Marilyn Stokstad has put together a real masterpiece of art history with her book, Art History. In collaboration with Bradford Collins, and with contributed chapters from Stephen Addiss, Chu-tsing Li, Marylin Rhie and Christopher Roy, this large volume is deserving of pride of place on any art bookshelf.
The scope of this work is as broad as is the expanse of human history. Indeed, the first chapter begins with a survey of prehistoric art and prehistory. Spanning all the ancient cultures, there are chapters devoted to the art of the ancient Near East, Egypt, the Aegean, Etruscan and Roman art, Christian, Jewish and Byzantine art, Islamic art, the art of India, China, Japan, the Americas and Africa. And from there, it gets complicated!
This book tackles all the issues of art: philosophical considerations (the relationship between art and reality, and the meaning and importance of beauty in art), focus on artists in general and in particular, society's relationship to art, including the role of the patron, the importance of museums, and an investigation that goes behind the phrase, 'I know what I like.'
'Art history, in contrast to art criticism, combines the formal analysis of works of art--concentrating mainly on the visual elements in the work of art--with the study of the works' broad historical context. Art historians draw on biography to learn about artists' lives, social history to understand the economic and political forces shaping artists, their patrons, and their public, and the history of ideas to gain an understanding of the intellectual currents influencing artists' work.'
In addition to presenting a history of art, Stokstad and her contributors also present an introduction to various aspects of art appreciation, without with art history loses much meaning. Each chapter has an explanation of the techniques that were developed and important during the time under examination (for instance, lost wax casting, glassamking and Egyptian faience, Japanese woodblock technique, and Islamic carpet making, among many others, are illustrated in detail to enhance the knowledge and appreciation of the finished art works). Each chapter and time period also has a section entitled Elements of Architecture, which include discussion on elements from pyramids to skyscrapers and much in between.
The text is clear and concise, carefully explaining technical terms when they are used, and then using them sparingly. Every page is a visual feast, with full colour plates of photographs of paintings, sculpture, artists, locations, or architectural examples in great form, as Henry N. Abrams, Inc. publishers are famous for doing. There are literally thousands of illustrations, as there are often many per page; almost no page is without one, and the book is nearly 1200 pages long.
As an aid for those who will use this book for more scholarly purposes, there is an extensive bibliography in the back, in three classifications of listings -- general surveys and art history references, a selected list of art history journals, and then a chapter-specific directory of further reading for each art topic/period. Additionally, it has after the bibliography as Website Directory of Museums, which includes museums in every state in the United States and most major museums around the world. The index includes listings by artist, period, topic, and particular works of art.
This book has been intended to be useful as a text for a course in art appreciation, but also designed to be a joy to read for the casual reader who might not want an academically rigourous presentation. As Stokstad says in her preface, the intention was make this book itself a work of art, and in that task she has succeeded admirably.
早在1986年，John Russell就曾在纽约时报上撰文《印象派是不是有点流行过火了（IS IMPRESSIONISM TOO POPULAR FOR ITS OWN GOOD?）》对此现象进行了质疑。公众对华盛顿国家艺术馆印象画展的趋之若骛和对远从捷克斯诺伐克借来展出的提香的《玛尔叙阿斯的凌迟之死》的冷漠无视令作者感到不安。他说，如果我们忘记了印象派画家们当时做出的那些艰难改变，或者我们停止去留意它们，我们不仅会错误地审视艺术的历史，也会错误地审视我们人类自己的历史。如何保持这种不停变化的本质和视角应当成为今天史学家和艺术评论家更为严峻的任务之一。任何质疑这项任务紧急性的人们，只需要看看印象画展里汹涌的人流，那洋溢得无处不在的、过份的喜悦。
"Is Impressionism Too Popular for its Own Good?" John Russell, New York Times
It's still new in my memory while two French friends and I went to the Impressionism exhibition held in BJ last year. I know little about arts well forgive my ignorance; but I really feel somewhat exciting thing in those paints which, which I fail to pinpoint. I like it, very simply~
Besides, we are herd animals:)
shabby view of a laywoman...lol
第一学期我选了希腊艺术(Art grec)、罗马和意大利艺术(Art de Rome et de l'Italie)，第二学期选了中世纪艺术(Art médiéval)和19世纪当代艺术(Art contemporain: XIX siècle)。还选了哲学史(Histoire de la Philosophie)和文化遗产的保护入门(Introduction à la préservation des biens culturels)，方法学里选了法语表达(Expression française)和法语课(Français langue étrangère)，以及Techniques documentaires。这么多课一下压上来，真有点心慌慌呢！
L’art de la Grèce antique a exercé une influence considérable sur la culture de nombreux pays des temps anciens à nos jours, en particulier dans les domaines de la sculpture et de l'architecture. À l'ouest, l'art de l'Empire Romain s'est largement inspiré des modèles grecs.
À l'est, les conquêtes d'Alexandre le Grand ont permis plusieurs siècles d'échanges entre les Grecs, l'Asie centrale et les cultures indiennes, ce qui a donné naissance à l'art gréco-bouddhique, avec ses ramifications jusqu'au Japon lui-même. Après la Renaissance en Europe, l'esthétique humaniste et les techniques sophistiquées de l'art grec ont inspiré plusieurs générations d'artistes européens. Jusqu'au XIXe siècle, le classicisme de l'art grec a fortement influencé l'art du monde occidental.
excercer 行使，造成
une ramification 分支，分部
sopistiqué 先进的
Les historiens d'art définissent généralement l'art grec ancien comme l'art produit dans la région parlant le grec entre le Xe et le Ier siècle av. J.-C. Ils excluent généralement l'art des civilisations minoenne et mycénienne, qui existaient entre le XVe et le XIIe siècle av. J.-C. Bien qu'il se soit agi de cultures parlant le grec, il n'existe que peu ou pas de continuité entre l'art de ces civilisations et l'art grec ultérieur.
36 À l'autre bout de l'échelle de temps, les historiens d'art s'accordent généralement pour dire que l'art grec ancien se termine avec l'établissement de la culture romaine dans le monde parlant le grec, vers le Ier siècle av. J.-C. Après cette date, ils estiment que l'art gréco-romain, malgré ses réalisations monumentales, s'est inspiré des modèles grecs plus anciens et a décliné lentement en qualité jusqu'à ce que l'avènement du christianisme mette fin à la période classique vers le Ve siècle.
à l'autre bout de l'échelle 另一方面
un avènement 降临，到来
楼主 
