Art History: Second Edition [Hardcover]

Marilyn Stokstad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

Art History is a generous, inclusive narrative of the entire sweep of the history of art written for the millions of people for whom a general knowledge of history, religion, philosophy in short, the cultural matrices of societies and civilizations cannot be assumed. This great survey puts the arts of the world in context, defines and illustrates terminology, while keeping the focus on the works of arts themselves. Heavily illustrated and handsomely redesigned and furnished with interesting and enriching boxed material, the Second Edition has heavily reworked sections on the Renaissance and Baroque periods in the West and on modern art, beginning in the late nineteenth century.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This attractively packaged two-volume set attempts an almost impossible task: to present the art of the entire world, from vibrant cave paintings dating back 30,000 years to the creative trends of the late 20th century. Though the arts of Europe are the most thoroughly analyzed, respected scholars in several specialized fields cover other cultures with cogent essays. A more unusual feature is the space devoted to art created by women, such as the late-Renaissance painters Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana--the latter was invited in 1560 to be an official painter at the Spanish court. Relationships between the art of different cultures are emphasized and, while each section can stand alone, each is shown to fit meaningfully into the overall development of the world's artistic heritage. Beautiful images grace the production's 1,200 pages, not only well-known icons but a wealth of lesser-known gems are here, carefully chosen to demonstrate the points made in the text. There are many delightful surprises among the illustrations, many of which are in color, printed to high quality standards in Japan. For instance, line drawings explain technical details, from "Lost-wax Bronze-casting" to "Elements of the Skyscraper." A vast amount of information is presented, but it is very well organized and easy to access, and an extensive glossary answers many questions. Marilyn Stokstad's Art History is a true tour de force, and its light and humanistic approach is a refreshing change from previous encyclopedic art-historical studies. --John Stevenson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Destined to establish itself as a modern classic, this hugely informative, wholly enjoyable global history of art from prehistoric times to the present views art as a fundamental, inextricable vehicle for the human spirit. Although Western visual art and architecture receive the most attention, there is also extensive coverage of India, China, Japan, Africa, Islamic art and Pacific cultures. Few texts so wide-rangingly connect the artistic output of each period to the artists' lives, sources of funding and historical, social and political context. The 1625 stunning illustrations (761 in color) are unrivaled in their adventurous selection and quality by any book of this type. Time lines chart parallel developments across cultures and civilizations; inserts spotlight literary and intellectual trends and artists' techniques. Stokstad, art history professor at the University of Kansas, has produced both a college text and a layperson's guide that is more fun than H.W. Janson's standard History of Art, and more multicultural.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1248 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810906104
• ISBN-13: 978-0810906105
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.3 x 3.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,544,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece..., May 17, 2003

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Art History (2 Volumes) (Hardcover)

Marilyn Stokstad has put together a real masterpiece of art history with her book, Art History. In collaboration with Bradford Collins, and with contributed chapters from Stephen Addiss, Chu-tsing Li, Marylin Rhie and Christopher Roy, this large volume published by noted art publishers Henry N. Abrams, Inc. is deserving of pride of place on any art bookshelf.

The scope of this work is as broad as is the expanse of human history. Indeed, the first chapter begins with a survey of prehistoric art and prehistory. Spanning all the ancient cultures, there are chapters devoted to the art of the ancient Near East, Egypt, the Aegean, Etruscan and Roman art, Christian, Jewish and Byzantine art, Islamic art, the art of India, China, Japan, the Americas and Africa. And from there, it gets complicated!

This book tackles all the issues of art: philosophical considerations (the relationship between art and reality, and the meaning and importance of beauty in art), focus on artists in general and in particular, society's relationship to art, including the role of the patron, the importance of museums, and an investigation that goes behind the phrase, 'I know what I like.'

'Art history, in contrast to art criticism, combines the formal analysis of works of art--concentrating mainly on the visual elements in the work of art--with the study of the works' broad historical context. Art historians draw on biography to learn about artists' lives, social history to understand the economic and political forces shaping artists, their patrons, and their public, and the history of ideas to gain an understanding of the intellectual currents influencing artists' work.'

In addition to presenting a history of art, Stokstad and her contributors also present an introduction to various aspects of art appreciation, without with art history loses much meaning. Each chapter has an explanation of the techniques that were developed and important during the time under examination (for instance, lost wax casting, glassamking and Egyptian faience, Japanese woodblock technique, and Islamic carpet making, among many others, are illustrated in detail to enhance the knowledge and appreciation of the finished art works). Each chapter and time period also has a section entitled Elements of Architecture, which include discussion on elements from pyramids to skyscrapers and much in between.

The text is clear and concise, carefully explaining technical terms when they are used, and then using them sparingly. Every page is a visual feast, with full colour plates of photographs of paintings, sculpture, artists, locations, or architectural examples in great form, as Henry N. Abrams, Inc. publishers are famous for doing. There are literally thousands of illustrations, as there are often many per page; almost no page is without one, and the book is nearly 1200 pages long.

As an aid for those who will use this book for more scholarly purposes, there is an extensive bibliography in the back, in three classifications of listings -- general surveys and art history references, a selected list of art history journals, and then a chapter-specific directory of further reading for each art topic/period. Additionally, it has after the bibliography as Website Directory of Museums, which includes museums in every state in the United States and most major museums around the world. The index includes listings by artist, period, topic, and particular works of art.

This book has been intended to be useful as a text for a course in art appreciation, but also designed to be a joy to read for the casual reader who might not want an academically rigourous presentation. As Stokstad says in her preface, the intention was make this book itself a work of art, and in that task she has succeeded admirably.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb overview & reference!, May 4, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art History (2 Volumes) (Hardcover)

This book is simply wonderful. It is indeed physically ponderous (this 2nd edition is one very, very large book, not two slipcased books as shown in some illustrations). However, its content easily compensates for its considerable bulk. All historical periods of art history are chronicled, with copious illustrations well-produced and nearly all in color. The text is incisive and easy to follow, yet never boring.

I recommend this book to any and all art lovers, whether beginners, advanced students, or just those who desire a comprehensive reference for library or home use. I personally consider this publication a better choice than the otherwise excellent Janson "History of Art" for most readers-- the writing is just more user-friendly, in my opinion (and the content is more inclusive, especially regarding non-Western art).

49 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The book's purpose, January 29, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Art History (Hardcover)

Stokstad's book is an excellent teaching tool and resource, as the printed reviews suggest; but it is important to note that it is also the latest product of a series of late 20th century art history texts that have aimed at encyclopedic range. The price that is paid for such vast coverage is narrative purpose: older surveys of art history, from Vasari to the early 20th century, were attempts to tell the story of art history from certain points of view, and for specific purposes. Art was literally a story: it had beginnings, a middle, and an end, and it had good and bad characters, and a plot. Never before in history has it seemed a good idea to avoid judging cultures and artworks. The neutrality that texts such as this one achieve is sometimes a worthy corrective to prejudices about other periods and cultures; but it also gives us an emotionally neutral (or uniform) picture of artworks that were never--either in their makers' eyes, or in the judgments of contemporaneous historians--the objects of neutral description. In choosing an art survey text, therefore, it may sometimes make sense to augment a book like Stokstad's with an historically more normative, and rhetorically more "biased," history such as Ernst Gombrich's "Story of Art." (See my review of the new edition.)