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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 709
EAN num: 9780131934559
ISBN number: 0131934554
Label: Prentice Hall
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 1056
Printing Date: February 16, 2006
Publishing house: Prentice Hall
Sale Popularity Level: 67010
Studio: Prentice Hall
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Product Description:
This four-part volume uses an exceptional art program–with sumptuous colour pictures–to introduce readers to a succession of art styles from prehistoric times and ancient Egypt, to the vast world of Western painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, and the minor arts. Elegantly written, it contains a balanced and interesting narrative that increases ones ability to understand art. Parts I and II cover The Ancient World and The Middle Ages, with a look at prehistoric; Egyptian; ancient near eastern; Aegean; Greek; Etruscan; Roman; early Christian, Byzantine, and Medieval; Romanesque; and Gothic art. Part III looks at the Renaissance through the Rococo–with a focus on the early and high renaissance in Italy; mannerism and other trends; “Late Gothic” painting, sculpture, and the graphic arts; and the Baroque in Italy, Spain, Flanders, Holland, France and England. Part IV is a treatment on the modern world, including Neoclassicism and Romanticism; Realism and Impressionism; Post-impressionism, Symbolism, and Art Nouveau; Twentieth-Century painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography; and Postmodernism. For those who appreciate art as individual works, rather than a mere collection of data.
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Rated by buyers -
love it! very informative and has the best of the best artworks. but could use a modern edition strictly of the 20th century
Rated by buyers -
I used the original Janson when I took art history in college. I bought this for my son and started reading it on my own. What a wonderful rework of this classic. It provides very accessible descriptions of historical context as well as clear presentations of the impact of "technology" (i.e. development of various media) on the ability of the artists of various periods to express themselves. Love this book.
Rated by buyers -
This book is incredibly comprehensive and covers all aspects of art in different cultures, including painting, sculpture, architecture, and burial sites. It is remarkably detailed (almost too much so), and has many great pictures.
The most distinctive aspect of this book is the primary sources it includes that explain the historical context of artworks. For example, there are numerous letters (translated, of course) from Italian artists in the Renaissance to their clients. Another text includes excerpts from the law code of Hammurabi, to accompany the sculptural piece on which it was originally engraved.
Rated by buyers 
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An excellent base for an art student to build upon; clear, informative, visual, and historical. Supplements and sources such as Wikipedia and encyclopedias and history texts will show how intertwined art is with politics and religions in depth where the book skims over.
A wonderful book, and covers some Eastern Art despite the focus title on the West. Chapters are organized and they get the point across; lovely descriptions of photographs that are present in the book, so you really get to study the subject and with the assistance of the text, see the inner beauty in the architecture.
What I found lacking was the mention of the Golden Ratio, and in fact, any mathematics whatsoever. As mathematics is very important to ancient-modern art, I found it rather confusing. However, as said before, an excellent base.
Very intriguing and not in the least boring or dry, Janson's History of Art is a prime choice coupled with supplementary books. If you're interested in overall art history, this is the one to go with...
Have fun!!!
Rated by buyers -
This is one of the standard history of art textbooks. Of course it includes colour prints of all the most famous art of the Western tradition, as well as numerous photographs and floorplans of famous architecture. It has a little coverage of Islamic art, but that is a topic that deserves better than it can be given in a textbook on the Western tradition. Painting, architecture and sculpture are clearly the focus, but photography and decor each get a nod. Other forms of art--from gardening to appliance design--although interesting, evidently cannot fit in this space.
The text is adequate: a little better than standard textbook composition, less dull, perhaps a touch less condescending, and of course perfectly informative.
Issues in technique, interpretation and so on are well-introduced.
If you, like me, are not a student but an adult just curious about art, this is a fine choice. I've also enjoyed work by Robert Hughes ("The Shock of the New," which I strongly recommend, and "American Visions"), Andre Malraux ("The Voices of Silence") and David Morgan ("The Sacred Gaze").
(I'm not widely read in this field by any means: those are the only books I've read about Western art history! So there could be various better books out there. But still, this textbook has been very useful to me, helping me fill out my knowledge in many areas.)
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