Art: The Definitive Visual Guide (DK Definitive Cultural Histories)

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Gain a better understanding of key artworks through detailed close-up examinations that explore and explain the artist's intentions and techniques, while picture-packed gallery pages explore common artistic themes such as landscapes, nudes and animals. But one thing that struck me is this "primitivist" (garbage label, especially to describe a trained artist who "imitates" "primitive" art) who had a 14 year old Tahitian "mistress" who he painted in a sexual way and they didn't pass comment on it at all, just acted as if that's totally ok. Note to parents: As with any art book, you will want to examine this before sharing with your kids, if you are concerned about exposing your children to nudity. I am newly studying art and reading this gave me a decent overview and some ideas for time periods and cultures that I want to study further.

Discover key facts about the most prominent artistic movements, including their origins and influences, and follow a timeline of the most famous works. I fear that any young person into whose hands this volume falls (once they've received the appropriate medical attention) would flick through this tome saying yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, tick, tick - done the Renaissance then. Read more about the condition New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. But a decent amount of stuff is decent sized and there were only a few bits where it really bothered me. The breadth of material is astounding, covering artists I'd never heard of in all my art history classes.

Featuring examples of the world's most celebrated, influential, and iconic artworks, this beautiful volume brings a gallery into your home where you can learn everything you need to know about art and artists. Andrew Graham Dixon is one of the leading art critics and presenters of arts television programmes in the English-speaking world. With such a grandiose title I didn't expect perfection but I did expect a more in-depth treatment of global art (and a lot less typos). Created in collaboration with Bridgeman, the biggest art library in the world, Art: The Definitive Visual Guide is a must-have for your bookshelf.

It also looks at cultures around the world but there is a focus on the West (which may disappoint some people). Other folks have written more technical criticism about the white centric view and that’s probably accurate. Overall I did like this and it is impressive that almost everything you can think of about art is covered.

The book opens with a short section detailing how artists use color, composition, light and shade, perspective, and different media to bring their ideas to fruition.