Art Theory An Historical Introduction

Art Theory: An Historical Introduction is a unique survey of Western thought about art from ancient times to the present. This lucid and lively narrative, geared to the needs of the general reader and beginning student, consists of six chapters covering the major periods of Western art history: Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the early modern period (Renaissance and Baroque), the Enlightenment, the nineteenth century, early twentieth-century modernism, and postmodernism. Wide-ranging and exceptionally balanced in its analyses, the volume relates theory to the practice as well as to the intellectual- and cultural-historical currents of each period. In doing so, it thus demonstrates the value of an historical approach to theoretical issues, and has the particular merit of showing how the modern conception of art as a critical practice develops out of older ideas. Extensively illustrated throughout, Art Theory: An Historical Introduction also includes a full bibliography, providing a useful and up-to-date guide to the primary sources and secondary literature.Williams, Robert is the author of 'Art Theory An Historical Introduction' with ISBN 9781405107068 and ISBN 1405107065.