Customer Reviews

Instant Art History: From Cave Art to Pop Art

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

I recently graduated college with a degree in Art History. I used this book as a quick refrence when going to museums. It tells you about artists and artwork on a laymens level, helping you understand and learn about styles, periods and many other facets in the world of art.

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.

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.

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.

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.