to reading it eventually, but thanks to my wonderful procrastination skills, I didn't crack open the spine until a week before the test.

All I have to say now is, thank you, Barron's, for publishing an AP Art History review book that is concise yet lengthy enough to help one do well on the test. I read the book in about a 3-4 day span, crammed all the information into my head, took the test, and came out feeling like I had done remarkably well for using just this book as my only study aid. The Barron's' book will tell you everything you need to know, and just the right amount of it, too. (extra note: It would be wisest NOT to do what I did and wait until a week to study for the test, but I'm sure you know that already.)

Unlike the REA Art History book, this book actually has thumbnail images of all of the art, which makes it a lot easier to study. Granted, thumbnails can never serve as substitutions for the real-life thing, which is why this book would be better-suited to those who have taken a 1-year art history survey course with a comprehensive, full-color textbook.

That aside, however, this would be the ideal book for anyone who wants to do well on the AP test itself. Whether you start studying months in advance, or week like I did, you should be able to gain the full benefit out of this book. The practice tests were also good and very close to the actual test itself.

EDIT: I received a score of 4 on the exam, which was in large part thanks to the help of this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Mostly religious in function, but preserving the classicism of Greco-Roman art, Byzantine buildings and art objects communicate the purity and certainties of the public face of early Christian art. Focusing on the art of Constantinople between 330 and 1453, this book probes the underlying motives and attitudes of the society which produced such rich and delicate art forms.It examines the stages this art went through as the city progressed from being the Christian center of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its crisis during attack from the new religion of Islam, to its revived medieval splendor and then, after the Latin capture of 1204 and the Byzantine reoccupation after 1261, to its arrival at a period of cultural reconciliation with East and West. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Kindle version Shoddy
The kindle version is "optimized for Large Screens" ...which Amazon defines PCs and Macs.
PCs and Macs have color screens.
The real book has color, sidebars and other typographical features for captions etc.
All illustrations in this Kindle Version are B&W and not good ones at that.
Typical of all e-"books" numerous other typographical features are missing/mangled etc.

Come on this is an Art Book!

Not Quite as Accessible as the Other Reviewers Found It
The back cover says that it is "The handbook of Byzantine art for lay readers and specialists." As a lay reader (though I have read rather extensively about other periods in art and history), I did find it about one level above what I would expect from an introductory text. For example, the author on numerous occasions would go into some detail to explain the dating of a particular object, rather than use that space to describe, for example, its artistic style, or how the object (or others like it) was used or experienced by the people of that period in history. In part for that reason, I did not find this "brisk" reading as one reviewer put it.

The back cover also says that the author overturns the myth that Byzantine art (BA) remained constant. He does indeed go into great detail to show how BA of a given period was the product of a variety of factors, and how a given piece of art was different. But, again for a lay person, what is salient is how so much of BA was in fact fairly consistent in style and subject matter, and for so long, due its spiritual function. For my money, I would have liked to read at least as much about its continuity as about how much it changed.

There was also no map in the book, even though it is about art in many different countries.

And finally, although he organized his chapters chronologically, he roamed pretty freely with the art he was discussing, such that he regularly went into things, at length, that chronologically belonged to a previous or forthcoming chapter.


All that said, I did learn a lot from the book, and would recommend it to anyone with more than a beginner's knowledge of this period in art history. (You can get that beginner's knowledge by first reading Wikipedia's entries on 1) Byzantine art, 2) Icons, and 3) the Byzantine Empire.)

Excellent
An extended history beyond description of art objects, makes understanding what art in the Byzantine Empire represented. I loved it!

Exactly what I was looking for
I was in search of an affordable book that featured color plates of the greatest art of the Byzantine world, running the gamut from late Roman times through the fall of Constantinople and Robin Cormack's excellent work more than fit the bill. Indeed, this may be the perfect introductory work on Byzantine art. Magnificently produced, the book is positively littered with high-resolution color and black-and-white photos which show amazing amounts of detail. Particularly stunning are the reproductions of the various mosaics from inside the great church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and from San Vitale in Ravenna.

The text of the book is descriptive and analytical. Though somewhat scholarly in content, the writing is clear and the style is brisk. Enough historical background is provided to make the book suitable for a reader with little or no knowledge of Byzantine history. The devotional aspects of Byzantine Art were handled dispassionately with no trace of secular conceit--not always a given these days--and the Iconoclastic controversy was well covered in commendable detail. My only minor quibble was that the endnotes were buried amidst the back-matter and were somewhat difficult to find.

Over all, Cormack's book will make an excellent textbook for courses in Christian and Medieval Art, and a perfect supplemental text for general Byzantine Studies courses. The lovely cover art and stunning interior photos will also make it the kind of book that will be picked up and perused by friends and family if left around the house.

One of the best introductions to the subject
Having had the chance to listen to Robin Cormack speak, and always having had an interest in Byzantine art, I look forward to reading this. I was not disappointed in the least. As Cormack rightly points out both in his introduction and his bibliographic essay, the art of Byzantium is presented either in an homongenous manner, linking all stylistic periods and developments into a monolithic, unchanging facade, or as a realm only the specialist would be willing to engage in. Cormack deftly navigates through the subject in such a manner that is both introductary as well as substantial enough for those already familiar with the subject. Where controverserial arguments are needed, Cormack enthusiastically dives in; where basic explanation is necessary, Cormack elucidates without dumbing-down; where a style of writing is called for to atmospherically render the majesty of the art, Cormack's writing never fails.

For those of us teaching art history classes, finding a textbook devoted to Byzantine art is especially difficult. We now have the classic that will be more than sufficient for years to come. ... Read more

Product Description
From the prehistoric cave paintings to Andy Warhol's soup cans, this lively chronicle surveys the rich history of artistic expression. INSTANT ART HISTORY examines such geniuses as Michelangelo, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Renoir, van Gogh, and the Impressionists as well as Dali, Matisse, Picasso, Kandinsky, and Lichtenstein.
With INSTANT ART HISTORY you'll learn:
* How Mona Lisa's smile changed forever the grim face of portrait sitters.
* The differences between Analytic and Synthetic Cubism.
* How the avant-garde movements of Constructivism, Dadaism, and Surrealism of the 1920s redefined how society viewed art.
* How the action paintings of the Abstract Expressionists allow the viewer to "feel" a painting, not just see it.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Art Book
This book is an essential History of Art book. Whether you are new to History of Art or have studied it for years you MUST have this book in your collection. It is small in size therefor it is easy to take with you on your travels. Plus it is an amusing but factual book. Recently I purchased three copies of this book to give to the three top students in my History of Art lectures. I recommend this book, even if you have never read a History of Atr book before, I promise you you will not be able to put this book down.

The perfect book to read before going to an art museum!
I love this book because you can quickly learn about all the major periods of art - from the Renaissance's oil paintings to today's modern sculpture works. I recommend reading this before you go to an art museum, so you can brush up on who is famous for what. There are a few black and white photos of famous artwork, but mostly the book explains the type of art produced during each period, and the top 5 or so artists and what their most famous works are.

An excellent resource for the novice!
my second six weeks of my first year teaching, my principal told me for the remainder of the year I will be teaching humanities.This book saved my life!It gave me the foundational knowledge to teach my middle schoolers about Art.I just wish there were the same for music, drama and dance!The book is a very pleasurable read.A must have for any reference shelf.

Great for beginners!
I have used this book for several years now.I have a degree in Art History and Art Education.I think this book is a great start for beginners or for those who just want to know a little more about art.I found the book very helpful for most of my high school students.As a matter of fact, two years ago I started using this book as a text book for the art History portion of our program.We use the book as a basis of study from which we delve into the historical events of the time.We then use these as a spring board.My students create projects to experience the different art of these eras.The book is written simply so that they can understand and throws in some humor here and there to keep it interesting.My only wish is that it came in a hard cover edition, as i have to keep replacing my copy I teach from!

Robinson surely loved writing this ...
though the overall result is predictably sparse given what the title promises - so much history in so little space. It is written for a good cause - students in the sciences who really don't care that much about the subject yet are obligated to learn about it (virtually at gun point) in a big hurry and under pressure. (That's not to suggest that all science-oriented college students are numb to the humanities, but for those who are, this is a great book.)

It's the exam crammer's dream, written with humor and expertise much in the spirit of the British Bluffer's Guides. The book is especially useful for those who have long resisted art and art history because of their associations with snooty sorts and the pretentiousness of 'high culture.'

The three stars are for the general layout of the book and not so much about the writing itself. The illustrations are black and white, the paper cheap and pulpy, and some of the pages of my copy were cut unevenly at the printer's. These factors conspire to lessen the overall value of something that was deliberately conceived as a shortcut to college credit. ... Read more

Product Description

Art History: The Basics is a concise and accessible introduction for the general reader and the undergraduate approaching the history of art for the first time at college or university.

It will give you answers to questions like:

• What is art and art history?
• What are the main methodologies used to understand art?
• How have ideas about form, sex and gender shaped representation?
• What connects art with psychoanalysis, semiotics and Marxism?
• How are globalization and postmodernism changing art and art history?

Each chapter introduces key ideas, issues and debates in art history, including information on relevant websites and image archives. Fully illustrated with an international range of artistic examples, Art History: The Basics also includes helpful subject summaries, further ideas for reading in each chapter, and a useful glossary for easy reference.

Product Description

ART HISTORY provides students with the most student-friendly, contextual, and inclusive art history survey text on the market.  These hallmarks make ART HISTORY the choice for instructors who seek to actively engage their students in the study of art. 

This new edition of ART HISTORY is the result of a happy and productive collaboration between two scholar-teachers (Marilyn Stokstad and Michael Cothren) who share a common vision that survey courses on the history of art should be filled with as much enjoyment as erudition, and that they should foster an enthusiastic, as well as an educated, public for the visual arts. 

Like its predecessors, this new edition seeks to balance formal and iconographic analysis with contextual art history in order to craft interpretations that will engage a diverse student population.  Throughout the text, the visual arts are treated as part of a larger world, in which geography, politics, religion, economics, philosophy, social life, and the other fine arts are related components of a vibrant and cultural landscape.

Customer Reviews (15)

Art History
it's a good art history book. I am using it as a college class book and there are lots of pictures of all different kinds of the artwork and the book is filled with all forms and types of artwork.Examples: paintings, scultures and monuments

POOR
when i recieved my book it was open already. not in any type of packaging,just in the box. several of my classmates who ordered the same book from different websites had recieved it packaged with a light plastic cover and inside their book was a special program that i did not recieve with mine. i did not return the product because it was to late and i had no time to wait for another.im complaining because this isnt the only item i buy from you guys and it was not handled with care. im a constant and loyal customer but with these recent experiences i am highly thinking about taking my business to another website.

Great!
The book came on time like it said it would. The book was in great condition just like new! Thanks!

Quick Shipping
The product is as described. I am THOROUGHLY satisfied with how quickly I received it.I ordered the book on the 20th and received it on the 24th. Three thumbs up!

Very pleased
The quality of this book is exactly as it was described by the seller. It arrived quickly. :-) ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful unparalleled book of the period
This is a beautiful book with text and photographs of the period art that cannot be found elsewhere. These Asian American artists of this first generation of immigrants lived through some problematic treatment and times and their work is relatively unknown by the public.The paperback version is a substantial book about 2 inches thick and it is wonderful that this is available at a reasonable cost that allows more people to own and experience it.This is also a lovely gift.

about time
It's about time we had a volume devoted to Asian American art history.The book is history in the making itself.A wonderful resource and highly recommended.

Asian American Art: a History 1850-1970
The most comprehensive work on this subject, which is a part of American art history but neglectedby academia. In recent years works on this subject start to appear on the market place, but no other book went the distance as this one does. A lot of blank areas of the Asian artists in American is reviewed or mentioned but on the survey end, however, there is no other book like this. A must read book if you are interested in the Asian American history, a must have if you are interested in the Asian artists and their historical positions in America, the book will take you to the beginning of the story and bring one closer to the now. ... Read more

Product Description

For two-semester courses in Art History, Global Art History, and for Introductory Art courses taught from a historical perspective.

ART HISTORY provides students with the most student-friendly, contextual, and inclusive art history survey text on the market.  These hallmarks make ART HISTORY the choice for instructors who seek to actively engage their students in the study of art. 

This new edition of ART HISTORY is the result of a happy and productive collaboration between two scholar-teachers (Marilyn Stokstad and Michael Cothren) who share a common vision that survey courses on the history of art should be filled with as much enjoyment as erudition, and that they should foster an enthusiastic, as well as an educated, public for the visual arts. 

Like its predecessors, this new edition seeks to balance formal and iconographic analysis with contextual art history in order to craft interpretations that will engage a diverse student population.  Throughout the text, the visual arts are treated as part of a larger world, in which geography, politics, religion, economics, philosophy, social life, and the other fine arts are related components of a vibrant and cultural landscape.

Please visit www.pearsonhighered.com/stokstad4e more information and to view a video from author, Marilyn Stokstad, to see a chapter from the book and an online demo of the Prentice Hall Digital Art Library.

Customer Reviews (31)

Horrible
I haven't recieved this product exactly a month and 2 days ago & haven't seen it. Money was taken out of my account and yet not seen the product do not purchase anything from this company. They just take your money! They haven't sent me a new one & can't tell me where my product is.

Above and beyond what I had expected
I paid 80 dollars for a used book online, that I could have gotten on my current campus for just as much. The only difference being was that this product lived up to what was being sold, unlike most used copies one might find and buy on campus. The book was in absolutely great condition for what I paid for and arrived a little earlier than I had expected it to. Definitely worth looking into buying books online.

Great Service!
I got this book rather quickly, but haven't looked through it a whole lot because of its size. Its not easy to carry around to class or to school to study with... its more of a coffee table book!

Fast Shipping and in great shape!
This book is HUGE! Could definitely break a foot if dropped haha! But it is a great buy! Well worth the price (much cheaper than at the college book stores!) Worked great for several of my art history classes at KU. A+++++

On Time and in great Shape
This arived to me on time and in great shape.This seller really came though.

Jeanine Cowles ... Read more

Product Description

This book, an introduction to the history of art that features excellent scholarship, takes a global approach with an emphasis on the Western tradition in art. It reflects new interests and issues, expanding the topic to include women and minorities, and showing media and techniques other than painting, sculpture, and architecture. Written in clear, standard English without art historical or aesthetic jargon, Art: A Brief History is visually appealing as well as intellectually stimulating. This comprehensive survey of world art is based on the most recent scholarship, and includes coverage of arts inspired by all the major religions, the contribution of women and minorities, and contains discussions of all the arts, including ceramics, glass, metal, enamel, and the fiber arts. This book serves as an introduction to the history of art and a ready reference for people working in the arts, including museum docents, and art gallery employees, owners, and managers.

Customer Reviews (11)

Art for designers
A fantastic history book.I am the type that easily get tired of long descriptions of events happening years ago. But this book gives me the choice to either just read the overview or more about stories behind different pieces and methods in which they are created. Will certainly recommend to art students. Lots of great pictures.

Art History Review
The book was in good condition. Everything I needed for my Art History class:)Great deal!!

Couldn't be happier
The book was in excellent condition. Great Value for a Great Price. It was definitely better than I expected and I plan to purchase next year's books from this same source.
Thank you very much!!

Form and Function
This is a great book on World History through the Arts and Minds of Artists throughout the ages. The author has provided a scaled down version of another book of Art. This is a heavy book to carry, not recommended for pregnant mothers or people with bad backs. Maybe it's not that bad, but it is loaded with creativity and passion. This book covers sculptors, painters, pencil artists, stain glass, plaster and paint, the entire gammit of creation has been expounded in this edition. Having visited many Museum's such as the Louvre, the MET, palaces in Germany, castles in Italy, Historical Ruins around the globe. This is an excellent book, bringing back some of these memories. I really enjoyed this study.

excellent condition and great response from the seller
The textbook had a great price an it was on great condition. I contacted them, asking some questions, and I obtained a quick and helpful response. Recommended 100% ... Read more

Product Description

0135006333 / 9780135006337 Janson's History of Art: Western Tradition, Volume 2 Value Package (includes VangoNotes Access)

Package consists of:   

0131934724 / 9780131934726 Janson's History of Art: Western Tradition, Volume 2

0136017851 / 9780136017851 VangoNotes Coupon

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Texbook
I've had a few different Art History books; This is one I really like and am happy to have in my personal library. It's modern, easy to read, and the picture quality is good.

Janson Art History
The book was in the exact condition that the seller said it was. It was sent out very quickly and works perfectly for my class. Other than the water damage on the last few pages (which doesn't effect the text at all) it is in great condition.

Janson's history of art:Western tradition, vol. 2
The price and the quality of the book was was very,very,good !!! I was told on regular delivery price , it would take 10 - 14 days for delivery to my house.Yet it arrived at my house within 6 days !! I really was happy with the content of the book.The book was very clean, no yellow hi-lites, no pencil or ink underling at all. I will look forward to purchasing more products from this Vendor . I'm a very pleased customer and look forward to more product items , in the future from this Vendor.
Alan

Great Seller!
Exactly what the description said it was :), got it in a good amount of time.

Delivery time was great.
The college bookstore didn't have any used books in stock. I was able to get this used book quickly and it was in good shape. I saved money and delivery was before my next class so I did not miss a thing. ... Read more

Product Description
Here is a new edition of Donald Preziosi's masterful selection of the most influential and innovative writing on art history of the past two centuries. The book includes over thirty pieces by seminal thinkers and writers from Winckelmann, Kant, and Hegel to Foucault, Carol Duncan, and Mary Kelly on such subjects as aesthetics and anthropology, postmodern automatons, semiotics and iconography, performative acts, the museum as ritual, digital art, and many others. Each of the book's eight thematic sections offers an introduction providing background information, further reading, and critical commentary on the issues at stake. This edition has been updated and expanded to include sixteen new selections by key figures from Giorgio Vasari to Walter Benjamin and Satya Mohanty, a new concluding essay from Donald Preziosi on the tasks of the art historian today, and an entirely new section on Globalization and Its Discontents. For students and teachers, artists and historians, and anyone interested in the evolution and purpose of art history, this anthology offers many fascinating insights. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

hurray for the average!
Ok, I confess, I have not yet read the book or even seen it.I am however reading its introduction, which was given to me by a former student as part of a collection of essays she had to read at Bard. I find the ideas discussed in Mr. Preziosi's introduction very exciting, and have come here to see what the rest of the book is like.In doing so, I was most struck by the V-curve distribution of its reviews; this is obviously not your "average" book!And in the interest of making a stand for the average and smoothing out the curve to a U, I am giving it three stars. (I will also be putting it in my wish list).

A book for the serious art student or enthusiast
This book is a must have for any college art historystudent. This is a reference book; not a book to be read from cover to cover like a novel. It gives one enough background and resources to pursue a specific aspect of art history. How I learned of this book was through a reccommendation from the Art History Department Chairperson at a SUNY school with a world wide reputation for producing outstanding graduates in the Arts.

Looking at Art History
This is a book for anyone interested in reading excerpts from original texts (by Helgel, Kant, Derrida etc.) about specific problems encountered in the field of Art History since, approximately, the creation of the modern concept of Art. It is divided into chapters about specific themes, with a short introduction, and bibliography. I would recommend Preziosis own book "Rethinking Art History" as a companion. This is not an easy book, as some angry reviewers discovered, but - how could it be? Art is about life, and life is a very complex thing. If you have absolutely no experience with philosophy or theory, then this might not be the right place to start. If, however, Art and Art History is something you are interested in, and have some basic knowledge of, this is a very rewarding book.

An analysis of Art History, not an introduction to Art History
This is a collection of essays by various writers who have either been or written about seminal art historians, philosophers, historians, critics, etc. throughout time.

Preziosi has grouped the essays and excerpts according to foundation concepts such as "Style", "Aesthetics", "Iconography and Semiology" which would be used cohesively in the study of art history.Each of these chapters contains a collection of essays.For example, the chapter on aesthetics contains excerpts on aesthetics in philosophy by Kant and Hegel.In picking these aspects apart and exposing their origins within the time frame of art history, Preziosi generates a book that allows an analysis of the way that art history works.

As the book is a collection of texts it would not serve at all as an introduction to Art History without some familiarity with the subject, or some one to help ground the texts in their application to the field.For this reason, it is probably better suited to those willing to put a certain level of academic rigor into their reading, or to students who can benefit from the guidance of a structured course. It is also far from "brilliant" or pioneering, as it really only serves as a re-organization of available materials.

Similarly, it is not an introduction to important art in history.Less that half of these essays are analysis of works of art, and the texts are not arranged chronologically or according to the art they may or may not discuss.

I encountered this book as a textbook in an Art History course which focused on strengthening various methodological approaches.I'm not an art historian however, but studio (fine arts) MFA.I would place this book as approachable and simple by academic standards, but not for the general public unless you have the patience to wade through dry textbooks.Personally, I enjoy it, as the organization has allowed me a survey of topics in art history that has really helped me see how these topics relate to each other, and to keep my footing with people who have been taking courses in this for several years.

A difficult read
Beginning to read this book is quite agravating. It is a very advanced read, I would recommened it for graduate students. Personally I feel the vocabulary used was far too educated for some of us. I generally sat there with a dictionary through out thae majority of it. ... Read more

Product Description
Lavishly illustrated with more than 250 full-color reproductions of artworks, details, photographs, and documents, this informative book provides a sweeping overview of Western art. The book begins with the cave paintings at Lascaux, France, and continues on with the art and architecture of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome through Early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval art and on to the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. Then it proceeds from Neoclassicism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Modernism up to the art of the late twentieth century. The book is filled with paintings, sculpture, mosaics, and architecture by such renowned artists as Paolo Uccello, Jan van Eyck, Filippo Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Goya, Turner, Monet, Renoir, Auguste Rodin, Georges Braque, Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, David Hockney, and Andy Warhol.

An essential tool for classrooms and libraries as well as a wonderful gift for young people interested in art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Easy to understand
Reviewed by Maya Landers (age 10) for Reader Views (2/08)

When I first opened "A History of Western Art" by Antony Mason, I was amazed at the excellent picture quality and the wide scope of artists and art movements that are covered. Each two-page spread displays a different subject, making each time period easy to understand. The timeframe of the art being discussed is listed at the top of the page, easily enabling the reader to understand which artist or art movement is being explored.The page layout is easy to understand, with insets and callouts that expand on the illustrations. The reproductions were finely rendered, with close-ups of some parts of the artwork and the more detailed parts of the paintings or architecture pointed out with insets.Photographs illustrate the actual works as well as illustrations of the artists.

The content of the book was extensive; the works--including painting, sculpture, and photography--range from prehistoric cave art to the 20th Century.The detailed index allows the reader to easily locate a specific artist or time period.

Many art terms were defined so even a beginning art student (such as my self) could easily understand ideas that never made sense before. For instance, on pages 112-113, the art movement Surrealism is defined: "Surrealism means `above realism'" It suggested that the subconscious mind, "not rational thought," held the key to the truth about the real world." This section features the well-known Spanish artist Salvador Dali and shows his famous painting The Persistence of Memory.

I have visited the Salvador Dali museum and seen many of Dali's paintings.I thought that the paragraph describing him was accurate and to-the-point, showing him as he really was, or at least appeared to be--an artist who took Surrealism much farther than a simple painting. In addition, the photographs of his works were very good quality.Although there was not very large section of the page covering Dali--after all, there are other Surrealists who are also worth mentioning--the book covered as much as possible in such a small amount of space.

I would recommend "A History of Western Art" to friends, especially if they are interested more in getting an overview of large art movements rather than detailed information about one artist in particular.

... Read more

Product Description
Race-ing Art History is the first comprehensive anthology to place issues of racial representation squarely on the canvas.Within these pages are representations of Nubians in ancient art, the great tradition of Western masters such as Manet and Picasso, and contemporary work by lesser known artists of color.

Assembled chronologically, these essays draw upon multiculturalism, postcolonialism, and critical race theory to confront the longstanding tradition of art as a means of looking at 'the other.'The essays address important questions about racial visibility and racial politics, asking whether modern concepts of race can be imposed upon ancient art, whether there is a link between pictorial realism and Orientalism, and how today's artists and critics can engage our visual culture's inherent racialized dimension.

Richly illustrated, this pioneering volume lays the groundwork for a better understanding of the complex and shifting category of race and its significance in our visual culture and everyday lives. Unmatched in historical scope and presentation, Race-ing Art History will be the essential guide to the opportunities and challenges involved in integrating race into the study of art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Start
There are a number of truly excellent, insightful, and must read essays in this book, covering ideas of the other, gender, orientalism, and black women in art history.Which is my only criticism of the book, it is about art history, not contemporary art and not about the theory itself.The theories are employed within the essays which is helpful to see how that is done, but if you are looking for the source of the theories on race and on race in art, this is not the text.However, there are a lot of great essays, very interesting to read, very accessible, not so ladened with theory as to be unapproachable. ... Read more

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Donald Strong's book traces the development of Roman art from its beginnings to the end of the 4th century A.D., embracing the monuments of the Republic and then of the later Roman world, which extended from Britain to Mesopotamia and from the Rhine and Danube to North Africa. A special virtue is the demonstration of how all the arts of a given period combine to mirror its social, cultural, and ideological character. Roger Ling and a panel of other authorities have supplied full notes, furnishing references for research undertaken both before and after first publication. The bibliography, too, has been updated. ... Read more

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A biography of Johann Joachim Winckelmann, 18th-century German philosopher and aesthetician. Analyzing Winckelmann's magnum opus, "History of the Art of Antiquity", it explains the fundamental importance to art history of this account of the aesthetic and imaginative Greek ideal in art. ... Read more

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This is the shorter work of the two volume set A History of Greek Art, intended for a general readership. The abbreviation has been achieved by the selection of fewer objects for discussion rather than by a more summary treatment and the particular qualities of the larger History have been preserved. ... Read more

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For courses in the History of Art.

Rewritten and reorganized, this new edition weaves together the most recent scholarship, the most current thinking in art history, and the most innovative online supplements, including digital art library. Experience the new Janson and re-experience the history of art.

Long established as the classic and seminal introduction to art of the Western world, the Eighth Edition of Janson's History of Art is groundbreaking. When Harry Abrams first published the History of Art in 1962, John F. Kennedy occupied the White House, and Andy Warhol was an emerging artist.  Janson offered his readers a strong focus on Western art, an important consideration of technique and style, and a clear point of view. The History of Art, said Janson, was not just a stringing together of historically significant objects, but the writing of a story about their interconnections, a history of styles and of stylistic change. Janson’s text focused on the visual and technical characteristics of the objects he discussed, often in extraordinarily eloquent language. Janson’s History of Art helped to establish the canon of art history for many generations of scholars.

The new Eighth Edition, although revised to remain current with new discoveries and scholarship, continues to follow Janson’s lead in important ways: It is limited to the Western tradition, with a chapter on Islamic art and its relationship to Western art. It keeps the focus of the discussion on the object, its manufacture, and its visual character. It considers the contribution of the artist as an important part of the analysis. This edition maintains an organization along the lines established by Janson, with separate chapters on the Northern European Renaissance, the Italian Renaissance, the High Renaissance, and Baroque art, with stylistic divisions for key periods of the modern era. Also embedded in this edition is the narrative of how art has changed over time in the cultures that Europe has claimed as its patrimony.

Customer Reviews (3)

Good value
The testbook was a good value and in the condition promised - rec'd in time stated

Janson's History of Art
We were hoping for the text book and got only the "workbook".Might help if that was more clearly stated

Simply the Best
I've used an earlier edition when I was in high school and finally got around to purchasing this edition for myself.The editors have always done an excellent job with each addition.The book is rich in information and most up-to-date with the latest information.Each page has graphic elements, from several pictures or multiple diagrams.Though thick and heavy, it's great for the coffee table. ... Read more

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From the surreal eroticism of Salvador Dali to the kitsch eroticism of Jeff Koons, erotic art has always inflamed opinion and, even today, such images are considered provocative, dangerous, and unwelcome in the public sphere.
Now Alyce Mahon, the feisty Irish art historian, takes us on an imaginative and engaging tour of erotic art in all its forms, including painting, sculpture, video art, installation, performance art, and photography. Mahon explores eroticism from its most romantic to its most explicit: from Impressionist Paris where the naked body signaled the rise of a new, modern world, to the contemporary scene where artists use eroticism to address the politics of race, gender, and sexual orientation. The book examines some of the key movements and moments in modern art history: from the birth of Realism with Courbet in Paris, to the Surrealist subversion of taboo, to Nazi propaganda's use of the heroic nude, to the soft-porn of Pop art, to the vogue for carnality in contemporary art in Los Angeles, Paris, and London. Indeed, Mahon provides a concise history of art in the twentieth century through the lens of eroticism, offering original insights into works of art that do not sit easily within popular notions of taste and that have provoked controversy and calls for censorship. Her discussion includes the work of such European and American artists as Egon Schiele, Hans Bellmer, Robert Mapplethorpe, Nancy Goldin, Orlan, Franco B, and Annie Sprinkle.
With over a hundred illustrations, including sixty-five in full color, here is a strikingly written and stimulating history of eroticism in modern Western art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

dull and enigmatic
Page 227-228 (2007 paperback edition): "Serrano's Piss Christ (1987), a large colour photograph of a plastic crucifix submerged in a container of his own urine and lit in such a way as to make it radiate like a Sacred Heart statue, alerts us to some of the key tensions between art of the era and this (aforementioned; my addition) censorship campaign. Serrano conflated the sacred (Jesus) with the profane (bodily fluids), using erotic (????; my addition) religious iconography as a means of both addressing the taboo of sexual desire (how????; why all of a sudden sexual desire????; my addition) and AIDS (AIDS????, how are we supposed to grasp this?; my addition) and discussing political impotence and religious intolerance before the epidemic." Remember: the text quoted is all there is about this work; I simply do not understand how a photograph of Jesus submerged in urine should make a comment about sexual desire (is the artist a known lover of the golden shower?)and specifically AIDS (what is the connection between Jesus Christ, urine and AIDS?; to me there is at least no obvious connection between the three; by the way: when seeing the work, how are we supposed to know the urine is the artist's own?). Maybe I have no feeling for art, but I would say this passage is full of non-sequitur's.
That in my opinion is the first problem with this book. In many instances the text is incomprehensible to me, and I really think this is due to the author and not to my incompetence. I could give quite a list of similar enigmatic quotes.
The second problem concerns the issue of looking, when the author describes a work that we can see for ourselves, because there is an illustration available. More often than not the author nevertheless seems to look at a completely different work. In these descriptions the author introduces conceptions that form the basis of further discussion, but as I do not see how these conceptions relate to the work described, the subsequent discussion passes me by. Convince me, I would say, that I might see what you say you are seeing.
My last remark: the book seems to be about politics as much as about art; I know that this is a common approach, but I always think it is a shame, in my ideal world in the end art transcends or eludes politics and erotic art in particular speaks to my senses instead of making dull political statements.
So these are the words that come to my mind when I think about this book: enigmatic (or simply poorly written)and dull, sometimes even page after page extremely dull. No, I do not recommend the book.

A must-have book
A must-have bool for anybody interested in the topic of the connection between eroticism and art although its insights are not very compelling.
Its scope is also very limited.

Forbidden Art History
This whole Oxford series on art is excellent and this book is one of the best.It is a 21st century review of erotic art history which discusses the subject matter in a non-judgmental and aesthetic manner which both educates and illuminates how erotic art plays a role in society to freely express the deepest desires of human beings.I highly recommend this book.James E. Smith, Esq.

Great informative survey of the erotic sentiment in art
Good overview of a frequently overlooked and more often misconstrued subject, which has nonetheless been a part of every human society since before writing was invented.

A Vital Part of Art and History
"What I like is erotica," goes the old joke."What you like is pornography."There is probably never going to be agreement on how to separate one from the other, and besides, the same people who object to one are often going to object as well to the other.In _Eroticism & Art_ (Oxford University Press), Alyce Mahon draws a distinction."Pornography's sole intent is to stimulate sexually; it is an aid to sex or masturbation."It is, in her view, more strictly concerned with power rather than mere sex.Erotic art, however, "is about equality between members of the opposite and same sexes."Even so, within erotic art is always another intent, "a shocking means to express social, religious and political criticism or defy bourgeois taste."Not all of the art discussed and depicted here is shocking, but this is closely related to how long we have been looking at it.Manet's _Olympia_ of 1863 shows an alluring nude, a high-class prostitute, staring frankly at the viewer.It was controversial at the time, but it is hard to imagine anyone getting worked up over it now.But Manet borrowed the woman's classical pose from an even more respectable Titian, and has in turn been borrowed by Mel Ramos in 1973 to show a California blonde complete with tanning lines along the _Playboy_ archetype, and in 1988 by Yasumasa Morimura, a male homosexual Japanese artist who assaults the viewer by posing both as the courtesan and the black servant in the original.Mahon, a lecturer at the University of Cambridge, has drawn upon extensive sources (this is a book of mostly intellectual rather than sexual stimulation), and has concentrated upon Western art from the mid-nineteenth century to current times.She demonstrates that emphasis on the erotic in art is a constant and that it has profoundly affected not just art movements but also how humans understand themselves sexually.

One picture reproduced here is Courbet's _The Origin of the World_ of 1866.It is an audacious work that is still thrilling; it is simply a finely-rendered "lower portrait" of a woman, legs spread, dramatically foreshortened without showing arms or face.This was a decidedly male point of view, defiant and calling attention to "the dynamics and politics of desire" between artist, model, and viewer.Its dynamics and politics have been updated; two Yugoslav artists in 1997 made a video version.Instead of being a passive female exciting the male artist and viewer, the model stimulates herself in a feminist rendering of the same pose.Both artworks were shocking for their times, and certainly some would put the 1997 version in the category of pornography, but its deliberate intent to modify the message of the original clearly imbues it with the kind of political and social edge that Mahon finds as a universal characteristic of erotic works.Mahon examines the use of the erotic by the surrealists and even by the Nazis and fascists leading up to World War II.She has several chapters covering recent decades, including erotic, bizarre, or dangerous performance art.

Mahon maintains a detached "What can we learn from this?" tone throughout, appreciative of even the strangest sexual displays, and she analyzes them with elegance and sympathy.The subject is literally vital; one chapter after another shows images that might be titillating for some while simultaneously emetic for others.There are over a hundred, mostly color, pictures, all well-keyed to the text, although Mahon has discussed plenty of other unreproduced works that make it handy to have access to the Web to see what she is talking about.It is a handsome and glossy volume, with many pictures and ideas to provoke, uh, thought. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

One of the classics in the History of Art.
There is really no way to rate this book.It would be like rating Freud or Marx.Wolfflin is one of the cornerstones of art history.This is essential reading for any student of the subject.Although one might seelimitations in his theory today, hisideas were revolutionary when firstproposed.His theory goes beyond the famous 5 categories to include viewson cycles in history and insights on the artist's control of his practice. Related readings are Reigl and Panofsky.

An important book in art history.
Wolfflin contrasts the styles of the High Renaissance and the Baroque by setting up them up as a system of oppositions.He compares the two time periods according to five sets of categories. He claims that this is whatart history should do. In other words, style and not meaning is thecriteria according to which art history should be written.A lot is to belearned from this book. However, there are a lot of limitations toWolfflin's approach.Consequently, it should be read critically or"against the grain" in order to expose some of Wolfflin's biases. Its also a very difficult read. But, its worth it if you get through it. ... Read more