Primitivism, Cubism, Abstraction: The Early Twentieth Century

by Charles; Francis Frascina & Gil Perry Harrison

This volume is part of a four-volume series about art and its interpretation in the 19th and 20th centuries. The books provide an introduction to modern European and American art and criticism that should be valuable both to students and to the general reader.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Art History, Cultural

Paperback

First published May 26, 1993

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in depth view into the early 20th century and the rise of modern art. Obviously the focus is on different types of abstraction and the continued reaction against academic art.
For one to understand the art world today, it is absolutely necessary to understand the roots which are outlined in this book. Without a background in the transitional period from the late 1800s to the early to mid 1900s, contemporary art has no context.
However, at times the text can be unnecessarily wordy and cause the reader to lose attention. There are a good variety of examples, both well-known and not too overexposed - which is a welcome change from the usual art history text.
Overall, this is a good departure from the survey text books and gives insight not only to the art, but the cultural and social tensions of the time that led to the artistic revolutions across Europe.