The Bulfinch Guide to Art History: A Comprehensive Survey and Dictionary of Western Art and Architecture [Hardcover]

Shearer West (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

First published in the U.K. as The Bloomsbury Guide to Art, this first North American edition is a worthy complement--and, in some ways, successor--to The Oxford Companion to Art (1970) and The Oxford Dictionary of Art (1988). Subtitled A Comprehensive Survey and Dictionary of Western Art and Architecture, The Bulfinch Guide both updates the Oxford titles and offers features that they lack, such as art historical essays (the survey part of the subtitle) and plates containing 187 color reproductions.

The 13 essays address an array of topics from "Art in the Classical World" to "Women as Artists and Subjects." While most of the contributors are art historians from British universities, the essayists include lecturers in history, cultural studies, and critical theory. Each essay is accessible to nonspecialist readers, and all terms and names with entries in the dictionary section are indicated by a symbol preceding them. Bibliographies follow each essay.

The dictionary section, while containing about the same amount of text as The Oxford Dictionary of Art and about half that of The Oxford Companion to Art, covers some topics that they neglect. For example, The Oxford Companion has no entry for Frida Kahlo and no mention of her in the articles on Mexican art or Diego Rivera. The Bulfinch Guide includes entries for artists, architects, patrons, art historians, theorists, and critics; art and architecture terms; subjects and symbols in art; and important artworks and buildings. While the focus is purposely Eurocentric, one will find entries on Aboriginal art, Chinese art, Mandala, and Hokusai. Entries range in length from a few sentences to more than a page. Black-and-white illustrations accompany many entries, while colorplates are arranged alphabetically by artist in four sections. There is no discernible coordination between text and colorplates; the text does not refer the reader to particular plates or vice versa. Cross-references appear both between and within entries, while brief bibliographies are appended to most entries.

The Bulfinch Guide to Art History is highly recommended for academic, public, and secondary school libraries, as well as for individuals with a need for an up-to-date, one-volume art reference.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 911 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch Pr (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082122137X
• ISBN-13: 978-0821221372
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,241,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars good and bad February 27, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

An interesting attempt at a 'politically correct' history of art, with dutiful articles on gender, otherness etc. The book is interesting partly because some of the essays at the beginning transcend the limitations of their brief, and also because they demonstrate some of the tensions and debates evident in the discipline at this time.

The dictionary section is generally good on artists - but far to many minor Brits get entries. Despite the gestures towards multi-cultural values, this remains an utterly Eurocentric account of art. Some entries on 'trendy' French thinkers are really irrelevant in a book about art history, and are often laughable trivialisations of their thought (see the entry on Foucault, for example). These should have been excluded.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Bulfinch Guide February 12, 2002

By J. Lindner

Format:Hardcover

This volume represnts two styles of art history guides encompassed in a single voume. The first part is a series of essays ranging from ancient art to architecture to modern art and is meant for the serious art history student. The essays are detailed to the point that beginners may have a difficult time digesting and retaining the information. The second part is the encyclopedic section with many entries ranging from artists to styles to subjects and beyond. It is here the novice will find relevant information, albiet brief, on most topics a beginning student will need.

The two sections do not hurt the overall impact of the book, but they do take away space which may prevent either from fully developing its message. One editorial hangup is the use of arrows to indicate cross referenced terms. When grouped together, these can be very annoying. Italics or boldfaced indicators would have seemed more logical.

This book makes for a good introduction, and depending on the seriousness of the reader, can be very useful in understanding art history.

5.0 out of 5 stars Used it for a paper and decided I "had to have it" May 31, 2009

By Chakatreatment

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had to write a paper for a History class and grabbed this book as a source from my college library. When I got it home I was so impressed I decided I needed it, even if I had to buy it new(the horror). Luckily I found it on Amazon for something ridiculous (less than $1). This is a great book for students or anyone interested in art. It has a section with essays by learned individuals regarding art history, a section of plates of interesting art, and then the bulk of the book is devoted to terms and such related to art history. Very useful to a student, regardless of major, if you get a chance get this book. It also just makes for interesting browsing...