Amazon.com
When the late H.H. Arnason wrote the first History of Modern Art, he gently guided his readers through such comforting realms as impressionism and pointillism, eventually to deposit them in the unfamiliar territory of cubism, surrealism, and even--help!--abstract expressionism. Now, with the fourth edition of this groundbreaking book, Marla F. Prather, curator of 20th-century art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., brings readers all the way into the l990s, a decade with precious few "isms" to serve as signposts. It's a long, long trip, one that should not be undertaken without this 850-page guidebook.
The thoughtful, readable, always illuminating text, which begins 150 years ago with Bouguereau's soupy pictures of cherubim, now ends with a haunting video-sound installation by Bill Viola. Although H.H. Arnason modestly wrote, "It must always be recognized that the words of the interpreter are at best only an approximation of the visual work of art," History of Modern Art has always done a terrific job helping the art-loving and art-curious alike understand what they're seeing. This edition, like its predecessors, is picture-packed, with 500 new illustrations joining the nearly 1,000 that have appeared before. --Peggy Moorman
The New York Times Book Review, John Russell
[Prather] has clearly rethought and comprehensively updated the entire History of Modern Art and the chapter on Cubism--for which she was personally responsible--has both crispness and cogency. The individual summaries of living artists are fuller and more evidently fair-minded than is usual in books of this sort.
Book Description
History of Modern Art has long been recognized as the authoritative, encyclopedic history of painting, photography, sculpture, and architecture from the mid-19th century, when modern art emerged, to the present day. Revising author Marla F. Prather's contributions to the new Fourth Edition include: More biographical information about each artist. An entirely new chapter on Cubism. A lively sense of social and historical context. Coverage of work in nontraditional mediums, such as video, installation, and performance art. More than 30% new illustrations and text and nearly twice the number of color illustrations as in previous editions. A culturally diverse selection of artists and a much broader selection of works by women. Chronological reorganization of the text, an updated bibliography, and a complete index. Marla F. Prather is curator of 20th-century art at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. The late H. H. Arnason was a noted art historian and museum administrator.
The publisher, Prentice-Hall Humanities/Social Science
Published jointly by Prentice Hall and Harry N. Abrams Inc., a chronological, illustrated history of modern painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography -- from the late 19th century to the 1980s.
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