Art Theory: An Historical Introduction

Rating:
Summary: Completely accessible to non-specialist general readers
Review: Accessibly written by Robert Williams (Associate Professor of Art History at the University of California), Art Theory: An Historical Introduction is an impressive work of very sound scholarship offering the reader a straightforward introduction, informative discussion, and insightful evaluation of Western thought concerning art ranging from the beginning of history, down to the modern day. An intellectual analysis which is completely accessible to non-specialist general readers but treating its subject with the depth worty of a serious student, Art Theory presents its focus upon the periods of "Antiquity and the Middle Ages", "The Early Modern Period", "The Enlightenment", "The Nineteenth Century", "The Early Twentieth Century", and "Postmodernism". A relatively small amount of black-and-white and a few color illustrations add a special visual touch to the serious and evolving ideas concerning art and its role in society throughout the centures. A most welcome contribution to academic library Art History reference shelves and reading lists.