Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #222646 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

Synopsis
{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Arial;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\lang2057\f0\fs20 'Like music, art is a universal language. Although looking at works of art is a pleasurable enough experience, to appreciate them fully requires certain skills and knowledge.' \par \par First published in 1992, this backlist best-seller presents new material including the latest trends since 1990: video art, new media (digital & internet), photo based work, figurative imagery and neo-expressionism, conceptual art, installations, artist cooperative collaborations, and the resurgence of traditional craft in painting (the Leipzig group). It takes art history out of the realm of dreary textbooks, demystifies jargon and theory, and makes art accessible. From Stonehenge to the Guggenheim and from Holbein to Warhol, more than 25,000 years of art is distilled into five sections covering a little more than 200 pages. \par \par 'I tried to make this book as reader-friendly as possible. No technical jargon, just a basic introduction to the subject of art history. My mandate was to make the important interesting.' \par }

From the Author
accessible guide to art history, informative & entertaining
I tried to make this book as reader-friendly as possible. No technical jargon, just a basic introduction to the subject of art history. My mandate was to make the important interesting.

Customer Reviews

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I don't know much about art, and I wanted to learn a little bit more. That is the reason why I bought this book. Truth to be told, I was pleasantly surprised when I read it: it teachs you a lot, but it's also entertaining and... FUN TO READ. You end up wanting to read more about art, and from my point of view that's what makes a book successful, disregarding the subject matter.

"The annotated Mona Lisa" allows you to appreciate paintings you have already seen in a new way (you must try to pay attention not only to de color and composition but also to the historical circumstances in which it was painted, and to the meaning hidden in the painting) and introduces you to new ones.

Carol Strickland, in the introduction to this book, tells us that "There is a world of difference between viewing a work of art and really seeing it - the difference between sight and insight". In "The annotated Mona Lisa" she tries to give us an insight into what art is really about, and in my opinion, she has a good deal of success.

What else can I say?... Recommended :)

Belen Alcat

Provides the basics to appreciating art to the fullest!
In such a short book, compared to other Art History books such as Gardner's Art History, etc., one may begin to wonder what this book has omitted. The answer is basically NOTHING. The difference between Gardner's and this book is that this book is a wonderful introduction to anybody appreciative of art but lacks the basic skills at analyzing and appreciating art to the fullest. 1500pg Art History books serve as a wonderful reference but as a poor introduction. Enter "Annotated Mona Lisa" , giving readers an introduction to art combined with attention-grabbing description and prose with the history and background of several thousands of years of art from pre-historic to modern. This book can serve as a study guide to much larger books, especially for those who take college art history classes or the AP Art History class in High School. This is a genuine MUST HAVE for anyone vaguely familiar with the term "art."

Excellent overview of art.
I used this book to successfully prepare for the humanities CLEP exam and passed with flying colors. The book takes often esoteric art terms and periods and makes them easily understandable. The succinct nature of the book makes it ideal for anyone wanting to "cut to the chase" when learning about art.