Chief Consultant: Ian Chilvers
A helpful guide for anyone wishing to gain an overall knowledge of various artists and their work in the different epochs of Western Art, but don’t expect to learn anything about Art in the Eastern World
5 stars out of 5 stars
I would like to state at the outset that the scope of this book is limited to Western Art, as Art in the East, notably China, India and Japan, is not covered.
I had not taken a course in Western Art in high school or College. I did, however, like to spend time in the art sections when I visited various museums, both in the United States and in Europe. These visits enabled me to become familiar with the names and appreciate the representative works of a number of artists, such as Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Turner, DaVinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Picasso. I also own several books containing the paintings of several of these masters, as well as the colorful DK book “Art that Changed the World”.
The first name that appeared, in the Introduction paragraph of the book, is Giotto. Since this name does not ring a bell for me, I realize how limited my knowledge of Western Art is. With this book in my hands, I am confident that I can look forward to learning a great deal in this area.
Indeed, I began to learn interesting things in the first chapter, entitled “Prehistoric Art”. It describes the existence of ancient cave paintings. In particular, the ones at Lascaux Cave, France was estimated to be c. 15,000-13,000 BCE. When the paintings at Lascaux were revealed to the public in 1948, the overriding reaction was astonishment at how primitive people with so few resources have produced pictures of such sophistication. It is estimated that there are more than 360 surviving decorated caves in Western Europe alone and comparable sites have been found in other parts of the world.
“Art that changed the world” is presented under the headings of five epochs: Ancient and Medieval, Renaissance and Mannerism, Baroque to Neoclassicism, The 19th Century, and the Modern Age. There are six to eight chapters within each epoch, each describing a distinctive school or style. For example, Romantic Landscape and Impressionism are two chapters under The 19th Century. Each chapter is organized in the same format: Context, Beginnings, Timeline, and Masterwork. The selected artists are profiled.
On average, 3 paintings are reproduced in each page of the book. There are approximately 1000 paintings in its 363 pages. Each painting is accompanied by a text of varying length, depending on the subject. Most, but not all, of the well-known paintings are included. One famous painting not included was Van Gogh’s STARLIGHT.
The book ends with a rather unusual painting by Lucian Freud, a grandson of Sigmund Freud. The critic Robert Hughes declared Lucian Freud as “The greatest living realist painter”. The painting depicts a hugely fat nude lady lying on a couch. The text describing the painting included the name of the model and a quote by the artist: “I’ve always wanted to create drama in my pictures, which is why I paint people. The simplest gestures tell stories.” While the quote may provide some guide in understanding the painting, it does little to alter the surprise and shock I experienced when I first viewed it.
In conclusion, “Art that changed the World” is a helpful guide for anyone wishing to gain an overall knowledge of various artists and their work in the different epochs of Western Art, but don’t expect to learn anything about Art in the Eastern World.
Link to review in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2YOLYX2F6X45T/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
Top review among 1048 ratings 4/7/2023
Chinese Horse in Lascaux Cave, France
Lili Pond by Claude Monet
Painting by J.M.W. Turner
The Night Watch by Rembrandt
Starlight by Van Gogh (not in the book)
A personal note: I have now reviewed six picture books (5 are DK) covering the vast array of humankind achievements in engineering, science, music, space, architecture and art.
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