Art: A Visual History

by Peter Cumming

BOOKS

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, History, Reference, Art and Photography

416 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[JeneralDisarray · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciate the conversational, no-nonsense tone, I'm not sure for whom the book is intended.
Maybe it's people going to prominent art museums, but - if that's the case - the book is too big (hardback & 400+ pages). I'm absolutely not going to carry it around in my purse and flip through it every time I find myself in front of an interesting piece.
Maybe it's people interested in learning more about art and experiencing new artists, but this audience will be let down by the lack of images and annoyed by the mere blurb-length summary afforded for each of the hundreds of artists included in the book. How will anyone remember why Kenneth Noland is notable, let alone what his art looks like if they can't see any images of his work?
To get the most out of this book, have the internet handy. Otherwise, a book like Janson's is a more informative and valuable read.

[Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good coffee table book.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to get better at identifying major artists and periods, and was satisfied with this text. It really shines in the in-depth look at certain pieces used to represent eras or a particular corpus.

Disappointed in the heavily Western focus and paltry nod at art before ~1200 ACE. A better title would have been Western Art Since 1200, leaving out the pre-1200 portion altogether (it was only a few pages). It's by no means definitive--any book on art would struggle to be so. The exclusively Western focus claiming to be "a visual history," presumably of the whole world, is laughable.

However, I did finally settle for myself what the Pre-Raphaelites and their imitators were going for (I'd never though of Botticelli as an inspiration before, but man, was he ever!), I found a few new-to-me artists and paintings to love, and I enjoyed "going to an art museum" in the time of lockdown. I appreciated how Cumming did not always pick the most famous work of an artist as representative of their work, but picked an excellent and meaningful one all the same.

[Patricia Boksa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this book. I liked the historical timelines it provided, and the clear description of the many different movements and styles of art throughout the years. One thing I didn't like was that, in trying to be very inclusive, the author gave descriptions of many artists' work without providing any pictures at all - at least one picture is really needed. I particularly liked the last part on Contemporary Art, which I knew much less about. I also actually enjoyed the fact that the author was quite opinionated about what he liked and didn't like - it made it interesting to see if he would like or trash artists that I know.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this history of art. My only criticism is that so many artists covered in the book had no artwork displayed in it.

[Grim Rainbow (Leslye) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did it do as intended and give me a crash course into art history in a textbook like style? Yes. Did it do it well? Eh. I wanted to start studying art history in my quest for self-education, and though this refreshed my memory of the different movements and enlightened me on both the known greats and other artists I've not heard of, I also noticed the author had a rather terrible time in keeping his opinions to himself. Especially the further you go, past the classical movements and on to the more modern ones. I'm looking for art history, not an art critic criticizing whether an artist is 'overpraised' in the movement. It also felt like the author was struggling with the length of this book as much as I did trying to read it (though this book is more for studying than it is reading, given it's laid out like a textbook than a novel. I'm aware of my mistake and have learned from it (no more textbook formats)). The blurbs were getting repetitive, small, and felt more like filler than doing much to showcase the important artists of each movement (especially towards the end). At least it pointed me in the direction of which artists and/or movements I wish to focus on to further my study in art history (and taught me what styles of books to avoid).

Editing to say I also agree with the other reviewers and wished there were more images of artwork that was discussed in the blurbs, instead of having to pause to google. Granted, I know that would have made the book even larger than it was.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visual history of art with information on the artists and their work. Readers can explore Early Art from about 30,000 BCE to 1300 CE. Then investigate the period of Gothic and Early Renaissance, art of the High Renaissance and Mannerism. Then explore the Baroque Era, From Rococo to Neoclassicism, and Romantic and Academic Art. Explore Modernism and the Last Fifty Years, from 1970 onward. An interesting short listing of possible future great artists concludes the listings.

The works of more than six-hundred fifty artists are included; art illustrations include a brief description; artist entries include a brief biography and a listing of key works. A definitive glossary is included.

Recommended, especially for those with an interest in art and art history.

[John Scothern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it easy to read and follow the historical periods and styles introduced within them, as set out in the book, whilst realising that I was only dipping an artistic beginner's toe into the water, so to spea.. As a readerwho appreciates'visual' presentation,the book was ideal.

It was often the first book I opened at 6.30am as part of my daily 'wake-up' routine and slowly I worked my way through it. Great!

[Rosebud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on the library shelf. I enjoyed it but there was a lot of detail I'll never recall. I realized how little I know about artists other than a few I know about and like. I would have liked for the book to have included bigger samples of the artists' works, but then the book would have been to big to carry around!

[Noraa Sii · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. Early Art 30,000 BCE - 1300 CE
2. Gothic and Early Renaissance 1300-1500
3. High Renaissance and Mannerism 1500-1600
4. The Baroque Era 1600-1700
5. From Rococo to Neoclassicism 1700-1800
6. Romantic and Academic Art 1800-1900
7. Modernism 1900-1970
8. The Lat 50 Years 1970 - onwards

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a decent amount of visual histories and I liked the inclusion of different artists. I also really enjoyed the placing of art in time, so as a reader you could understand the world around you. However, there is a lack of imagery and it’s quite euro-centric.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and beautifully produced resource. I went through it with my 6-year old budding artist. Perfect for art history lessons!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many judgey comments to make this book a truly good survey of Art.

[Akash Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good quick guide to get to know about all the artists from Renaissance to Modernism.

[Eelco den Heijer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific overview of visual art, only minor point that I can think of is that some artist descriptions have no accompanying image. Nevertheless, 5 stars!

[Steve S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely western focused, i.e just Europe and the United States.

I learned a lot of artists I did not previously know. I wish he included Wyland and Thomas Kincaide in the modern artists. Their art may stand the test of time better than those chosen.

As others stated, if you want to see the art, expect to spend a lot of time on Google.

Favorite artists (for my own memory of what I found):

Laocoon, Donatello -"David", Luca Signorelli - "End of the World", Cosmo - "Perseus frees Andromeda", Giovanni Bellini - "Agony in the Garden", Mantegna - "The Dead Christ", Van Eyck, Van der Weyden "Descent from the Cross", Albrecht Durer, Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Giulio Romano, Giambologna, El Greco, Pieter Aertsen (artist who seems to have things photobomb his paintings), Arcimboldo (makes portraits out of objects like fruit or fish), Bernini, Caravaggio, Georges de La Tour (candle lit faces), Velasquez, Harmen Steenwyck, Jan Vermeer, Theodore Gericault - "The Raft of Medusa", Emmanuel gottlieb Leutze - "Washington Crossing the Delaware", John Constable, The Luminists, American artists of late 1800's - (Frederic Edwin Church, Martin Johnson Meade, Fitz Hugh Lane, Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, George Caleb Bingham), William Holman Hunt, George Frederick Watts, Max Lieberman, Jean-Francois MIllet, Manet, Renoir, Monet, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Brancusi, Boccioni, Magritte, Matta, Dali, Paul Nash, Edward Hopper, Thomas Hart Benton, Georgia O'Keefe, Duane Hanson, Christo & Jeanee-Claude, Gerard Richter - "S. with Child", Jorg Immendorff,

[Vitali Prokopenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too little about too much.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loses a star for missing out Kusama. And women generally.

[Todd MacNeil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think this was necessarily meant to be read cover-to-cover. I'm glad I did, though.

[Sruly P · Rating 1 out of 5]

Snarky remarks, dismissive comments, and Cumming’s utter lack of artistic taste combine to make this book a waste of paper.

[Libby King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish there were more images of the individual art work

[Emily]

Meh. While it was beneficial to have a visual timeline- it is very much only covers the typical western art history which leaves much of the information and text feel outdated and narrow-minded. But it did organize Western Art History in a very visually cohesive manner.

[G-E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il fait un tour complet des arts en commençant par les débuts de l’art vers 3000 av. J.-C. jusqu’à nos jours. Il explique bien les styles et courants tout en dressant un portrait des artistes.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise and chock full of influential artists and movements. Two thumbs up.

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book to flip through if you want to see how art has progressed through the years.

[Lenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to give a simple over view of art and what to look for . Not a complex discussion

[Mekiah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 or 5 stars

Really interested in art and its history. Really good book for that. Highly recommend!