Art history books?

[msbarnes]

Any recommended texts?

I want to gain a better understand of art, in general. I'm not an artist by trade, I just want to feed my curiosity.

I took an art history course during my undergrad studies, a few years ago, and it briefly covered many of the major movements and artists...I'm looking for something like that but I can't recall the textbook that we used. Just for clarity, I'm by no means limiting this to photography, since the medium is relatively new.

 

[L Collins]

The Story of Art, EH Gombrich

 

[aizan]

yeah, it was probably gombrich. it could have been "gardner's art through the ages," too.

the thames and hudson "world of art" series is always a good starting point.

 

[danielsterno]

choose a period that interest you, look up artist in that period and go from there, tons of images and artist/period on line. then if you are really interested visit a local museum looking at the actual work from that period/actual artist. last, once you have narrowed down the above and if the interest is still there you can take a course at a local art college….

 

[chikne]

Art in Theory 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Janson's "History of Art" Over a million copies in print. One of the standards for an Introductory Course. Easily found used & inexpensive. Also as stated Gombrich.

 

[mfogiel]

I think it would be useful to understand WHY people produce art. Art is actually a very serious affair, in the sense, that it is probably the single most visible evidence of abstract thought, which is what differentiates us from other species. First human artifact, which looks like a piece of art, has been dated 80.000/70.000 BC.
If you link the world view and motivation behind art to art itself, it becomes much more interesting to explore.