Artists in this period used bright, bold colours. Stained Glass art is a feature of this period, it explores light in Gothic architecture Also a theoretician and teacher, he was adamant that art should be completely separate from life, and life from art, saying "art is art as art and everything else is everything else, art as art is nothing but art". 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. 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.

What makes the book loose seriousness is the tendency of the editors to select laughable modern or conceptual art. I don't blame them, if the art world considers some artists as masters, then who am I to judge. OK, I judge. Especially since the rest of the review is more of a rant, for personal indulgence/reference, including funny/pretentious quotes from the book at the end. This period was classified by landscape paintings, portraits, sculptures and frescoes that not only glorified religious figures, but also depicted kings, queens, nobility and common folk. Series of satirical (criticising the government) and industrial (celebrating progress) pieces also emerged. Calder, lobster trap and fishtail (interesting to see the use of the word mobile in art in a pre cellphone era. "Calder was the inventor of the mobile in 1932". What is more of an abomination, comparing the older or recent creation, I can't decide).

Early Medieval and Renaissance artists used model books for their source materials. Woodcut printing also became popular as paper became cheaper.

But ironically, the editors and the artists themselves unashamedly express the same points in a language/philosophy that's more ridiculous than any writer's satire. I copy here some of the earnest fawning quotes/blurbs from the book. Rebecca West's iconic quotation speaks to her belief of art transforming our human existence into something that is meaningful. In our lives we are inundated with materialism and simply surviving ("being"). Abstract Art - the notion behind abstract art (that colours and forms have qualities independent of subject matter) existed since ancient times. Genuine abstract art that does not represent recognisable scenes or objects but consists of forms, shapes and colours depicted for their own sake is a modern phenomenon. German Expressionism - Expressionism was characterised by strong, unnaturalistic, simplified, distorted forms and sometimes, violent colours. Emphasis given to the subjective feeling rather than objective observation. Exaggerated emotional effects with expressions of fear, anxiety and alienation of love and spirituality.

Multibuys

Prehistoric Art consisted mostly of cave paintings and crude sculptures with exaggerated features. The purpose of the Art was mainly for rituals regarding hunting and burial. Despite the limited pallets, artists were creative, drawing animals on bumpy cave-walls to give them a three dimensional feel and painting them in several, lifelike colours. During these periods, Art was naturalistic and had a distinct purpose, often for burials, spirituality, fertility rites, ritual sacrifice (the Aztecs) and celebrating the great deeds of a God, King or a ruler. It was often used to highlight the beauty of the physical body as well.

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview. The perfect prescription for someone who thinks Kupka might have something to do with the continuing cup-cake craze. Buren, two levels (I sentence this column to ten years in prison, for contempt of the court of aesthetics and public opinion). Artists in the 15th and 16th centuries were fascinated with depicting seasonal landscapes, finding inspiration in changing colours and moods, and in the notion of the passing of time. Embark on a grand tour of art history with this guide to the story of art, and the big ideas and themes behind the world's most important artistic movements, artworks, and artists.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. 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 :) The Mirror and the Palette: Rebellion, Revolution, and Resilience: Five Hundred Years of Women's Self Portraits

In the context of the visual arts, the Renaissance is a period of rediscovery of the art of ancient Rome and Greece. The oil paint medium was widely used.There was a lot of competition (competitive focus between artists) in this era. In Medieval periods, Art had become a medium for expressing religiosity and the human body in a more spiritual manner. In Europe, churches were embellished with paintings, altar pieces and frescoes. Outside Europe, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist art rose to prominence.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. For students who are unfamiliar with composition, design and colour distribution in a painting and sculpture, the colour-coded and labelled analysis of individual artworks is immensely helpful - highlighting the artist's emphasis on certain colours and lines to give the piece a specific meaning. The Modern Age (between 1900 and the outbreak of World War 1) was a time of unrivalled artistic experimentation as the questioning and rejection of long-standing ideas of previous ages were intensified with a succession of innovative styles and movements.