Art History Textbooks ReviewsArt History Textbooks Reviews

EROTIC AND HISTORIC
A beautiful well-written book of exotic, erotic art through the ages in our Western culture, displaying clearly the sexual and love interactions between males and females, and between the singular sexes themselves. All of this occurred before video cameras, and some of our more overly conservative biased views of sex. I liked the openness and healthy view of sexual reactions, especially during the Greek and Indian periods. A well-researched project - the photography is memorable and adds so much to our knowing history and awareness.

A deep, and involved book, covering everything in its field.
The book contains a wealth of information, and the prints are outsatnding. The world of Art series is a must for any true art student.

Still one of the best textbooks on the subject
The fourth edition of Michael Sullivan's lucid survey of the arts of China is still one of the best textbooks on the subject to be found in the English language. Within its chronological arrangement of chapters it covers major historical, religious, and cultural events from each period/dynasty in Chinese history before examining developments in the visual arts. Major masters and works of art are given careful attention, as are important stylistic changes from period to period. This book has been used by many institutions of higher learning as assigned reading for undergraduate courses on Chinese art, and rightly so. Although some of the photographs could be better, reproducing every object in color would necessitate a rise in price, and most college students have enough to deal with, financially, as it is.

Highly recommended!

Excellent
Cannot go wrong with the art book about Chinese art. It's an excellent one, used a lot as a textbook both by university art teachers as well as teachers of Chinese culture and history.

a long, distinguished history
The colour illustrations in this book are lovely to behold. Many show restored artifacts from China's long history. Vases, stoneware, flasks, paintings, handscrolls and much more. From the paintings, you can see where the traditional misty style of Chinese landscape paintings arose. There are even genres, like bamboo painting. Just like the Europeans developed portraits of horses and landed gentry.

Naturally, there is also extensive coverage of porcelain plates and containers. Beautifully decorated. The items that the Europeans would call "china"; so close was the identification of the objects with China itself.

But more than just objects, the narrative also gives insight into the various Chinese dynasties from which these arose. And also the provinces, like Jiangsu and Anhui, that were artistic centers.

Useful and Knowledgable
The book, The Arts of China, was book I needed to purchase for a college level Asian Art History class focused on China. Each chapter was divided into dynasties and within each chapter sections were written on: background history, ceramics, paintings, sculpture, and other various topics. There are lovely color pictures with high resolution, which are an essential to any student or scholar studying this art. The writing is clear and even enjoyable. I'd highly reccommend this book!

Modern Art, Revised and Updated (3rd edition)
This book was assigned to me as a text for a class in art history. If you are looking for a modern art anthology, this is a book for you. There are loads of beautiful pictures chronicling the trends in western art and architecture from the impressionists through the 20th century. However, if you are a student looking for a straightforward, encyclopedic, factual and chronologic approach to the subject, be prepared for a struggle. The writing is surprising more literary than historical and flits from trends to styles, to various artists, and back. Granted, trends in "modern art" could no longer occur in isolation (as in the classical period through the 19th century), especially in the age of modern communication, TV, film, and computers. So we are left to the interpretations and opinions of art historians to fathom and expound upon the influences of this on that, of this artist on that artist, of this historical event on that choice of color, design, or material. The book is most enjoyable, as a sort of non-fictional novel. It's tough going for an art student.

Awesome deal
Book arrived in time, and fast reply for questions.
If I have to buy this book again, I'll buy from this guy.

New British Art
This is the best and clearest text on the YBA [Young British Artists] phenonomenon of the 1990s - required reading for anyone who is interested in Damien Hirst, Jake and Dinos Chapman and their peers. A little spoilt by a certain Marxist rigidty of attitude but highly intelligent and frequently amusing as well.