The Art Book

Product Information

The industrial revolution, apart from being an economic and political change, also inspired a great many artworks of the secular kind. The Art Book is a captivating introduction to painting, drawing, printing, sculpture, conceptual art, and performance art - from ancient history to the modern day - aimed at adults with an interest in the subject and students wanting to gain more of an overview. Here you'll discover more than 80 of the world's most groundbreaking artworks by history's most influential painters, sculptors and artists, through exciting text and bold graphics.

For students who are unfamiliar with composition, design and colour distribution in a painting and sculpture, the colour-coded and labelled analysis of individual artworks is immensely helpful - highlighting the artist's emphasis on certain colours and lines to give the piece a specific meaning. Artists in the 15th and 16th centuries were fascinated with depicting seasonal landscapes, finding inspiration in changing colours and moods, and in the notion of the passing of time. Early Medieval and Renaissance artists used model books for their source materials. Woodcut printing also became popular as paper became cheaper. This fresh new guide examines the ideas that inspired masterpieces by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Klimt, Matisse, Picasso, and dozens more! If you thought it was difficult to learn about the defining movements, The Art Book presents key information in a clear layout. Find out about subject matters, techniques, and materials, and learn about the talented artists behind the great works, through superb mind maps and step-by-step summaries.We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview. However, for someone who wants a clear and concise understanding of art, the information presented here is simply too messy and disjointed. It was organised chronologically, but instead of giving a comprehensive overview of the characteristics of the different art movements, it offered snippets and analyses of specific artworks, so some things were not covered in-depth or sufficiently placed in context. I'll continue my hunt for a good art history book; until then, I unfortunately wouldn't recommend this. German Expressionism - Expressionism was characterised by strong, unnaturalistic, simplified, distorted forms and sometimes, violent colours. Emphasis given to the subjective feeling rather than objective observation. Exaggerated emotional effects with expressions of fear, anxiety and alienation of love and spirituality.

The author of The Hare with Amber Eyes, who is also a ceramic artist, tells us about books that have influenced both his careers, from the life of a celebrated potter to a collection of Japanese haiku The Art Book explores the more than 80 of the world's most groundbreaking artworks by history's most influential painters, sculptors, and artists with stunning visuals and insightful quotations. Discover key artworks and artists from across the globe, stretching from the prehistoric Altamira cave paintings and Chinese jade carvings to more impressionism, symbolism, cubism, and pop art. During these periods, Art was naturalistic and had a distinct purpose, often for burials, spirituality, fertility rites, ritual sacrifice (the Aztecs) and celebrating the great deeds of a God, King or a ruler. It was often used to highlight the beauty of the physical body as well. In Medieval periods, Art had become a medium for expressing religiosity and the human body in a more spiritual manner. In Europe, churches were embellished with paintings, altar pieces and frescoes. Outside Europe, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist art rose to prominence. This period was classified by landscape paintings, portraits, sculptures and frescoes that not only glorified religious figures, but also depicted kings, queens, nobility and common folk. Series of satirical (criticising the government) and industrial (celebrating progress) pieces also emerged.Photography emerged as a new art form. Aestheticism was an art movement (Art for art's sake) that evolved in the second half of the 19th century. The Femme fatale was a favourite theme of Symbolist painters. In the context of the visual arts, the Renaissance is a period of rediscovery of the art of ancient Rome and Greece. The oil paint medium was widely used.There was a lot of competition (competitive focus between artists) in this era. True to the idea of the entire series "Big ideas simply explained", The Art Book has a modern, informative layout which appeals to a new generation of learners. The Modern Age (between 1900 and the outbreak of World War 1) was a time of unrivalled artistic experimentation as the questioning and rejection of long-standing ideas of previous ages were intensified with a succession of innovative styles and movements.