Customer Reviews

History of Art, 6th Edition

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Anyone who has taken an Art Survey or Art History course at a major university will no doubt already be familiar with this monumental and venerable book. It's long been the standard reference, for good reason. It doesn't merely take a few paintings or pieces of sculpture from a particular cultural period and overload the reader with needless minutiae. Janson's (father's and son's) text merely presents the relevant info that provides for a clear understanding of the progress and trends in areas ranging from visual arts (painting and sculpture) to architecture.

The prints in the new edition are more vivid and outstanding than ever. The helpful timelines and diagrams have been updated, to great effect. The sections on Oriental and Sub-Contintent art , that was just a postscript in earlier editions have been expanded significantly. The emphasis is still on Western art and architecture, but the editors are making strides. As the Amazon blurb-writer notes, some attempts have been made to include more female artists besides Mary Cassatt and Georgia O'Keefe. The recent revival of interest in women artists such as Frida Khalo and Artemisia Gentileschi will no doubt have an impact on the next revision.

This book would make a perfect gift for the budding artist in your household. It would also be a useful and important source of information if you are planning a trip to Europe. There is a reason they call it "Art Appreciation." The more background you have, the more "appreciative" you are of what is involved in the creation of a great canvas or a Gothic cathedral. If you believe that the contemplation of great works of art is a rewarding and enriching endeavor, then I highly suggest you make the investment and let the Jansons be your guides. For more background on Renaissance artists, in particular, I would also recommend Vasari's Lives of the Artists and Benvenuto Cellini's highly enjoyable autobiography.

BEK

Janson provides most students with their first exposure to the history of art, and I can't think of a better volume to do so. As I high school student, I lived and breathed Janson's; this volume provided the basics of art history. Today, as an art history major, Janson's provides an invaluable reference tool. Janson presents the reader with an exquisite history of art, from start to finish. Included in this tome are not only the basic artists and periods of art, but historical and political backgrounds and influences, as wells as anecdotes from the artist's lives. Janson teaches us how to identify characteristic styles of the artists, and how to identify the influences of the various styles and artists. The color plates alone are worth owning the book; the text is just as beautiful. Included are illustrated timelines, as well as cultural histories, and an interesting section with poetry, essays, etc., on or about the artists. (Ever read any of Michelangelo's poetry?) Anyone interested in the history of art, whether just starting, or looking to learn more, should consider Janson's. It is not without fault: it is, for the most part, a history of white male art. Yet, Janson's has been the bible of art history for decades, and continues to hold that title. Nothing can compare.

Simply put, this book is the standard that any other art history book is measured by. It's long, thorough, and extremely good. Well-illustrated, it covers every major (and most minor) periods of Western art starting from primitive cave sketches in France to modern-day. Beware, however; though the title doesn't say it, this book is a history of WESTERN art. Don't expect to see much in the way of art from other cultures, except in a comparison with a piece of western art.

As the editors suggest, Janson does not assume any level of knowledge on the part of his reader. This does, in fact, make this book fabulously easy to understand, even while he fills your head with a near-exhausting level of information. Janson is THE name in art history, and unfortunately, he knows it. He has a tendency to talk down to his readers, and his arrogance comes across clearly in nearly every paragraph. If it weren't for this exception and the fact that it only covers western art, it would have been an easy 5-star. You still can't get a better guide to western art-- no matter your level of familiarity.

If you want a great general book on art in your library, this is the book for you. It covers all the great eras and great works with beautiful plates, and the accompanying text is detailed enough to satisfy the most curious reader. It is particularly valuable for its sections on sculpture.

However, if you are looking for an in depth analysis of an artist or style, this is not the book for you. This is not to say that it skips over the subject matter - this is definitely not the case, but there is not the detail needed for in depth scholarly analysis.

But as a general reference book on a complex and fascinating topic, it is a gem. Every household with a half serious library should own a copy.

Janson's History of Art is an art history book from the old school. Though there have been strides for the past few editions in making this book more inclusive it doesn't really compare to newer comprehensive books. Janson's book also suffers from the old art historical practice of talking about 'masterpieces' and 'genius'. As of the 5th edition the book includes very very little non-western art. It has a small section on "ethnographic" art that refers to the arts of Africa, Americas, and the Pacific islands. This chapter has to be one of the worst reviews of non-western art I have ever seen. The arts of Asia are not touched on at all. The book really should be called History of Western Art.

If you are purely looking for a survey of western art this is a fair book. On the other hand if you are lookin for a book that surveys a history of world art I might suggest Marilyn Stokstad's Art History. It is still a little superficial in the Africa and Americas chapters but at least it has whole chapters on these continents. It also has extensive surveys of the arts of India, China and Japan.

I first read the book while I was an exchange student at USA. I took History of Art as a subject (my major was Business) for pleasure and I can say that I have never seen such a book in my whole life. It is writen in an easy language so you can read it without a dictionary; when you read it, you will know that you do not have to be an art expert, the book is writen to teach. It is not based only on technical art terms, it also has deep explanations about history moments, cultural changes and customs. I really recommend this book, not only to fanatics of art or people with majors in this field, this is a book that almost everybody should have in order to understand the way humans have projected themselves through history.

As an art history major, I found the fourth edition of History of Art an invaluable tool in learning and understanding the evolution of the history of art. The fifth edition, however, is sublime! The fifth edition has several additions that put History of Art ahead of the other surveys (Stokstad and Gardner) on the market. The first and best inclusion in the updated version of History of Art is that of primary sources at the end of the sections. Abrams (the publisher) solicited some of the finest art historians (including Dale Kinney, an exceptional medievalist) to choose and edit texts from the time period of the section. This addition is incredibly beneficial for an art history instructor or TA (almost all the work is already done in terms of supplemental readings). Further, for the amateur reading for pleasure, the texts are an invaluable addition. Not only do the Jansons provide their own stellar modern view, but the book also provides a more historically acurate way to understand and view the art. It is phenomenally beneficial to be able to read texts written at the same time as the art. It helps to moderate an inevitable anachronistic interpretation/viewing of the art. This inclusion of primary texts is what allows this edition of Janson to trump the Stokstad survey. While Stokstad's Art History includes some fantastic charts and iconographical aides, History of Art's inclusion of primary texts is of greater value. The amateur art historian could create a chart comparing the art historical developments in different countries, but would not necessarily be able to pick helpful primary texts. The second major difference in this latest edition of History of Art is the modernization of the subject matter included. The fifth edition is markedly different from the fourth by including more women artists and more non-western art. While this is a fantastic improvement on early editions, it does not necessarily make History of Art distinguishable. In keeping with current trends in academia, almost all recently published surveys contain these types of updates. In sum, the fabulous and myriad colour plates, the wonderful modern text, the inclusion of traditionally under-represented art and artists, and the inclusion of fantastic primary texts makes this art historical survey the best on the market.

This book is a great reference for anyone interested in the different fields of art, mainly including painting, sculpture, and architecture. Whether you just want a reference to look up how specific artists or pieces of work relate to the time period they were done in, or you're looking for a nice chronological work which displays an overview of art history around the world spanning from cave drawings to modern sculpture, this is the book. I originally had to purchase this book for an art history class I took and found it to be the most comprehensive book I had read on the subject. If you're just interested in one specific field or time period, there may be a more specialized book for you to read but for someone seriously interested in the broader sweep of the different fine arts throughout the ages, I'd suggest checking out this book.

This book (although an earlier version) was our standard textbook for the western survey of art history while I was working on my Bachelor of Fine Arts, and for good reason. Jansen does a good job of covering many of the major movements and time periods of western art, with extensive imagery and well organized chapters. A timeline at the end of each section helps to better keep the history in order, and highlights important dates.

I do agree with some of the nagative critique in that Jansen does not include important eastern art in the book, and this probably should be reflected in the title. However, I don't believe that this warrants the book having a lousy review: the buyer should just be aware that this is a WESTERN survey, and a very good one.

This newer edition contains some additions to the older editions; of particular importance is the added chapters on Twentieth-Century Photography and Postmodernism, which if I recall correctly were not in earlier versions of the book.

No student or fan of art history should be without this book. Janson is the "Godfather" of art history. His knowledge and understanding builds a strong foundation of the history of art for the reader.