Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Humor In Art: A Celebration Of Visual Wit

Rate this book
“Insightful, and mirthful...Six comprehensive chapters define, examine, and illustrate various types of visual humor, including wit and whimsey, parody and satire, and even comic nonsense and Surrealism....Focusing on 20th-century studio art and design, the text also explores caricature and cartooning.”— Curriculum Review. “A light-hearted, visual romp through the whimsical and the witty in 20 century art.”— Art Times.

Hardcover

First published June 30, 1997

2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read

About the author

Nicholas Roukes

23 books2 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
4 (26%)
4 stars
3 (20%)
3 stars
5 (33%)
2 stars
2 (13%)
1 star
1 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Melki.
7,302 reviews2,618 followers
April 4, 2016
One laugh is worth a thousand groans. ~ Confucius

More of a textbook than a coffee table art book, this is something of a treat for anyone who's ever wanted to burst out laughing in a gallery or a museum.

description
Louise Stanley, Functional Family Triptych (Kids' Version), 1993.

description
Guy Johnson, Vermeer with Model, 1986.

description
David Gilhooly, Ducks Descending the Staircase (After Duchamp), 1991.

Go ahead - let 'er rip!

Sometimes art is meant to be funny.
2 reviews1 follower
Currently reading
October 5, 2015
The book I read was Humor in Art by Nicholas Roukes. His purpose is to entertain the reader by showing you the funny side of art and discover why visual humor is a funny business. He examines and illustrates the various types of visual humor.
The theme of the book is ‘humor’. The author is trying to tell the reader how you can see the humor in some things but mainly in art. He explains to you all things about that. A good quote that shows you the theme is “Humor does more than tweak the funny bone and tickle the intellect” (XIII).
The style of this book is persuasion because it seeks to convince you and it makes you think that art is not simply art and you can see it differently. One quote that proves that style is “The artist with a sense of humor is a thinking and feeling person” (3). The style is very effective.
My opinion of this book is that it is a good book because it shows you many things about art, like good and famous painters, and good and funny paintings. It teaches you how you can see art with a different view. I would change some information about many painters because there are many and it’s hard to remember it all. I like that it shows us many images and is easier to see and understand humor. This book is not similar to any book I’ve ever read because this is an information book and it does not tell a story.

Profile Image for Heidi Larew.
52 reviews
August 26, 2010
"We are the only creatures who both laugh and weep, and I think it is because we are the only creatures who see the difference between the way things are and the way they might be. Tears bring relief, but laughter brings release." Robert Fulghum

"For health and the constant enjoyment of life, give me a keen and ever present sense of humor; it is the next best thing to an abiding faith." George B. Cheever
Profile Image for Dave Riley.
Author 2 books12 followers
June 10, 2012
Hated it: academic and indulgent. Pretentious. It did however reference some key works and artist but then tried to cobble the lot together under the same all in theme.

Not all of it was 'humor'.

Pretty pictures to be had.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.