Customer Reviews

The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
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"The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern" is more than a crash course, a term used for its catchiness. Actually, the book is a synopsis of art history and provides the lay person concise and brief explanations of history, movements, schools, and individual artists and artwork.

I taught art history for several years at the high school level and relied on Janson's History of Art 7th Ed. and Wood's Art of the Western World: From Ancient Greece to Post-Modernism as my personal instructors. Every night I had to slog through pages of information when all I wanted was something concise and to the point. "The Annotated Mona Lisa" would have served me well.

I found this the other day and popped my forehead (as in V-8 commercials) and asked aloud: Why didn't I use this book for my background? Apparently, I bought it then promptly forgot/misplaced/had little time to use it.

Here's why this book will be a companion for anyone interested in teaching him/herself about art history:

1. Five time categories (ex. Prehistoric through Medieval) with very clear subtitles (ex. Mesopotamia: the Architects)

2. Short explanations per topic. For example, two pages are devoted to "Prehistoric Art: The Beginning," with these sub-categories: Sculpture, Cave Painting, First Architecture, Stonehenge: England's first rock group, accompanied by blocked paragraphs about Horse (cave painting), Prehistoric Treasure Trove (Lascaux cave finding), Easter island Monoliths, and photographs of the Venus of Willendorf, Stonehenge, and a horse from the caves.

3. More detail is provided as art progresses. For example, the unit on the Baroque is subdivided into Italian Baroque (3 pages), Flemish (2 pages), Dutch (5 pages), English (3), Spanish Baroque (2), and French (2).

4. To keep the reader grounded, a time line cross-sectioning world events and art history is placed at the beginning of each of the five time categories.

This is one of those must-have books for its brevity and utility. Whether you are learning from the very beginning or need a refresher course, "The Annotated Mona Lisa" will serve you well.

I go to an art college and I'm majoring in art education. I bought this book in order to study for the art history section of my state's standardized test for educators license and it's proved invaluable. I've taken quite a few actual art history classes (mostly surveys of Western Art History) and this book does focuses almost exclusively on Western AH - so if you need information on African Art, Eastern, Pacific Islands, etc....you'll need another book. But this is a great review book that's easy to read (I read 10 pages a day for 20 days to study for the test and it was very very easy) -- especially if you've taken AH courses and just need a refresher.

Carol Strickland has written one of the most entertaining, comprehensive, and comprehensible books on art history currently on the market. Not only does she provide soundbites on the meaning, style, and creation of selected works (which are produced in beautiful, truthful images) she gives information about the lives of the artists. This book is probably one of the most inclusive and up-to-date works on this subject you will find. I have found it extraordinarily helpful in studying for the AP Art History exam and for the class in art history I am taking. (Recommended: reading the book's summary and volunteering your information from it in class.) If you are looking for a book to help you in that test, look no further. Even for those reading the subject merely for fun, Strickland's writing style is easy and fun to read, and bridges the often yawning gap between the art world and the real world. She shows a true gift for taking an overwhelming, sprawling subject and making ordered, objective sense of it.

I used this guide to review and study for the Praxis II art content test, and it was quite useful. As someone who majored in art history in college I can say they did a pretty good job at not only including the essentials, but organizing them in a comprehensive manner. My only complaint is that it includes very little non-western art.

I bought this book to review for the Art Content Praxis. It's been about 20 years since my art history classes so I definitely needed a refresher. Although, I did remember a lot and reviewed other books, this book put me over the top.

It's fast paced and easy to read! Short highlights to remind you of things you may have forgot and adds what you may have missed.

The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern is an amazing resource. Not only does this book give readers an overview of the most important aspects in art history from cave paintings to contemporary art, but it makes it interesting and accessible as well. Artists are no longer put on a pedestal, but they are depicted as every-day people with a passion and drive for art. The interesting facts aide in reinforcing the more important concepts, and the humanization of the master artists allow readers to relate to and understand the art and artists that made history.

This book is complete, yet succinct;a rare combination in one text. It is the most complete, cost-effective Art History book available. I highly recommend it for an entry level survey course.

This is a good book. But it has too few of pictures given this is a book about Art. Most of the pictures are rather small, half of them are simply black and white. I would give it 4 stars if the pictures were bigger.

This was a required book for one of my art education classes in college. It seemed odd choice when I first picked it up, but I quickly realized just how helpful this book is. It provides a clear and concise art history timeline and touches upon so many important artists and art movements. I read this book cover to cover as my preparation for the Art: Content Knowledge Praxis and aced the test as a result.

Now that I'm a high school teacher, I turn to this book constantly when I'm planning lessons. The information is straight and to-the-point, and provides excellent visuals. It has all of the important information that a large, college textbook would, but breaks everything down in a way that anyone can understand. I don't think there's any other art book that I've turned to more, both in college, and in practice as a teacher. Highly recommended.

I ordered this book because it was recommended by several users as a good overview to aid in my studying for the state board teaching exams. Having already completed my degree in 1998 I thought, not only, would it be a good studying tool without having to do any heavy reading but also a good resource in the classroom. The book was well sectioned, highlit many of the major movements as well as artists and had a large, readable print that was easy to follow without feeling like a textbook. It did not, however, entirely serve my purpose for one of the TExES teaching competencies for art was a knowledge in Asian and Middle Eastern arts. It was also missing a section in Oceania. As the title implies the book covers, predominantly, European styles with a sprinkling of Pre-Columbian, African and North American influences. Those taking the TExES (or any other Art/Fine Arts/Arts History students) should know that this is, indeed, a very good book for your classroom and personal library but should not be used a sole source for a complete art history overview.