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The Art Book
An A to Z guide to 500 great painters and sculptors from medieval to modern times, it debunks art historical classifications by throwing together brilliant examples of all periods, schools, visions and techniques. Each artist is represented by a full-page colour plate of a definitive work, accompanied by explanatory and illuminating information on the image and its creator. Glossaries of artistic movements and technical terms are included, making this a valuable work of reference as well as a feast for the eyes. By breaking with traditional classifications, The Art Book presents a fresh and original approach to art: an unparalleled visual sourcebook and a celebration of our rich and multi-faceted culture.
515 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Phaidon Press
206 books368 followersPhaidon Press is a global publisher of books on art, architecture, design, fashion, photography, and popular culture, as well as cookbooks, children's books, and travel books. The company is based in London and New York City, with additional offices in Paris and Berlin. wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
August 19, 2010
Much to my husband's dismay, I took the binding off this book and put each page in a page protector; it now takes up two binders. But now, for $19.95 plus page protectors and binders, I have over 500 pieces of art that can be passed around my classroom.
Well, most of them can be passed around my classroom. I'm struggling with the nudity. Why is it more acceptable to me in an ancient Greek statue than in modern art? Hmmmmm...
Well, most of them can be passed around my classroom. I'm struggling with the nudity. Why is it more acceptable to me in an ancient Greek statue than in modern art? Hmmmmm...
February 17, 2011
I've always wanted to learn more about art and art history, and this was a good sampling. It takes 500 different artists and shows one work from each of them. It was a nice introduction to artists I hadn't heard of before, and it gave a brief synopsis of the work and the artist.
This isn't an in-depth exploration. It often left me wanting more -- I expected this book to serve as a jump-off point, so that's a good thing. I flagged dozens of pages to research further. I should note that, being an art book, there is a bit of nudity in here. Some of it is artful and appropriate, but there were some that I felt the artist used only for shock value. But that's an entirely different debate...
Note: there are two versions of this book: A large coffee-table sized one published in 1994, and a smaller pocket-sized one published in 2005. I read the big one, which was nice, because the pictures were full-page and I could see them well.
This isn't an in-depth exploration. It often left me wanting more -- I expected this book to serve as a jump-off point, so that's a good thing. I flagged dozens of pages to research further. I should note that, being an art book, there is a bit of nudity in here. Some of it is artful and appropriate, but there were some that I felt the artist used only for shock value. But that's an entirely different debate...
Note: there are two versions of this book: A large coffee-table sized one published in 1994, and a smaller pocket-sized one published in 2005. I read the big one, which was nice, because the pictures were full-page and I could see them well.
May 29, 2023
“… a whole new way of looking at art”
What a delight! A selection of 500 works of art, paintings and sculptures alike, from 500 different artists with no reference to nationality, school of thought, medium, date or topic. The works are presented alphabetically by artist and each work is accompanied by explanatory information on it and its creator. THE ART BOOK is “an unparalleled visual source book and a celebration of our rich and multi-faceted culture.” For those fans particularly taken by any given work of art who might like to find an opportunity to see it in the flesh, each work and, of course, each artist, is cross-referenced with an international directory of galleries and museums to visit.
A sublime bit of toilet reading for me. At two or three paintings per trip to the washroom, the enjoyment will last for the better part of a year! How nifty is that?
Paul Weiss
What a delight! A selection of 500 works of art, paintings and sculptures alike, from 500 different artists with no reference to nationality, school of thought, medium, date or topic. The works are presented alphabetically by artist and each work is accompanied by explanatory information on it and its creator. THE ART BOOK is “an unparalleled visual source book and a celebration of our rich and multi-faceted culture.” For those fans particularly taken by any given work of art who might like to find an opportunity to see it in the flesh, each work and, of course, each artist, is cross-referenced with an international directory of galleries and museums to visit.
A sublime bit of toilet reading for me. At two or three paintings per trip to the washroom, the enjoyment will last for the better part of a year! How nifty is that?
Paul Weiss
December 1, 2012
Plain and simple: This was the book that made me fall in love with the visual arts. Almost every time I went to the library as a girl, I would borrow this book. I would sit and look at it for hours, never getting bored with it. I still haven't purchased this book for my collection, but I am planning on it soon!
September 3, 2013
This book sets out to present one work of art from 500 different artist. This sounds good in theory, but since all the artists and their one work of art are listed alphabetically, the end result is eclectic and chaotic. This would have been a much better book, had the same contents been arranged chronologically or at least thematically. As it stands though, the paintings (there are a few sculptures and installations here and there, but I will mostly refer to just paintings) jump all over the place in time and subject. It also seems unfair to have some amazing, iconic painters reduced to just one work of art, which is hardly representative of their overall contribution, whereas others (especially some of the more contemporary artists) could easily have been left out of the book altogether.
The print quality might have been ok 20 years ago (my copy is the 1994 large format coffee table version, not the more recent 2005 pocket size edition), but is below average by today's standards. The resolution is acceptable, but the colours are quite dull. Also Many of the photos also display a strange yellow and orange colour cast, making the paintings look worse than they should.
The captions provide adequate details both about the paintings and the artists. You will learn a detail or two about the paintings, the lives of the artists and even a few fun facts every now and then. It is somewhat sad though to read references to all sorts of other paintings done by the same artists. The format of the book dictates that we can only see one painting per artist and to see the rest, we would have to turn to other books or the internet.
The selection of artists has a decidedly Western and Christian bias. There are a few Japanese and South-American artists here and there, but the overwhelming majority are from mainland Europe and English speaking countries. Also the depicted scenes (at least until the beginning of the 20th century) are from either Roman or Christian mythology or Western European aristocratic and everyday life. After a while, seeing the same scenes over and over again, even if depicted by different artists, becomes quite monotonous and boring.
The book covers a vast range of genres. As a consequence, you may find your favourite genres either under-represented or too many examples from genres you don't care about. I found myself paying closer attention to the art from around the 16th until the middle of the 19th century, which I consider the golden age and pinnacle of painting. Art from before the 16th century is a bit too simplistic for my taste and with the rise of photography in the 19th century, painting seems to have lost focus and spiralled into an identity crisis, from which it has yet to recover. Impressionism was as an interesting experiment and the last of the tolerable departures from traditional painting, but everything after that - I just found myself turning the pages without even looking at the names of the authors of yet another solid cube, formless splatter or weird installation. It is a matter of taste of course, but I found too much art I didn't care for and thus will most likely not be keeping the book.
There are also some fairly obvious errors in the book, where the captions talk about one painting, but the picture is of a completely different one altogether. One example is on page 98. The picture is of a beautiful landscape painting by the venerated landscape artist Frederic Church. However the captions talk about an active volcano Cotopaxi supposedly being in the painting, which actually is nowhere to be found. Only a Google image search turns out another equally impressive painting by the same artist, where a volcano named Cotopaxi can be clearly seen, but it is obviously a completely different painting from the one in the book. I caught the error purely by chance just by browsing around and I haven't read the captions of all the art pieces, so who knows, how many similar errors are in the book.
In conclusion, with either a chronological or thematical arrangement, this would have made a passable art book. Unfortunately the paintings are arranged alphabetically by artists, which provides for a very chaotic reading experience. If you take it as a coffee book only to browse here and there, this book is ok, even if the quality of the repros is below average. If however you are interested in only certain time periods or art styles, you'd be better off purchasing a more focused book with better quality prints. If however you want to own just one book on art, I recommend the immeasurably better and magnificent "Art" by DK, which is my opinion is one the best books on art ever published.
The print quality might have been ok 20 years ago (my copy is the 1994 large format coffee table version, not the more recent 2005 pocket size edition), but is below average by today's standards. The resolution is acceptable, but the colours are quite dull. Also Many of the photos also display a strange yellow and orange colour cast, making the paintings look worse than they should.
The captions provide adequate details both about the paintings and the artists. You will learn a detail or two about the paintings, the lives of the artists and even a few fun facts every now and then. It is somewhat sad though to read references to all sorts of other paintings done by the same artists. The format of the book dictates that we can only see one painting per artist and to see the rest, we would have to turn to other books or the internet.
The selection of artists has a decidedly Western and Christian bias. There are a few Japanese and South-American artists here and there, but the overwhelming majority are from mainland Europe and English speaking countries. Also the depicted scenes (at least until the beginning of the 20th century) are from either Roman or Christian mythology or Western European aristocratic and everyday life. After a while, seeing the same scenes over and over again, even if depicted by different artists, becomes quite monotonous and boring.
The book covers a vast range of genres. As a consequence, you may find your favourite genres either under-represented or too many examples from genres you don't care about. I found myself paying closer attention to the art from around the 16th until the middle of the 19th century, which I consider the golden age and pinnacle of painting. Art from before the 16th century is a bit too simplistic for my taste and with the rise of photography in the 19th century, painting seems to have lost focus and spiralled into an identity crisis, from which it has yet to recover. Impressionism was as an interesting experiment and the last of the tolerable departures from traditional painting, but everything after that - I just found myself turning the pages without even looking at the names of the authors of yet another solid cube, formless splatter or weird installation. It is a matter of taste of course, but I found too much art I didn't care for and thus will most likely not be keeping the book.
There are also some fairly obvious errors in the book, where the captions talk about one painting, but the picture is of a completely different one altogether. One example is on page 98. The picture is of a beautiful landscape painting by the venerated landscape artist Frederic Church. However the captions talk about an active volcano Cotopaxi supposedly being in the painting, which actually is nowhere to be found. Only a Google image search turns out another equally impressive painting by the same artist, where a volcano named Cotopaxi can be clearly seen, but it is obviously a completely different painting from the one in the book. I caught the error purely by chance just by browsing around and I haven't read the captions of all the art pieces, so who knows, how many similar errors are in the book.
In conclusion, with either a chronological or thematical arrangement, this would have made a passable art book. Unfortunately the paintings are arranged alphabetically by artists, which provides for a very chaotic reading experience. If you take it as a coffee book only to browse here and there, this book is ok, even if the quality of the repros is below average. If however you are interested in only certain time periods or art styles, you'd be better off purchasing a more focused book with better quality prints. If however you want to own just one book on art, I recommend the immeasurably better and magnificent "Art" by DK, which is my opinion is one the best books on art ever published.
January 15, 2013
This was really an interesting concept. Hundreds of artists, drawn from many times, movements, places, one page spread per artist--one work, one short explanation, a little attempt to locate the artist in time and movement. I couldn't stay out of this at work--we kept going back, opening it up, arguing over whether the work chosen was the right one. That was a lot of fun. (Weeping Woman for Picasso???? Ceci n'est pas un pipe for Magritte? Really?) I must say, it did help that I was pretty familiar with most of the movements. It might have been tough to follow a narrative if I had had no idea about who was who. And one other caveat--this might not be a good choice for a conservative homeschool family. In addition to a large number of classical nudes, to which I have less objection, there are also quite a few more modern ones some of which I would not want my kids to see. But this was really, really fun and if you have a friend or two that knows a little bit about artists, you can have some really, really fun discussions/arguments/lively conversations about the artwork choices.
April 17, 2019
Small book but with quality, glossy pages. All the works are in color. What is interesting about this book (and by the way, I think there is a larger edition), is that, instead of listing artists and art chronologically, they are listed in Alphabetical order. Thus, a painting from the Renaissance is next to the work from a 20th century modern abstractionist. It makes for some interesting comparisons.
June 10, 2012
I just luvvvv this book. i carry it around whenever i have to travel because it is fun to read and reread. it teaches you a lot about art in accessible and convenient way. Just the kind of book you like reading. hours can pass by and you barely notice it. :) luv it!
February 19, 2008
this book presents a fresh and original approach to art.
It is an essential reference to those of us who are always looking for inspiration..
And a good visual sourcebook too..
It is an essential reference to those of us who are always looking for inspiration..
And a good visual sourcebook too..
March 7, 2011
very simple, a photo of the artist work, brief about the artist
it gives you hints, not very helpful but it's a joy to the eye, you can like a painting or a sculpture and go do the research yourself, witch is not a bad idea after all, that is not a bad idea after all
it gives you hints, not very helpful but it's a joy to the eye, you can like a painting or a sculpture and go do the research yourself, witch is not a bad idea after all, that is not a bad idea after all
January 10, 2011
I guess, no real artits really read this art book. But, this book is very artsy on the cover and 1000 times more artsy inside. And best of all, it's from Phaidon.
March 7, 2020
So if you re-titled this, "The (Almost Entirely Western) Painting and Sculpture (14th - 20th Century) Book, you'd know what you're in for - but it's not exactly pithy. Only the "Painting and Sculpture" part is openly acknowledged by the editors. The rest is deduced from what actually appears in the book, which is an alphabetically arranged list of 500 artists with one image each and a paragraph or two of annotation about the artist and the work displayed. There's also basic biographical details and information on the chosen image.
As the editors note, the alphabetical arrangement leads to some startling contrasts since proximate works in the book can be separated by centuries and continents in terms of their actual production. This was actually quite fun, just look elsewhere for an education on how everything fits together conceptually, geographically and historically. 500 entries gives room for all the most famous artists (given the constraints of my alternative title) with plenty of space left over for people I had not heard of, some of whom piqued my interest. It was also pleasing to find women represented as far back as the 1600s, their work being of a quality matching that of the book generally.
Great for flipping through - a perfect "coffee table" book.
As the editors note, the alphabetical arrangement leads to some startling contrasts since proximate works in the book can be separated by centuries and continents in terms of their actual production. This was actually quite fun, just look elsewhere for an education on how everything fits together conceptually, geographically and historically. 500 entries gives room for all the most famous artists (given the constraints of my alternative title) with plenty of space left over for people I had not heard of, some of whom piqued my interest. It was also pleasing to find women represented as far back as the 1600s, their work being of a quality matching that of the book generally.
Great for flipping through - a perfect "coffee table" book.
April 26, 2010
I was required to take an art appreciation class in college to graduate--and I loved it! So getting this book was a natural follow-up. It won Illustrated Book of the Year and is in the Top Five Popular Art Books on Goodreads. As stated in the introduction, this book is "an A to Z guide to 500 great painters and sculptors from medieval to modern times." It's that classic coffee table book--I even recently spotted it on a list for the best of the kind. I'm not the kind that collects those--in fact this is the only book of the kind I own. But if any such book should be part of every home, surely its an art book like this one, where the great Western artists and (alas only) one of their representative masterpieces is laid before you. This is also by far the heaviest book I own--you could do strength training with it--but it's worth its weight. A real keeper.
November 16, 2017
This really should have been called The Western Art Book. There is only one Asian artist represented, and Latin America is limited to a few Cubans and Mexicans. Everyone else is completely absent.
Unlike other reviews, I actually liked the alphabetical arrangement of the artists, as it really demonstrated the diversity of the North American and European art tradition. You have this on one page and this on the next.
Unlike other reviews, I actually liked the alphabetical arrangement of the artists, as it really demonstrated the diversity of the North American and European art tradition. You have this on one page and this on the next.
March 13, 2011
It gives an over view of art and some important works. Information on the art contained in the book is limited but enables you to go look further. Also lists contact details for major Galleries in the back. My copy is a small version however the photos of the art work are printed clearly and you can see all the textures of the paintings as well.
Make sure this isn't your only art book in your library, but definately a good place to start when loking for reference, or pictures, or styles, or whatever you are looking for.
Make sure this isn't your only art book in your library, but definately a good place to start when loking for reference, or pictures, or styles, or whatever you are looking for.
July 23, 2011
Love this book - it is alphabetical order of artists, with a picture of their work, and some biological detail. I particularly love the big version, that I saw at a school. The mini version I have at home is a bit small for some of the detail to come through.
August 9, 2012
It would be a mistake to take this book for what it is not: a serious, in-depth treatise on art. No, it's a picture book that gives almost twitter-like info on artists. Every artist included has one picture/one chance to make an impression on the public (art novices).
The good things about it: the wealth of periods it hits on and the quality of the reproductions, to say nothing of its size (I have the pocket size version, in case there are others). I also enjoyed the little gimmick: listing artists in alphabetical order juxtaposes somebody like Lorenzo Lotto with Louis Morris. It reminds me of a similar encyclopedia of painting I used as a young teen. This might similarly spur young art lovers to explore further.
The good things about it: the wealth of periods it hits on and the quality of the reproductions, to say nothing of its size (I have the pocket size version, in case there are others). I also enjoyed the little gimmick: listing artists in alphabetical order juxtaposes somebody like Lorenzo Lotto with Louis Morris. It reminds me of a similar encyclopedia of painting I used as a young teen. This might similarly spur young art lovers to explore further.
September 9, 2014
I love this little goodie. At least mine is little, I think they made two sizes. It's great to flip through. When needing inspiration or just procrastinating. It's fun to discover a new artist or new work by one you've known.
September 11, 2019
This book is hands down amazing.
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May 20, 2024
This book made its first appearance in my life when I was about 9. Me and my mum went to a flee market where she bought it for me for some small amount of money, £2 maybe. I remember skimming through the pages looking at all the pictures and showing my parents my favorite paintings. It was my favorite book for maybe two weeks. I even carried it to school at some point in those two weeks. And then nothing. Eventually, it was just another book on the shelf at home for decoration.
Fast forward almost 7 years, we've moved countries, I haven't got a single clue as to where my original copy is. However, I recently went to visit a family relative in Munich, who also happens to find interest in fine arts and such. So we walked around galleries, and I was hoping to find the book so I could finally get my hands on it again. But I didn't have any luck so we went back. She had a gift for me, she said she didn't want it anymore and that it would have better use for me. She handed me a german book and we looked through the book all evening trying to see if we could figure out the meaning behind paintings without reading the description. I really started to like the book, i studied it for days.
I have only found out now that the book is the same book as the one I owned , just in a much bigger format and in another language. And I am BEYOND thrilled.
Im only at the very start of my journey, so this book helps me tremendously to familiarize with all the basics like important artists, styles, historical periods and techniques. People much further down the line of the art world might criticize this book and say that it's useless, and badly written or whatever, but for me, this book is clearly written and extremely helpful, so i am forever grateful.
I believe that even those who not take interest in arts should have a copy of this book, you don't even have to read it, you can just occasionally skim through it and you already feel so much more knowledgeable and inspired about the topic. It also might spark something in you, you never know.
Maybe somewhere down the line i'll change my mind about this book, but for now my opinion still stands and it will always have a place in my heart.
If you're thinking about getting or reading this book, do it!!!
Fast forward almost 7 years, we've moved countries, I haven't got a single clue as to where my original copy is. However, I recently went to visit a family relative in Munich, who also happens to find interest in fine arts and such. So we walked around galleries, and I was hoping to find the book so I could finally get my hands on it again. But I didn't have any luck so we went back. She had a gift for me, she said she didn't want it anymore and that it would have better use for me. She handed me a german book and we looked through the book all evening trying to see if we could figure out the meaning behind paintings without reading the description. I really started to like the book, i studied it for days.
I have only found out now that the book is the same book as the one I owned , just in a much bigger format and in another language. And I am BEYOND thrilled.
Im only at the very start of my journey, so this book helps me tremendously to familiarize with all the basics like important artists, styles, historical periods and techniques. People much further down the line of the art world might criticize this book and say that it's useless, and badly written or whatever, but for me, this book is clearly written and extremely helpful, so i am forever grateful.
I believe that even those who not take interest in arts should have a copy of this book, you don't even have to read it, you can just occasionally skim through it and you already feel so much more knowledgeable and inspired about the topic. It also might spark something in you, you never know.
Maybe somewhere down the line i'll change my mind about this book, but for now my opinion still stands and it will always have a place in my heart.
If you're thinking about getting or reading this book, do it!!!
October 23, 2012
that book is very good, in this book your can learn more about the art and in this book have something is so surprised for me. one is for the this book have 500 different artists and shows one work from each of them. other thing is for the the art have mandy year's old and have mandy people want to learn more about art. this book can for some one didn't know art and that can geive some one want to learn word art thay can read that book.
July 19, 2015
The perfect prescription for someone who thinks Kupka might have something to do with the continuing cup-cake craze.
A artist, a picture, a critique, a list of recommendations to other artists of the same school. A pared down minimalistic approach which works. And pocket sized too (a wide pocket). Educational and, what's better, memorable.
January 24, 2009
Remember how this book was seen throughout the whole Friends series? First at Central Perk, then at Monica's. Now it's on my shelf, thanks to Patty :)
It's actually a nice read if you're into arts and stuff, and of course I cannot brag for reading it, rather browsed through.
It's actually a nice read if you're into arts and stuff, and of course I cannot brag for reading it, rather browsed through.
January 4, 2013
An everyday book for Everyman. Quite nice for the coffee table or for the kids to flick through. It does what the title says so probably deserves 5 stars but it lacks sufficient depth or enquiry for my tastes..
June 9, 2013
Though it might frustrate those looking for an in-depth analysis, The Art Book is great for casual appreciation or anyone who doesn't know where to start. I personally enjoyed the huge variety of wildly different pieces sitting side by side.
November 1, 2013
Great little book if you take it for what it is - something to dip into to stimulate ideas or discussion... or simply pages to flick through to look at interesting works of art. Not for the academics, but that's part of the appeal.
Read
January 10, 2009I refer to this little book quite often. I am always looking for artists and their styles. I keep it very handy. It's a must have.
September 18, 2013
This is a nifty little book (or a nifty big book, if you have the hardcover edition). It only scratches the surface, but it covers a lot of ground. It's a wonderful book for browsing.
November 23, 2017
This book changed my life.
July 6, 2018
This book is small is size, but a great art book. It was my daughter's first art book of her own and she would sit for hours looking at the art.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews