Instant Art History: From Cave Art to Pop Art

by Walter Robinson

Book Overview

From the prehistoric cave paintings to Andy Warhol's soup cans, this lively chronicle surveys the rich history of artistic expression. INSTANT ART HISTORY examines such geniuses as Michelangelo, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Renoir, van Gogh, and the Impressionists as well as Dali, Matisse, Picasso, Kandinsky, and Lichtenstein. With INSTANT ART HISTORY you'll learn: * How Mona Lisa's smile changed forever the grim face of portrait sitters. * The differences...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0449906981
• ISBN13: 9780449906989
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Great book.

Fun and straight to the knowledge that you want to learn. I've appreciated the author for this small size of the book but content most basic art information I need to know.

Art Book

This book is an essential History of Art book. Whether you are new to History of Art or have studied it for years you MUST have this book in your collection. It is small in size therefor it is easy to take with you on your travels. Plus it is an amusing but factual book. Recently I purchased three copies of this book to give to the three top students in my History of Art lectures. I recommend this book, even if you have never read a History of Atr book before, I promise you you will not be able to put this book down.

The perfect book to read before going to an art museum!

I love this book because you can quickly learn about all the major periods of art - from the Renaissance's oil paintings to today's modern sculpture works. I recommend reading this before you go to an art museum, so you can brush up on who is famous for what. There are a few black and white photos of famous artwork, but mostly the book explains the type of art produced during each period, and the top 5 or so artists and what their most famous works are.

An excellent resource for the novice!

my second six weeks of my first year teaching, my principal told me for the remainder of the year I will be teaching humanities. This book saved my life! It gave me the foundational knowledge to teach my middle schoolers about Art. I just wish there were the same for music, drama and dance! The book is a very pleasurable read. A must have for any reference shelf.

Great for beginners!

I have used this book for several years now. I have a degree in Art History and Art Education. I think this book is a great start for beginners or for those who just want to know a little more about art. I found the book very helpful for most of my high school students. As a matter of fact, two years ago I started using this book as a text book for the art History portion of our program. We use the book as a basis of study from which we delve into the historical events of the time. We then use these as a spring board. My students create projects to experience the different art of these eras. The book is written simply so that they can understand and throws in some humor here and there to keep it interesting. My only wish is that it came in a hard cover edition, as i have to keep replacing my copy I teach from!

Excellent introduction to the world of art.

I recently graduated college with a degree in Art History. I used this book as a quick refrence when going to museums. It tells you about artists and artwork on a laymens level, helping you understand and learn about styles, periods and many other facets in the world of art.