The Visual Arts: A History (Combined) (7th Edition) [Paperback]

Hugh Honour (Author), John F. Fleming (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This new edition is an authoritative and provides a balanced account of the history of art. It presents art history as an essential part of the development of humankind, encompassing the arts of Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, and the Americas-spanning from the primitive art of hunters 30,000 years ago to the most controversial art forms of today.

About the Author

Hugh Honour is one of the leading art historians of the 20th century. He is co-author with Nikolaus Pevsner and John Fleming of The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture. John Fleming founded and edited with Hugh Honour the Pelican Style and Civilization series. He died on 29 May 2001. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 992 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 7 edition (June 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131935070
• ISBN-13: 978-0131935075
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.7 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #212,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Ideal Resource, July 30, 2007

By	A. Rich (London, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: World History of Art, A (Trade) (7th Edition) (Hardcover)

As a student of fine and decorative art, "A World History of Art" has proved an invaluable resource for me. Unlike so many texts intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the history of art, this book is fresh and enjoyable, offering a wealth of information in a succinct and articulate manner. It is all too easy to deteriorate into ponderous, heavy prose when discussing the history of art, but Honour and Fleming generally manage to avoid the trap and move steadily and seamlessly through both time and place in discussing the progression of art.

"A World History of Art" is, primarily, an academic text and is therefore a proverbial doorstop of a book - I would not recommend it as a coffee table adornment, but would strongly encourage students or connoisseurs to consider it as a reference. It is an ideal source of general information for the university or postgraduate student, and would serve as an excellent introduction for anyone seeking to study the history of art.

5.0 out of 5 stars The best art history text book there is, August 10, 2010

By	Mr. DN Clayton "DC" (England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A World History of Art (Paperback)

Well there might be a better one, but this is orders of magnitude better than anything else I have read, including Gombrich. The great thing about it is that it attempts to relate the form and content of the art to the worldview of the artists and the society of the time that the art was produced. In support of its arguments it gives lots of extended passages from contemporary writers as well as many, many quotations from the artists themselves. The philosophical and theological connections are well explained.
What it doesn't do is attempt to re-interpret things as seen through an atheist/materialist worldview, (which assumes that any worldview based upon faith is founded in error and assumes that it cannot be a true motivation for the artist does). This is what nearly every other art book does. For example, much of Western art history is linked to Catholic beliefs. Honour and Fleming do not question the truth of Catholic beliefs, as nearly every art book I have come across does, but seeks to explain how, given these beliefs, their art might be as it is. So they explain clearly and accurately what those beliefs are then relate what we see to them. I find their analysis very convincing. They have the same approach to art of non-Christian cultures as well.
The only section that I find weak is that not written by Honour and Fleming, on the art of the 20th century. The writers seem are not able to articulate the worldview behind it in the same clear way.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, May 13, 2010

By	George Corrado "Neo" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Visual Arts: A History (Combined) (7th Edition) (Paperback)

I had to get this book for school, but I kept it after the class was over. It has a lot of cool color photos, etc. easy reading, etc.