Customer Reviews

ArtSpoke: A Guide to Modern Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords, 1848-1944

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
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Modernism, Modern--now I undnerstand the difference! And so much more about twentieth centnury art. Students and experts both will finnd this invaluable. Atkins is a genius in the way he gets these complicated ideas across that I never understood in art history class. Great pictures and chronology, too.

I learned about this book during a docent training class I just took. Since it was deemed a reliable source by the museum's staff, I thought it would be one I could count on to help bone up on new exhibits that come to the gallery.

It provides informative overviews of art movements, styles, and historical moments like Nazi Art. It does not provide explanations of media processes. For instance, I was hoping to find a quick definition of the mezzotint printmaking process, and couldn't.

I would recommend this for any art lover's reference library.

I teach introductory classes in art history and find this book a reliable and handy reference. The book is filled with short summaries of major and minor art movements with reference to specific artists, as well as discussions of influential philosophies and new techniques. They're great for jogging my memory and for getting my students headed in the right direction.This book and the companion volume, ArtSpeak : A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords, 1945 to the Present (Speak Series), which covers more recent developments, will be useful to anyone who wants to learn more about the complexities of modern art.

This was one of my most indispensable reference books for my art history courses.