Isms: Understanding Art is the perfect pocket-sized guide for gallery and museum lovers who have a general interest in the arts, but not necessarily any formal education in the visual arts. With this portable and indispensable tool in hand, anyone can guide themselves through the world's prestigious museums and major art collections and recognize and intelligently discuss the significant movements that have shaped the world of art. Using an informative and engaging style with informal and direct tone, each of the numerous "isms" that are used to define-but often misleadingly cloud-art movements are explained in simple terms and made accessible to the casual art lover. Readers are encouraged to think of styles as useful tools for conversation and exploration rather than as hard and fast academic definitions, and to relate to the art itself rather than to a merely conceptual idea. Each spread is devoted to a single art historical period and begins with an introduction that explains when the movement first emerged, the historical period to which it applies, and the principal disputes over its applicability, usefulness, or significance. The rest of the chapter is divided into several sections illustrating the most important artists and works within the period, related key words, and illustrations that best represent the distinctive features. This comprehensible structure makes it possible for any reader to gain a clear understanding of Classicism or Cubism while sitting in a café or visiting a gallery.
As a sign of our continuing abstraction process, we analyse and catalogise our world and label it according to what we perceive as distinctive traits. In political terms, I passionately advocate feminism, humanism, multiculturalism, individualism, multilingualism, environmentalism and so on and I strongly oppose racism, antisemitism, ostracism, conservatism, religious fanaticism and so on. Each ISM is connected in my mind to a set of values, emotions and ideas.
Art - being a visual expression of values, thoughts, emotions and ideas of a specific time - obviously mirrors the different social and political movements and shows them from a creative point of view. Often, art follows broad cultural trends, such as romanticism or classicism, and develops its visual expressions matching the values expressed during the era. Sometimes art creates a movement which is unique for the medium - such as perspectivism or illusionism to suggest space on a two-dimensional canvas or wall. Sometimes artists themselves define their art as a specific ISM - publishing official statements on the birth of a new movement, as in the case of futurism at the beginning of the 20th century.
Quite often, an ISM is retrospectively added to define a movement by comparing it to an earlier or later phase. Post-impressionism or post-modernism are examples of such ISMs.
Unsurprisingly, humankind finds it difficult to navigate the flood of ISMs it has created to catalogue its ideas and expressions. We are a storytelling species, and we tell stories in words, pictures, buildings, statues, music and politics. Our narratives become more and more complex, and confusing, despite - or because of - all the labelling.
Our need for structure has created a massive backlash. That is where this short volume comes in. A guide to the most common ISMs in art, it also gives us definitions, key words, main artists, timelines, glossary, comparisons of artists and movements.
In the Jungle of ISMs, this is a good compass!
I use it for teaching, but any art lover will find some valuable guidelines within it - or something to argue about, as there is hardly anything we feel so strongly about as about our preferred ISMS.
Review to come, though not much to say - informative and brief, a walk through art... My review might consist of art that is discussed that I happen to like.
It's been 10 years since I've taken AP art history, so I picked up this book at the library while browsing the art section to get a little refresher. It served as a nice, quick 'n dirty general overview of art ideas in western art history. It got the job done (and reminded me that there's a lot that I've forgotten :)).
It’s quite a shame to see the demise of pure beauty in modern world. The world I hardly understand. This was a very well-summerised and informative book about all the isms in art from renaissance till post modernism.
Es un estudio resumido de los movimientos artísticos, poco más de una hoja por cada uno, como bosquejo introductorio en la corrientes que han dado forma al arte. Cronología, artistas, referencias, tendencias, periodos. Un pequeño libro para un rato cultural agradable.
I preferred "Art Spoke" as a guide to the general movements of art. I am using this as a guide to make sure that I am exposing my students (grade 5/6) to a wide breadth of art representation. I liked that it was manageable in length and that each page has a snapshot of what made this "ism" important to artistic development. My school is particularly stringent about what art can be shown... so I had to draw little black dresses... on nearly every page... For use in an art-classroom environment, it may need some editing. But, as an artist it was highly informative and beautifully presented! I really liked it!
A little book with a little informative content and a little in the way of pretty - if a little hackneyed- pictures, written by someone called Little and now given a little review. This booklet does but little to help one understand art. Don’t buy it for that reason.
I used this book too help me fresh up my art history knowledge. I decided to take a entrance exam to enter art college so I needed a good study book. I passed so I can say that this book does the job. It could use a few more pictures of famous artwork in it, but for the rest , a easy book with the right information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is one of the books that sits on a short square table in my studio. I browse through it again and again when I want to refer to a period, a style, a painter. I have myriad other books on art but this book is small, packed with information and decent color reproductions of key works by key artists from key periods. The chronology of periods and styles and the layout of the book has really helped me to form and keep in my head a solid visual timeline of painters and movements. While this isn't comprehensive like Art: A World History by Bucholz,et al. or 30,000 Years of Art by Phaidon (two tomes I highly recommend) this little book of art Isms: like the other books in the Isms series offers enough information that upon finishing reading one can walk through any major museum and look at the works with a greater sense of understanding their importance and how those artists and works fit into a grander scheme of culture and history.
This is a good primer on modern art movements. It's designed as a primer, with a basic description, some background, some examples, and some guidance as to where it fits within the overall art movements. The choice to focus on pieces at a single museum per movement was a little strange, and a more visual representation of how the movements fed off of or bled into each other would have been nice, but this does a very good job of giving the prominent names and time periods for each movement. This would be a very handy book to have while visiting museums, and it's a good jumping off point for other research.
‘Isms’ is a well-organized summary of the major themes, genres, and artists that defined modern art in Europe and America. A uniform structure and concise chapters (2 pages per artistic movement) make it a handy reference guide.
I do take issue with the last chapter— an absurdly brief statement on ‘internationalism’ in the art world. While it is true that the art world has become increasingly globalized in the last twenty years, limiting non-western artists to the last chapter is reductive and revisionist. Modernism occurred all over the world! Perhaps the title should specify the text’s focus on European and American art movements.
2007 wrote: Probably the best guide to understnading the story of Western Art I have seen. A great compliment to a class i am currently taking. Defines each major ISM by the time period and major aspects,, as well as exploring key major works and the influences.
This is a great book if you want a quick reference for art history movements. Of course it's by no means exhaustive, but it gives the reader a good place to start with a brief history, a list of prominent artists, and some of the most well-known works of each.
Nice resource for gaining a better grasp on the various art movements. Each entry includes: major works and artists, characteristics, time period, and examples.
"O Romantismo (...) valorizava as emoções humanas,os instintos (...)Refere-se a obras de arte em que os estados de alma subjectivos,como os sentimentos,disposições e intuições,são dominantes".
* Renaissance (p. 12-15) * Italië. Herontdekkingen, ambities, veranderingen. Humanisme drijvende kracht. Menselijkheid benadrukt, zelfs van bijbelse figuren. Naturalisme, natuurgetrouwe detaillering. * Periode: 1300-1600 * Internationale gotiek (p. 16-17) * West-Europa. Nadruk op decoratie, patroon en kleur. * Periode: 1375-1425 * Vertolkers: * Fra Angelico * Jacopo di Cione * Gentile de Fabriano * Limbourg Brothers * Lorenzo Monaco * Giovanni dei Grassi * Pisanello * Giovanni dal Ponte * Classicissime (p. 18-19) * Renaissance keert zich af van “cultureel verval” middeleeuwen. Romantiseert klassieke oudheid. Masaccio introduceert gebruik perspectief. * Periode: 1400-1600 * Leon Battista Alberti * Sandro Botticelli * Donato Bramante (St. Pieter) * Filippo Brunelleschi (dom van Florence) * Donatello * Andrea Mantegna * Masaccio (betekent “sloddervos”; die bijnaam is hem gegeven door Giordio Vasari, omdat hij zo met schilderen bezig was dat hij weinig gaf om persoonlijke hygiene) * Michelangelo Buonarroti (David) * Rafael (o.a. de school van Athene) * Perugino * Titiaan * Secularisme (p. 20-21) * Algemene tendens om menselijke relaties te bespreken, los van religieuze waarden. * Periode: 1400-1700 * Vertolkers: * Leon Battista Alberti * Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio * Sandro Botticelli * Donato Bramante * Filippo Brunelleschi * Vittore Carpaccio * Donatello * Giorgione * Leonardo da Vinci * Andrea Mantegna * Michelangelo Buonarroti * Sebastiano del Piombo * Titiaan * Monumentalisme (p. 24-25) * Fysieke schaal. Ambitie om blijvend belangrijk te zijn. * Periode: 1425-1550 * Vertolkers: * Leon Battista Alberti * Donato Bramante * Filippo Brunelleschi * Lorenzo Ghiberti (won in 1402 1e prijs voor deuren baptisterium in Florence) * Giorgione * Hugo van der Goes * Andrea Mantegna * Michelangelo Buonarroti * Rafael * Tintoretto * Humanisme (p. 26-27) * Bijna synoniem met de renaissance. 1) aandacht klassieke wereld, 2) geloof in kracht individu om wereld en zichzelf te begrijpen langs rationele (ipv religieuze) weg. * Periode: 1450-1775 * Vertolkers: * Giovanni Bellini * Donatello * Domenico Ghirlandaio * Leonardo da Vinci * Michelangelo Buonarroti * Rafael * Tintoretto * Titiaan * Idealisme (p. 28-19) * Renaissancekunstenaars streefden ernaar om het ideaal te schilderen, niet omdat ze de wereld niet wilden zien, maar omdat ze de absolute en universele waarheid wilden vangen die erin verborgen ligt. Geïnspireerd door Plato. Michelangelo: lichaam monumentale proporties. Rafael: waardigheid, elegantie. Da Vinci: schoonheid, subtiele gelaatsuitdrukkingen. * Periode: 1400-1525 * Vertolkers: * Donatello * Albrecht Durer * Lorenzo Ghiberti * Leonardo da Vinci * Andrea Mantegna * Masaccio * Michelangelo Buonarroti * Rafael * Perspectivisme (p. 30-31) * Technieken en theorieën om driedimensionale illusie te creëren. Lineair perspectief. Verdwijnpunt. Ontwikkeld door Brunelleschi. Da Vinci heeft atmosferisch perspectief ontwikkeld: dingen in de verte zijn bleker en blauwer. * Periode: 1450-1550 * Vertolkers: * Leon Battista Alberti * Giotto di Bondone * Filippo Brunelleschi * Vincenzo de Biagio Catena * Lorenzo di Credi * Piero della Francesca * Franceso Granacci * Andrea Mantegna * Masaccio * Perugino * Paolo Uccello * Leonardo da Vinci * Illusionisme (p. 34-35) * Variant aan naturalisme. Kijker op verkeerde been om objecten aan te zien voor echte. Past in klassieke ambitie om natuurgetrouwe kunst te maken. * Twee soorten: trompe l’oeil (misleiding van het oog); bv laten geloven dat geschilderde appel echt is. En kwadratuur: grootschalige misleidingen, bv op plafonds. * Periode: 1425-1525 * Vertolkers: * Donato Bramante * Correggio * Donatello * Jan van Eyck * Andre Mantegna (eerste die illusionistische plafonds maakte) * Naturalisme (p. 36-37) * Minimum aan abstractie of stilistische vervorming. Overtuigende lichteffecten. Oproepen gevoelens en sferen. * Leidde in de jaren erna tot de ontwikkeling van landschaps- en stillevenskunst, wat in de Renaissance zeldzaam was. * Periode: 1425-1525 * Vertolkers: * Giovanni Bellini * Pieter Bruegel * Jan van Eyck * Hugo van der Goes * Giorgione * Leonardo da Vinci * Manierisme (p. 38-39) * Kunst van 2e helft 16e eeuw. Overgang hoge Renaissance naar barok. Werd 18e/19e eeuw beschouwd als achteruitgang tov renaissance. In 20e eeuw echter gezien als stroming die strakke composities van renaissance afwees. Grote verscheidenheid aan (vaak vreemde) poses, onderwerpen en perspectieven. Figuren lijken vaak in beweging te zijn vastgelegd. * Term komt van Vasari, om stijlvolle kunst aan te duiden vol elegantie en verfijning. * Periode: 1550-1600 * Vertolkers: * Niccolo dell'Abate * Giuseppe Arcimboldo * Agnolo Bronzino * Correggio * Parmigianino * Giovanni * Rosso Florentino * Andrea del Sarto * Barok (p. 42-43) * Kunst en cultuur van de 17e eeuw. Term werd in eerste instantie gebruikt om kunstwerken te kleineren die klassieke proporties zouden hebben. * Bol van beweging, emotioneel of spiritueel. Kronkelende vormen, felle kleuren, dramatische contrasten tussen licht en donker. Gaat alle kanten op. Alles om te engagen met de kijker, incl. technieken als breaking the 4th wall en manipulatie. Stillevens, genrestukken, landschappen. Politiek beïnvloed. Beschermheren die kunst voor prive-collectie wilden. * Periode: 1590-1700 * Vertolkers: * Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn * Anthony van Dyck * Juan van der Hamen * Diego Velazquez * Nicolas Poussin * Peter Paul Rubens * Jusepe de Ribera
Heinrich Wölfflin onderzocht uitgaande van deze theorie de relatie tussen twee stijlperioden als de renaissance en barok. Hierbij gebruikte hij een schema van vijf tegenstellingen die het verschil moesten duiden en zijn beweringen moesten bevestigen. Deze tegenstellingen waren: Renaissance - Barok Lineair - Losse lijnen Vlak- Diepte Gesloten - Open Diversiteit - Uniformiteit Helderheid - Diffuus
* Allegorisme (p. 46-47) * Verstoppen van boodschappen via allegorieën. * Periode: 1620-1750 * Vertolkers: * Claude Lorrain * Nicolas Poussin * Peter Paul Rubens * Johannes Vermeer * Simon Vouet * Barok-Classicisme (p. 48-49) * Prive-beschermheren. Landschappen. Klassieke compositieprincipes. * Periode: 1620-1690 * Vertolkers: * Charles Lebrun * Claude Lorrain * Nicolas Poussin * Pietisme (p. 50-51) * Religieuze toewijding waarbij kunstwerk zelf centrale rol speelt. Was o.a. katholieke antwoord op afgelostenheid van protestantisme door emotioneel rijke kunst. Onderdrukking religieuze kunst door protestantisme (geen verafgoding) resulteerde in vooral wereldlijke kunst in NL gouden eeuw. * Periode: 1600-1700 * Vertolkers: * Gianlorenzo Bernini * Claudio Coello * Pietro da Cortona * Giovanni Battista Gaulli * Luca Giordano * El Greco * Bartolome Esteban Murillo * Andrea Pozzo * Rembrandt * Rubens * Francisco de Zurbaran * Sektarisme (p. 52-53) * Aanhankelijkheid aan geloof van bepaalde gezindte of sekte. Vaak gekenmerkt door onverdraagzaamheid jegens andere groepen. * Periode: 1600-1700 * Gesturalisme (p. 54-55) * Gezichtsuitdrukkingen en lichaamshoudingen die kunstwerk begrijpelijker maken. Bij barok ook vaak complexe groepen figuren waarbij verschillende gebaren verschillende reacties op de inhoud uitdrukken. * Periode: 1610-1760 * Vertolkers: Annibale Carracci, El Greco, Il Guercino, Nicolas Poussin, Rembrandt, Vermeer * Emotionalisme (p. 56-57) * Emotie gebruiken om psychologische afstand met kijker te verkleinen. Meest kenmerkend met transformaties of openbaringen die om machtig centraal onderwerp draaien, goddelijk of werelds. * Periode: 1580-1670 * Vertolkers: * Caravaggio * El Greco * Bartolome Esteban Murillo * Jusepe de Ribera * Diego Velazquez * Francisco de Zurbaran * Caravaggisme (p. 58-59) * Invloed Caravaggio. Hij wees manierisme af en ook het renaissance-idealisme. Koos voor groter realisme en dramatische technieken, zoals clair-obscur (licht-donker contrasten groter maken dan ze zijn), erotische spanning, contrast beweging en stilleven, afsnijden van figuren om de indruk te wekken dat de taferelen van dichtbij zijn waargenomen. * Periode: 1610-1630 * Absolutisme (p. 60-61) * Afbeeldingen van absolute macht en vorsten. * Periode: 1620-1750 * Rococo (p. 62-63) * Sierlijk, decoratief. Frankrijk, daarna Oostenrijk en Duitsland. * Periode: 1720-1790 * Vertolkers: * Francois Boucher * Jean-Simeon Chardin * Etienne-Maurice Falconet * Jean-Honore Fragonard * Sebastiano Ricci * Giovanni Battista Tiepolo * Jean-Antoine Watteau * Academisme (p. 64-65) * Klassieke ideeën van schoonheid en perfectie. Codificatie van kunst in regels, gedoceerd op de academies. Zorgvuldige composities, groots onderwerp (oorlog of heldhaftige handeling), verheven stijl, vaak mythisch, religieus of vaderlandslievend. * Periode: 1600-1820 * Vertolkers: * Agostini Carracci * Annibale Carracci * Ludovico Varracci * Jacques Louis David * Charles Gleyre * Antoine-Jean Gros * Joshua Reynolds * George Stubbs * Neoclassicisme (p. 66-67) * Overheersende stroming in 18e en begin 19e eeuw. Reactie op rococo, en in navolging op morele ernst van het academisme. Interesse in klassieke verleden om eigen tijd beter te begrijpen. Sterk verbonden met verlichting en Franse revolutie. Moraliserend, rationaliserend. * Periode: 1790-1825 * Vertolkers: * Antonio Canova * Jacques-Louis David (belangrijkste schilder van deze stroming) * Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres * Angelica Kauffmann * Pierre-Paul Prud'Hon * Joshua Reynolds * 19e eeuw (p. 70-71) * Tijdens de romantiek begon het proces van het bevrijden van de kunstenaar uit de autoriteit van de academies, het sociale nut en het belang van de publieke opinie, conventies, en ‘goede smaak’. Kunstenaars zetten zich af tegen commerciele kunsthandel, waarin conservatieve, burgerlijke smaak belangrijke rol speelde. Realisten brengen dit verder door voorstellingen uit alledaagse leven op te nemen, vaak beelden van armoede en arbeid. Impressionisten verlieten de conventie van het uitbeelden van natuurlijke verschijnselen als solide, gemodelleerde vormen. * Romantiek (p. 72-73) * Zeer brede beweging. Reactie op neoclassicisme. Nadruk op menselijke emoties, de individu, irrationaliteit, instincten, mystiek, het intuïtieve en symbolische boven het rationele, regelgebonden en maatschappijkritische. Onmetelijkheid van de natuur, waarin de mens zowel zijn eigen vergankelijkheid als zijn ware morele aard kon herkennen. Fascinatie met de natuur. Ook gruwelen en het bovennatuurlijke. * Periode: 1800-1845 * Vertolkers: * William Blake * Eugene Delacroix (van beroemde schilderij over Franse revolutie) * Theodore Gericault * Joseph Mallord William Turner * Caspar David Friedrich * Orientalisme (p. 74-75) * Trend om het Nabije en Midden-Oosten af te beelden op manier die appelleerde aan vooronderstellingen, smaak, fantasie, politiek en vooroordelen van westerse publiek. * Periode: 1800-1900 * Medievalisme (p. 76-77) * Stroming binnen bredere romantiek die zich afzet tegen zowel neoclassicisime als industrialisatie. Kunst en cultuur voorafgaand aan renaissance werd beschouwd als zuiverder, spiritueler en fantasievoller. * Periode: 1825-1900 * Vertolkers: * Edward Burne-Jones * Peter von Cornelius * William Holman Hunt * John Everett Millais * Friedrich Johann Overbeck * Dante Gabriel Rossetti * Prerafaelisme (p. 78-79) * Werd rond 1850 tentoongesteld in Royal Academy of Arts. Veroorzaakte controverse; breken met academische regels. Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood wilde terugkeren naar schilderachtige en spiritueel “zuivere” kunst van voor Rafael. * Periode: 1850-1900 * Vertolkers: * Edward Burne-Jones * Walliam Holman Hunt (oprichter) * John Everett Millais (oprichter) * William Morris * Dante Gabriel Rossetti (oprichter) * John William Waterhouse * Realisme (p. 80-81) * Manifest La Realisme van Gustave Courbet: werkelijkheid schilderen zoals die is; niets aantrekken van uitgeholde ideeën over wat geschikte en ongeschikte onderwerpen zijn. Kunstenaar bevrijden van burgerlijke smaak. * Periode: 1845-1900 * Vertolkers: * Gustave Courbet * Honore Daumier * Edgar Degas * Henri Fantin Latour * Edouard Manet * Alfred Menzel * James Tissot * Materialisme (p. 82-83) * Het morele, intellectuele en emotionele wezen van een persoon wordt gevormd door zijn of haar omgeving (tegenovergestelde van idealisme dat er van uitgaat dat we gevormd worden door innerlijke krachten zoals een ziel). Reactie op het idealisme en de romantiek. Courbet was sceptisch over kunst die beweert onafhankelijk te zijn van de maatschappij. Hij was ook sceptisch over impressionisme, estheticisme en neoplastisicme. Neo-conceptualisten worden in de hedendaags kunst tot de materialistische traditie gerekend, omdat ze kritiek hebben op de manier waarop kunst en persoonlijke identiteit wordt gevormd door economische en culturele krachten. * Periode: 1845-2000 * Vertolkers: * Gustave Courbet (belangrijkste vertolker) * Honore Daumier * Edgar Degas * Henri Fantin Latour * Jean-Francois Millet * James Tissot
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
If you’re looking for an in-depth book that well articulates consistent and specific themes across art history, this isn’t the book you’re looking for. However, if you want a brief read that will give you a general understanding behind some of the major art movements in the west since the renaissance, than this book will suffice.
I was at the gift store for the art institute of Chicago when this book was recommended to me by an employee. In hindsight I’m glad I bought this instead of nothing, but if given the choice to change my decision might have picked a different book. After a short bit of reading, I realized how extensively jargon heavy it would be and that partly might explain the disconnect in enjoyment between someone that works at an art museum and an “aspiring art appreciator” like myself.
In terms of price I was extremely pleasantly surprised, obviously the copy the reader of this review might buy could be different, but mine was full of color and basically plastic pages. So given that it was high quality printing and from a museum $17 is a fair price.
My only other criticism is that sometimes the author starts describing certain art forms as “bourgeois” without explaining this in any detail. Before any marxists come at me in the comments for being overly critical of this point, it connects to his broader use of jargon without explanation.
A great synopsis of the 'chronological' history of art for those needing an introduction to the discipline of art history. It fits the program for most advanced art history courses from high school to college, but falls flat when it comes to actual depth of the history of art, which is to be expected. It's a pocket reference guide for me and it does come in handy. Hopefully one day we as a discipline can get away from the Vasari/Gombrich origins of a purely 'western' perspective of the progression of art. While it is true that some styles or 'isms' piggy-backed or confronted styles that came before it to create their own raison d'etre, our way of teaching doesn't showcase the variety and depth of the creative world throughout history, leaving out key cultures from the framework. *rant over* Nonetheless, it's a well organized pocket reference tool and worth recommending to students - majors and non-majors alike.
So much information in this little book! Elaborately illustrated, slightly opinionated 2 pages per "ism". The one change I'd make is to move the timeline to the front of the book instead of where it is obscurely hidden AFTER the index and before a very small list of museums. This would be a great gift book.
برای کسی که تازه کاره و خیلی با دنیای هنر آشنایی نداره کتاب فوق العاده ایه. کم حجم. گویا و روان. با اینکه هر گرایشی رو بصورت خلاصه توضیح داده اما در کل کتاب کاملیه. و از رنسانس تا پست مدرن شما رو با گرایش ها،ویژگی هاش هنرمندا و سبک های مشابه و متضاد اون گرایش آشنا میکنه. البته که کتاب مصور هستش.
Kniha, kterou je fajn si jednou za čas přečíst, aby si člověk zase trochu udělal pořádek ve všech možných uměleckých směrech a hnutích. Cenila bych, kdyby obsahovala víc reprodukcí, ale to by zase nemohla být takhle kapesní.
I’m impressed!!! Comprehensive guide to pretty much every western art movement you can think of from the Renaissance period to modern day. I loveeeed the way it was layed out i think its so innovative! Highly recommend for any fellow art lovers <3
A great book that accomplished what it set out to do. It doesn't go very in depth but you can get a thorough and concise education on art history with it. It's well written to which makes it more enjoyable to read.