The History of Art in One Sentence

What's so special about Dutch paintings of cheese? When does Art Nouveau become Art Deco? Why were the Pre-Raphaelites obsessed with gingers? Find out in one sentence with comedian and art historian Verity Babbs.

'Heaps of fun, and endlessly fascinating - a must read for any history of art enthusiast. Utterly brilliant.' Alice Loxton

Verity Babbs journeys through 50 key art movements across history, answering ten questions for each in just one sentence at a time. Within these fascinating, and sometimes hilarious, nuggets of art wisdom, Verity covers everything from who inspired the movement and its impact on history, to the key artists and artworks for each.

Spanning 500 years - from the Renaissance to the Young British Artists - this wonderfully illustrated book is for anyone who wants to learn more about art and also have a laugh along the way. It won't answer everything, nor will you be a genius by the end of it, but you will feel a little less lost next time you're in a gallery or museum and will most likely become a whole lot more helpful on your pub quiz team.

Review

Heaps of fun, and endlessly fascinating - a must read for any history of art enthusiast. Utterly brilliant. ― Alice Loxton

I loved this fun, fast-paced journey through the story of art. Equally amusing and enlightening, this brilliant book offers an answer for every art question you've wanted to ask, plus those you're yet to think of while standing in a museum. Beautifully illustrated, it deserves a place in every gallery's gift shop. I wish I'd had a copy of this wonderful book as an art student! ― Ruth Millington

Packed with facts and a lively wit that would have the Mona Lisa grinning ― Chris Turner

Verity Babbs has done the impossible - taken a very high-brow, highly edumacated topic and stripped it back into bite-size pieces that make absolute sense. Nothing daunting about this book - get stuck in! ― Roo Irvine

About the Author

Verity Babbs is a Southampton-based art critic-comedian and presenter from Northampton. She graduated with a History of Art Degree from the University of Oxford and has collaborated on projects with Tate, the National Gallery, Soho House, National Film and Television School, and Royal Museums Greenwich. Her work focuses on making the art world more accessible and bringing laughter into cultural spaces. Verity is the founder of Art Laughs, live art-themed comedy events which made its Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2022.