Carol Strickland

As the author says in the introduction, in this book 25,000 years of art history have been condensed into 208 pages. It certainly meets the author’s stated goal of quickly providing some of the necessary skills and knowledge to understand art. The book is divided into five sections: prehistoric through medieval; renaissance and baroque; the nineteenth century's birth of isms (impressionism, fauvism, cubism, etc…); 20th century; and contemporary art.

It is easy to use - full of timelines, sidebars, and definitions. Informative boxes tell you how to tell apart movements, like neoclassicism versus romanticism, or artists, such as Gainsborough versus Reynolds.

While there are no big glossy images such as a coffee table book would have, there are plenty of thumbnail prints, and enough information to direct readers to other sources, such as google, to offer further illumination on the subjects.

This is an ideal guide for those new to art, for those looking to round out their home libraries, or those who are taking courses in college and want a reference for review and quick analyses.… (mer)