Art Day by Day: 366 Brushes with History

by Alex Johnson

A daily almanac that presents a selection of art historical events for every day of the year, from momentous and headline-grabbing to intimate, amusing, and illuminating. Taking a novel approach to the history of art, Art Day by Day aims to change the pace at which the story is told. Presenting snapshots of the most exciting, unusual, and noteworthy art events from around the world and throughout history through direct testimonies, eyewitness accounts, and contemporary chroniclers, this volume is a unique look at the past. Drawing on articles, diaries, interviews, letters, speeches, transcripts, and more, Art Day by Day offers an important event that happened on that day in the history of art. Here are the stories of famous paintings, ancient sculptures, comic strips, photographs, murals, manifestos, and marriages, from terracotta soldiers to a self-shredding Banksy. Each day has its own section, starting with an extended quote giving artists, critics, and commentators their voice to speak directly to us, followed by a brief explanatory text, and ending with other important events in art on that day such as births, deaths, and exhibition openings. Not every entry is momentous, but each one is significant. Yes, there are thefts, murders, artistic mishaps, and eureka moments, but there are also episodes such as President Theodore Roosevelt’s doodles, Michelangelo writing to his nephew about his kidney stones, and Monet getting the green light for his water garden. Every day has a story to tell. An informative overview of culture throughout the ages, Art Day by Day is as enlightening as it is the perfect armchair companion and reference for art lovers everywhere.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction

480 pages, Hardcover

Published October 26, 2021

About the author

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Reviews

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the format of this book might lend itself toward dismissive comparisons to fact-a-day calendars, it is a rather engaging collection of daily moments from our collective cultural heritage. Each day consists of a focal entry, introduced through related text (quotes, letters, poetry, and the occasional menu) and expanded upon with contextual information about the artist, artwork, cultural impact, or ensuing opposition and controversies. Daily footnotes abound which reveal a surprising number of artworks saved by their expulsion through windows during museum fires by quick-thinking bystanders.

The storytelling spans the ancient to the extraterrestrial, however, there are far fewer entries on African and Asian art which tilts the overall focus toward Western art rather than a more representative global view. Fewer entries on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Lewis Carroll might have made room for chronicling the contributions of these diverse and rich continents.

[Wilde Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book!