History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture

Oh dear me! I feel I must come to this books rescue. I am not an academic nor am I doing any arts courses. In 2005 I went to New York, with a friend more knowledgable about art than I, to see the Cezanne and Pissarro exhibition at MoMA. When I arrived back in the UK I was bursting for more knowledge and information about modern art in particular. My husband, who IS an academic, went The Barber Institute Library, Birmingham and brought home half a dozen books for me to decide upon. This book was one of them. I bought several, the above in hardback, it is a physically large book. I have never looked back, it was a joy to read and I did read every word. Nor did I feel it to be a dry, dusty academic book but one written by someone with enthusiasm and a huge amount of knowledge to impart to me. ...."Two deep-rooted convictions underpin Arnason's 'History': first, that understanding art is a matter of fundamental importance; second, that the way to learn about art is to look for yourself....." a quote from the preface to the fifth edition. What I remember most about reading this excellent book was the NEED for all of us to LOOK at art. Then go and look again, and again. The fifth edition covers painting, sculpture, architecture and photography. So, not only did I learn to LOOK at paintings again I looked anew at sculpture, architecture and photography .... again and again. I thought this book was exciting and it whetted my appetite for much more!

This book informs the reader about art in the modern world. It contains information about major contemporary artists, each of whom is placed in the context of his or her times and surroundings. It is an important source of understanding as the concept of art has changed dramatically in the past hundred years from the days when the first modernists like Picasso and Braque revolutionized it by by making an earthshaking impact on our concepts of shapes and forms. In the early part of the twentieth century,for example, painters, architects, and sculptors introduced us to hitherto unknown views of shapes and color and forever changed our grasp of "reality." Our ever changing perception of it is a reflection of ourselves and of how we have evolved through the ages, much as we sometimes resent the transition from the familiar to the new. So it is that whether the reader likes Salvador Dali or thinks he is an overrated lunatic who can only be understood by others of his kind, he has to admit that views other than his are accepted elsewhere, and if he wants to keep abreast of the happenings in the art world, he must be educated to those other views as well. That is the essence of Art in the Modern World.

This is the best art history book around; I got it in college in a course by Dr. Donald Kuspit at S.U.N.Y@ Stony Brook I have this book from 1990 and still to this day I use it as a reference. There is no stone left unturned with this book about modern art. I suggest it for all artists, students and professionals who are in the art field and for everyone who wants a good book on this subject. It is the best one out there! ~Duke Crescent of Deviantart

"History of Modern Art" is, in my opinion, the very best general overview of modern art (i.e., the last 125-150 years or so) published to this date.Although it is intended to be a textbook, the format and writing make the tome sufficient as a great general reference and a very good read. The illustrations are excellent, although I wish there were more color reproductions.Anyone who enjoys fine art should have this book in their personal library.

This is the best and most definitive, detailed history of modern art in print. Readable as it is thorough. Tons of glorious color prints. An absolute must for art historians. Full histories and philosophies of every conceivable school, with multiple appearances of artists -- many, naturally -- who fall within more than one school, by self-acknowledgment or not, e.g., Picasso.