Art history: a very short introduction

Arnold, Dana (2004) Art history: a very short introduction , Oxford, UK. Oxford University Press

Abstract

* The ideal introduction to Art History for those new to the subject * Provides the basic tools necessary for the study of art history * Has a wide chronological and thematic coverage * Clear, concise discussion of the complex debates and issues * Includes timeline showing the development of specific schools/styles/key artists and exhibitions mapped against important world thinkers/events, eg. Reformation, Enlightenment, French Revolution, Marx, Theory of Relativity, World War II * Arnold is Editor of the Art Historians Association's journal Art History
This clear and concise new introduction examines all the major debates and issues using a wide range of well-known examples. It discusses the challenge of using verbal and written language to analyse a visual form. Dana Arnold also examines the many different ways of writing about art, and the changing boundaries of the subject of art history. Topics covered include the canon of Art History, the role of the gallery, 'blockbuster' exhibitions, the emergence of social histories of art (Feminist Art History or Queer Art History, for example), the impact of photography, and the development of Art History using artefacts such as the altarpiece, the portrait, or pornography, to explore social and cultural issues such as consumption, taste, religion, and politics.
Importantly, this book explains how the traditional emphasis on periods and styles originates in western art production and can obscure other critical approaches, as well as art from non western cultures.

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