Art Is...

by Metropolitan Museum of Art

With over 180 works from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, ART IS... looks at art with short, concise observation, reflections, and reactions. Because there are no absolute explanations, readers are encouraged to observe, to debate, and to develop their own definitions of art.

This engaging book from The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers nearly two hundred illustrated definitions of art, all presented as simple, concise observations and reactions: a Da Vinci sketch is study; a Louis Comfort Tiffany vase is craft; a Nigerian mask is symmetry; a Van Gogh still life is composition; a Babylonian lion is fierce; a Duccio portrait is tender.

Reaching across time and form, from ancient statues to medieval tapestries to Baroque instruments to Impressionist paintings to contemporary costumes, the selected works represent the Metropolitan Museum's vast collection and are sure to inspire both novice and seasoned art lovers to create their own definitions of art.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1970

About the author

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, (colloquially, the “Met”) is the largest art museum in the United States.

It was founded on April 13, 1870, "to be located in the City of New York, for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in said city a Museum and library of art, of encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts, and the application of arts to manufacture and practical life, of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects, and, to that end, of furnishing popular instruction."

Reviews

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What is art?" is a question with no single answer — in fact, this book has nearly two hundred responses.

Warnings: artistic nudity

What you think of this book largely depends on what you want from it. It is very simple but I can see where the staff at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically Mimi Tribble, Mary Wong and Kate Kenedy put the effort in (Editor, Producer and Interior designer respectively). If you want a detailed description of what art is considered to be this isn't for you. If you want something akin to a coffee table book then Art is... might be for you. I really liked it as a different way to look at art and a way to think of a single piece of art in multiple lights. Not sure I would pay artbook prices for it but I feel like I wouldn't mind owning this one as just a different type coffee table book.

The format is simple enough each double page has "art is ___" accompanied by an appropriate piece of art. The "art is..." statements are in pairs "Art is __, art is ___." The art pieces are of course appropriately credited and all are largely housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The pieces cover a range of art forms statues, clothing and traditional art among others. There is little limit to when the art could be created. As an example "art is color" is accompanied by Salatore Ferragamo's Sandal (a colourful platform sandal, 1938). Another example is "art is ethereal" accompanied by Asher Brown Durand's LandscapeScene from "Thanatopis" (an oil on canvas landscape, 1850). The caption is in the most convenient piece of white space and includes the title, creator (includes birth, nationality and death years), details (including material, measurements and year) and finally acquisition details. I would suspect it is what is on the wall next to the art as it is displayed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

There is one massive piece of missing information for me I would love to know where the many descriptors come from. I feel like they are more than professional or employee opinions. I do wonder if they are partially from public participation. Sort of a "what is art to you?" question on a survey. That said the pairs do line up well. Some example pairings "Art is shape, art is color.", "Art is atmospheric, art is ethereal" and "Art is ornamental, art is unadorned".

A representative gif:

[VJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a reproductions-studded book that defines art in 3 simple words, starting with "Art is... ."
It doesn't really give a definitive explanation of why the said art is described or defined as such, but leaves the reader to ponder upon each simple (but oft-times ambiguous) definitions. The amount of reproductions from the MET museum's collection were a delight to see, but that's all there is to it in this book. It's a great gift to give an elementary level art enthusiast, but probably not the sort of book a serious art student or educator may need as a learning supplement.

[Karla Kitalong]

This book had me looking at pictures more than reading. Each two-page spread consists of a work of art, a word that the authors chose to describe it, and a citation for the art. Paging through was enlightening--sometimes I dwelled on the image, sometimes tried to figure out why the authors chose that image in association with that word. I looked up the book on Amazon--it's not particularly expensive to buy new ($14; used copies as little as $3); I likely wouldn't have it if it hadn't been on the farmers market bookseller's table for $1.00.

[kait ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just alright. I enjoyed seeing all the artwork and analyzing the pieces for the descriptive words that were given but there is no other information about the works to keep me engaged. I felt like a toddler learning certain words rather than someone who actually wants to learn more about art and the history of the pieces. It is good for what it is but if you are wanting anything with depth to it, do not get this.

[Maddy Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Audrey's Picture Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art in this book is well-chosen, represents a variety of styles and places, and it very engaging. The book also escapes the traditional art book trap of overwhelming the art with words about it. The short "art is..." statements ensure that that never happens in this book. However, I think it has some structural planning issues that make it fall short of being a truly great art book. It would have been much more powerful if done in a larger page size, but with fewer pages. Many of the works of art in this book are so small that you can't really examine them properly. Moreover, the sheer number of works of art in the book encourages the reader to flip quickly through it, instead of pausing to savor each work. Of course, the true art aficionado will savor each painting, but the true art aficionado is not the intended audience of this book. This is an introductory art book, and as such, it should be made in a way that encourages amateurs to linger, rather than rush through, each art work.

All of that said, this is still, comparatively speaking, one of the best art books I have come across. I would recommend it to anyone looking for introductory art books for themselves or their children. Still, that recommendation is as much a testament to the weakness of the art book genre as a whole as it is an endorsement of this one in particular.

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, this book shows that art is a bit of everything. It may not have actually taught me anything specific about art, but it certainly inspired me to visit the museum in New York City itself.

[Bookwyrmgyrl]

Fun to read and easy too, with three main words on each two-page spread and photo of a work of art on the other. There is some fine print at the bottom of each word page, telling you the name of the masterpiece and so on. Very enjoyable, and even a child could read it or just look at it.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book that is small in size, but large in scope, exploring the many expressions of "art".

[Reem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book ..