Art of the Western World: From Ancient Greece to Post-Modernism

by Bruce Cole, Adelheid Gealt, Michael Wood

Book Overview

Spanning the supreme artistic achievements of western civilization from classical antiquity to post-modernism, this book - tied to an 18 part Channel 4 series - is a lavishly illustrated and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671670077
• ISBN13: 9780671670078
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: Summit Books
• Length: 345 Pages
• Weight: 2.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.9" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

Good Condition

The book is in great condition. No writing or highlighting and for a paperback book the cover is in excellent shape, no signs of wear. Thank you for a great book.

Great for DANTES

I studied this book, watched the 8 associated videos and reviewed with WNET: 'Art of the Western World' study guide and only missed 7 questions on the DANTES/DSST test.

Not just for art's sake...

Art of the Western World, from Ancient Greece to Post-Modernist art, is covered admirably in this companion volume to the PBS series of the same name. Perhaps one of the reasons I find this book so interesting is that I have met the authors, as Bruce Cole and Adelheid Gealt are both part of the Art programmes here at Indiana University, and the book is dedicated to Herman Wells, recently deceased, but powerful administrator who built in his 50 years of work with the university an Ivy-League-like atmosphere and, for many departments and schools, reputation.The text is beautifully illustrated, with full-colour plates and glossy photographs of paintings, sculpture, stained glass, furniture, jewelry and architecture on every page. This is also a comprehensive volume of Western art - chapters include the art of Greece, Rome, Christian Art (including a special chapter devoted to cathedrals), Renaissance art (with special chapters on Italian and Dutch art), eighteenth and nineteenth century art, and then several chapters on modern artistic movements from Impressionism forward. This book is clear in writing and procedure - it avoids technical jargon whenever possible, and is good at explaining the necessary elements to increase appreciation of the art being shown. Often, a true appreciation of art requires a knowledge of the history and culture of the artists, and this volume provides some of the background to fill in the historical gaps. `Our art is part of us; in it flows the spiritual and intellectual lifeblood which still nourishes and sustains our ancient civilisation. It is also a living, redemptive force in an age that has witnessed the madness and destruction which is also, unfortunately, our Western heritage. Art can embody and transcend both its creators and its times to reveal enduring truths about the human condition; the more we understand art, the more we understand ourselves and the complexities of our world.'The volume features an introductory essay by Michael Wood, who served as the on-screen narrator of the PBS television series. Wood, a journalist, historian and filmmaker, is also author of the best-selling In Search of the Trojan War. In this essay, Wood argues that the tradition of Western art is not simply a tradition, but a series of complementary traditions that cross-pollinate with cultural, religious, and aesthetic differences. The flows toward and away from realism over time can often be explained in cultural-influence terms as well as aesthetic terms. He also asks the question, `Whither the future for Western art?'`There are more working artists and more consumers of art than ever before. As a business, art is booming. But it is plain now, with the spread of an electronic global culture, that we face the prospect of the erosion of all differences, the prospect of great conformity and simplification.... Now, with modernism, the West has become a state of mind, rather than a geographical region, and is perceived as such by othe

Great prep book for Dantes test

This book provided ALL the information I needed to cut a high score on the Art of the Western World Dantes Exam. *Tip: Study the periods and the artists' influences, don't worry about identifying paintings* Excellent structure and well researched historical data made this book a pleasure to read. Recommended for novice art buffs looking to expound their knowledge of Art progression through the centuries and periods.

Perfect Dantes test study material

Although I must admit at times this book does get dry, it does cover the needed material to pass the Dantes test for this subject. All pictures that are reference in the test are located in this book and it covers the material well. Be prepared to sudy hard with this one, as it does take some time to digest the material. It is easy to read and enables anyone to pass a test that normally only has a 38% pass rate. I got an "A", my wife got a high "B".