Art: The Whole Story

Written by an international team of artists, art historians, and curators, this absorbing and beautiful book gives readers unparalleled insights into the world’s most iconic artworks. Now available in an updated edition, Art: The Whole Story traces the development of art period by period, with informative and highly illustrated text covering every genre, from painting and sculpture to conceptual art and performance art. Cultural timelines are included as well, in order to help readers place each movement in its historical context.

Masterpieces that epitomize each period or movement are highlighted and analyzed in detail. Everything from use of color and visual metaphors to technical innovations are explained, giving readers the tools to interpret the meanings of world-famous masterpieces. Highlights include Mughal miniatures; Japanese prints from the nineteenth century; the color theories behind Seurat’s remarkable La Grande Jatte; and why Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was so shocking in its day.

Review

'The perfect present for someone preparing for an art-history course at university' - Sunday Times

'A comprehensive, if concise, history of world art in a hefty but manageable tome' - RA Magazine

'Perfectly designed as a one-stop reference guide: one to dip in and out of … indispensable' - Artists & Illustrators

'This is something of a corker' - The Artist

'A great introduction to [art history] for older kids ... Spirited and accessible' - ARTnews

About the Author

Stephen Farthing is a painter and the Rootstein Hopkins Research Professor of Drawing at the University of the Arts, London.

Richard Cork is an art historian, critic, curator and broadcaster. He has been an art critic for the Evening Standard, The Listener, The Times and the New Statesman, and is a past Turner Prize judge.