Art & Visual Culture 1100-1600: Medieval to Renaissance

by Kim W. Woods

This volume includes essays on key themes of medieval and Renaissance art, including analyses of sacred art, Gothic architecture, the art of the crusades, and art at court. Key artists such as Simone Martini and Botticelli are included, along with defining monuments of the period such as the Basilica of Saint Denis and Westminster Abbey.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History

688 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book (basically a textbook) on Medieval and Renaissance art is not going to everyone's taste, but if you want an accessible and interesting introduction to art history, I'd say this is the place to start.

Split into two sections: Medieval Art in Christendom and Art of the Renaissance, it covers a range of topics including Crusader art and how Islamic art influenced Byzantine art, Simone Martini, El Greco, whether women patrons had a renaissance, and, my personal favourite, Gothic Architecture.

The writing style is engaging, and it is truly an enjoyable read; in fact, I found myself wanting it to be longer.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great book. It is not as theoretical as "The Changing Status of the Artist" (or other books from the 1999 art history texts by Open University), but it still has a lot of merit.