The History of Art in One Sentence: 500 Years of Art

by Verity Babbs

What's so special about Dutch paintings of cheese? When does Art Nouveau become Art Deco? Why were the Pre-Raphaelites obsessed with gingers? Find out in one sentence with comedian and art historian Verity Babbs.

'Heaps of fun, and endlessly fascinating - a must read for any history of art enthusiast. Utterly brilliant.' Alice Loxton

Verity Babbs journeys through 50 key art movements across history, answering ten questions for each in just one sentence at a time. Within these fascinating, and sometimes hilarious, nuggets of art wisdom, Verity covers everything from who inspired the movement and its impact on history, to the key artists and artworks for each.

Spanning 500 years – from the Renaissance to the Young British Artists – this wonderfully illustrated book is for anyone who wants to learn more about art and also have a laugh along the way. It won't answer everything, nor will you be a genius by the end of it, but you will feel a little less lost next time you're in a gallery or museum and will most likely become a whole lot more helpful on your pub quiz team.

***

'Equally amusing and enlightening, this brilliant book offers an answer for every art question you've wanted to ask, plus those you're yet to think of while standing in a museum' Ruth Millington

'Packed with facts and a lively wit that would have the Mona Lisa grinning' Chris Turner

'Verity Babbs has done the impossible - taken a very high-brow, highly edumacated topic and stripped it back into bite-size pieces that make absolute sense. Nothing daunting about this book - get stuck in!' Roo Irvine

Genres: Art

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2025

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. This is a brief, informative history of Western art since the Renaissance. The author, Verity Babbs, describes herself as an art historian and comedian, qualities that are well reflected in this short guide. Much of her cleverly chosen information will not be found in current books and courses about art history. It contains snippets of information about the major art movements, styles, and artists over 500 years. Three key artists and paintings are presented as significant examples for each art movement. These brief descriptions focus on humorous, interesting, or shocking facts. The guide is additionally engaging when searching online for key artworks by title. Many were significant for their time and art movement, but are not well known in modern art history books.

[Tabish Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is art history made easy, so everything from the Renaissance to Op Art is explained in short, snappy sentences. Verity is a comedian whom I've seen live, and she's just as funny in this book. This book makes art history much less boring and much more accessible.

[Judy Bolitho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book. I bought my own copy to keep as future reference and when I feel like a bit of a chuckle. There is something most attractive about an academic who writes well and has a great sense of humour. Thank you to my Goodreads friend who recommended it.