Customer Reviews

A World of Art (Revised 4th Edition)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

If Jantzen's view of art history seems lifeless and distant, Henry Sayre has something to say to you. It's the best survey I've seen in terms of making art accessible and demonstrating a continuing tradition. The CD-ROM is an excellent bonus, especially for readers who have never seen an artist at work. Ever wonder how a print is made? There's a demonstration.

Excellent overview of art history, major movements, and various media. Both the western and global development of art are included.

The accompanying cd has artwork "flash cards" as well as video clips illustrating how various media are used.

This book was the required text for my university course, but I will also be using it with my children as a homeschool resource. Some discernment and parental input will be required using it with younger children.

Until I got this book for Fine art appreciation, I didnt think much about art. Now I cant hardly put it down, which is good considering that I have to read the whole thing for class. I cant think of a better way to present the material.

A World of Art by Henry Sayre is meant to give individuals their first exposure to art and art history. This is the textbook I use for my Art 101 course and it fills that purpose exceptionally well. The book is broken down into 5 segments with a total of 22 chapters.

Part One: The Visual World - is about understanding the art one comes across. Chapters in this section discuss themes found in art, the value we give to art, and developing a literacy in order to explain the art around us. Personally, I feel that the subject matter in this section is pretty deep for someone new to the field and suggest beginning with Part Two.

Part Two: The Formal Elements And Their Design - deals with the basic elements of art, particularly to how they relate to the artist. Chapters in this section discuss elements such as line, space, color and general design principles. A good introductory chapter to begin with.

Part Three: The Fine Arts Media - reviews the different ways art is created. Chapters are broken down by media such as drawing, printmaking, painting, photography, and sculpture.

Part Four: The Visual Arts In Everyday Life - is a very small section revolving around architecture and design. It reviews a few of the art historical movements such as art nouveau and art deco.

Part Five: The Visual Record - is a chronological look at art throughout the ages beginning with primitive (cave art) and ending with the twentieth century.

The book varies from the 4th edition in its incorporation of 100 new images (quite a lot considering it is a 500 page book). The author places special focus on artwork from women, minority and non-Western cultures, along with showing the cornerstone pieces of art from the Western world. There are a few mistakes in the text (hence a 6th edition I am sure), and some better terminology should have been used (i.e. using the term "fabrics" when in fact he should have used the more correct term "textiles"). Overall it is a very good book, it is a smooth read and has many color images on nearly every page.

The book covers an extensive array of facts about art in general as well as about specific works of art. By introducing artists and exploring their intentions, the student can better understand and perhaps come to appreciate a wider variety of all forms of art.
The CD holds some of the works that appear in the book, but not all, plus others that are not in the book which I thought was a little disconnected. But the CD also includes verbal pronunciation of artists' names, which cooresponds exactly to the Pronunciation Guide and is helpful. Overall, the book offers very thorough instruction for art appreciation.

This book is an ultimate study guide for the Praxis II art content exam! It gives you everything from art history to photography to printmaking... It is an excellent survey of technique, elements and principles, as well as chronlogical history. The only thing it lacks is a few more "contemporary names" from the 40's through today.

This was a textbook I had for an art 101 course while in college. I was completely taken with it and would read much more than was required for class readings. It was the most interesting and insightful textbook I have ever used. I was also lucky enough to take a course instructed by Henry Sayre which was not necessary for my major, but was an opportunity I couldn't pass up! I still can't believe I sold the book to my college roommate. It is currently on my wish list.

This was a wonderful course, the book is easy to understand and presented well. Nice size print and good photos of lots of works. I realy enjoyed each page of the book.

We had to get this book for a college class. Not crazy about intro to art to begin with, but didn't enjoy this book a whole lot because it's thick (about 1.5 inches) but yet comes in paperback. Thus it wears out and falls apart quickly if you are the type who is a bit rough on books.

I am a student taking Art History classes and there were two books that could of been used for the class. My professor chose to use this one this year and I am very thankful. It is better organized and takes a broader look at art while still being able to get down to specifics.