Looking At Pictures (Art Essentials)

‘Susan Woodford is the ideal guide … She writes with feeling, wit and deep knowledge, wisely but unpretentiously … shows how enjoyment and learning can be one and the same’ Julian Bell Exploring the origins, designs and themes of over one hundred pictures from different periods and places, Susan Woodford artfully expands our appreciation of pictures. Woodford’s riveting prose compares different artistic approaches, questions assumptions and introduces us to a wide range of stimulating ideas. Whether looking at a Japanese woodcut, Leonardo’s Last Supper or Picasso’s Guernica, Looking at Pictures will develop your eye as well as your confidence. This essential guide concludes with a glossary and invaluable suggestions for further reading.

Contents List

Introduction • 1. Ways of Looking at Pictures • 2. Land and Sea • 3. Portraits • 4. Everyday Things • 5. History and Mythology • 6. The Christian World • 7. Creating Patterns on Flat Surfaces • 8. Tradition • 9. Design and Organization • 10. The Depiction of Space • 11. Formal Analysis • 12. Hidden Meanings • 13. Quality

About the Author

Susan Woodford received her BA from Harvard University and her MA and PhD from Columbia University, and now teaches art history as well as lecturing at the British Museum. She has written other books for the general reader and was winner of the Criticos Prize 2003.