Art: The Whole Story

(Paperback, Revised)

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Description

Written by an international team of artists, art historians and curators, this absorbing and beautiful book gives readers unparalleled insights into the world's most iconic artworks. Art: The Whole Story traces the development of art period by period, with the illustrated text covering every genre, from painting and sculpture to conceptual art and performance art. Cultural timelines are there too, to help to the reader with historical context.

Masterpieces that epitomize each period or movement are highlighted and analysed in detail. Everything from use of colour and visual metaphors to technical innovations is explained, enabling you to interpret the meanings of world-famous masterpieces - Mughal miniatures; Japanese prints in the 19th century; the colour theories behind Seurat's remarkable La Grande Jatte; and why Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon was so shocking in its day.

Reviews

'The perfect present for someone preparing for an art-history course at university' - Sunday Times
'A comprehensive, if concise, history of world art in a hefty but manageable tome' - RA Magazine
'Perfectly designed as a one-stop reference guide: one to dip in and out of indispensable' - Artists & Illustrators
'This is something of a corker' - The Artist
'A great introduction to [art history] for older kids ... Spirited and accessible' - ARTnews

Author Bio

Stephen Farthing is a painter and the Rootstein Hopkins Research Professor of Drawing at the University of the Arts, London. Richard Cork is an award-winning art critic, historian, broadcaster and curator. He was Chief Art Critic of the Times 19912002, Slade Professor of Fine Art at Cambridge University 198990, and Henry Moore Senior Fellow at the Courtauld Institute 19925. He has acted as a judge for the Turner Prize and curated major exhibitions at Tate, the Hayward Gallery, the Barbican Art Gallery, the Royal Academy and other European venues. He was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy in 2011.