Art History: a Very Short Introduction

Front Cover
Oxford University Press, Jan 23, 2020 - Art - 168 pages
Art history encompasses the study of the history and development of painting, sculpture and the other visual arts. In this Very Short Introduction, Dana Arnold presents an introduction to the issues, debates, and artefacts that make up art history. Beginning with a consideration of what art history is, she explains what makes the subject distinctive from other fields of study, and also explores the emergence of social histories of art (such as Feminist Art History and Queer Art History). Using a wide range of images, she goes on to explore key aspects of the discipline including how we write, present, read, and look at art, and the impact this has on our understanding of art history.

This second edition includes a new chapter on global art histories, considering how the traditional emphasis on periods and styles in art originated in western art and can obscure other critical approaches and artwork from non-western cultures. Arnold also discusses the relationship between art and history, and the ways in which art can tell a different history from the one narrated by texts.

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The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

 

Selected pages

Contents

What is art history?
1
Writing art history
31
A global art history?
48
Presenting art history
63
Thinking about art history
88
Reading art
102
Looking at art
116
Glossary
125
Further reading
131
Index
133
A Very Short Introduction
138
A Very Short Introduction
139
A Very Short Introduction
140
A Very Short Introduction
141
A Very Short Introduction
142
Copyright

References
129

Other editions - View all

Art History: A Very Short Introduction
Dana Arnold
Limited preview - 2020
Art History: A Very Short Introduction
Dana Arnold
Limited preview - 2020
Art History: A Very Short Introduction
Dana Arnold
No preview available - 2020

Common terms and phrases

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About the author (2020)


Dana Arnold is Professor in Art History at the University of East Anglia, UK. She has published extensively on art and architectural history, especially in relation to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Her work has been published into many languages and enjoys a world-wide following.

Bibliographic information

TitleArt History: a Very Short Introduction
Very Short Introductions Series
AuthorDana Arnold
Edition2, illustrated
PublisherOxford University Press, 2020
ISBN0198831803, 9780198831808
Length168 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Art / American / General
Art / European
History / General
  
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