Product Description

This text is the 16th revised and updated edition of this introduction to art, from the earliest cave paintings to experimental art. Eight new artists from the modern period have been introduced. They are: Corot, Kollwitz, Nolde, de Chirico, Brancussi, Magritte, Nicolson and Morandi. A sequence of new "endings" have been added, and the captions are now fuller, including the medium and dimension of the works illustrated. Six fold-outs present selected large-scale works. They are: Van Eyck's "Ghent Altarpiece", Leonardo's "Last Supper", Botticelli's "Birth of Venus", Jackson Pollock's "One (Number 31, 1950)", Van der Weyden's "Descent from the Cross" and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3934 in Books
• Published on: 1995-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

Customer Reviews

A detailed, well presented & understandable, History of Art
My personal opinion is that this is a very well presented, consisely written book, providing a superb grounding in the subject.

I can honestly say that I didn't know the first thing about art, or it's origins, when I started reading this, but the explanations are so clear and the points got across so well, that I really do feel that I now have some kind of grasp on the subject.

Yes, it looks like a text book, and I suppose that in some respects you could indeed class it as such. However, it's written in such an easy going style, and in laymans terms too, that it's almost like having one-to-one tuition with the author. Luckily, great pains have been taken to ensure that the book doesn't degenerate into complete waffle - it manages to be consise and only as much is said in order to get a point across.
Still, I feel that there is enough detail in the book that it would, perhaps, provide a useful reference to those who already have an understanding of the field. (Though obviously don't hold me to that, as I'm just a 'beginner'!)

The book has plenty of illustrations, but not too many so as to make it of an unmanageable size. A few larger sized pull-out illustrations are also included, which is a nice touch - the reader is spared having to dig around for a magnifying glass to appreciate the picture!

I feel that I can look around, at arcitecture, sculpture, or paintings, and appreciate them much more than I could before - I can take time to think about where and when in history something was created and know what the artist was trying to produce.

An excellent grounding
I'll have to echo some of the opinions of the previous reviewers. This is an excellent introduction to the history of art. While other books usually begin with Giotto, Ernst Gombrich ensures that everything from prehistoric cave paintings to the International Gothic style of the fourteenth century is included in this surprisingly easy to read book.
However, for anyone wishing to obtain a total grounding in art history, this book should be supplemented with other works, particularly on twentieth century art (especially post-1945) and photography.

A superb read!
In high school I acquired just a very superficial knowledge of the history of Art and, though I studied Engineering at the university, I have always felt a deep need to know something more on Art. Professor Gombrich's book is THE book that has helped me in learning what the "purpose" of Art is, how to judge a picture, a statue or a building. This book has given me new fresh pleasure in the knowledge of the Old Masters but has also taught me how to appreciate "Modern Art", which had always seemed to me hard to understand. "The Story of Art" is a marvellous account of the whole history of humankind, seen through the glasses of Art. I think that all Art lovers should read this book: it will give them both physical and intellectual pleasure.