Art Firsts: The Story of Art in 30 Pioneering Works

by Nick Trend

The story of art is not always the story of art-historical 'isms' and complex academic debate. The real history is often the story of some very simple firsts - the first time an artist painted themselves, the first time someone painted a smile, the first actual place to be depicted, the first feminist artwork, the first anti-war work.

Art evolves and revolutionises itself through these simple - but ground-breaking - creative leaps. Art Firsts brings together 30 of these pioneering firsts to piece together an original approach to looking at and appreciating art, as well as understanding where it has come from and how it relates to you. Each first is approachable and engaging, while each work is simply and satisfyingly explained. Every work is also fully illustrated, and its significance is shown through images of the subsequent artists directly inspired by them. Art Firsts offers a refreshing and fascinating narrative for those curious about why so-called 'masterpieces' are so important and how the story of art can be boiled down to flashes of fascinating brilliance.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2023

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the background about The Scream, citing a note from Munch's diary:

I was walking along the road with two friends - the sun went down - I felt a gust of melancholy - suddenly the sky turned a bloody red. I stopped, leaned against the railing, tired to death - as the flaming skies hung like blood and sword over the blue-black fjord and the city - my friends went on - I stood there trembling with anxiety - and I felt a vast infinite scream through nature.

I want to remember the propaganda painting Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech-ring by Laura Knight.

I appreciate that the creator is clear that this is Western art and also pulls from a variety of time periods.

[Ryan Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent quick hitter on some art history; however, I wish that there was a tad more study and examination of the works highlighted within. It felt a bit too "Wikipedia" in the end. I did enjoy some of the categories the author chose, and I have to say I learned a few things a long the way. Decent.

[Ryan Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

During my summer break, I went for a stroll through Paddington and circled back to Darlinghurst, ending up at a gallery on William Street. I’d previously purchased a piece from one of their represented artists which I felt bought me ‘art cred’ to be in that space. A couple of pieces caught my eye: a sculpture of a male torso and a small painting composed of intermingling brushstrokes of lilac and grey.

I had a lovely chat with the gallery assistant about the theme of the works on display. I mentioned that the torso appealed to me because it symbolised physical health—something I’ve elevated to one of my supreme values. The brushstroke painting felt more abstract but I later came to see it for me as symbolising the breeze of these summer days on leave.

We drifted into a conversation about our attachment to beauty which she was constantly exposed to at the gallery. Being surrounded by works of art can provoke a desire to possess them before they disappear. I reflected that the sense of urgency that generates is misleading as beauty is abundant. I walked into a gallery, here now, and there it was, yet again. The urgency wasn’t about the beauty itself but the certainty of this moment. Future encounters were unknown and unpredictable.

I asked her which pieces spoke to her most. She pointed to a small black-framed canvas that appeared to me like a void. She said you can’t have light without dark. Contrast, I acknowledged. Joy, sadness; work, leisure.

She explained that the pieces that entered her life always seemed circumstantial. What can happen, might happen. This idea allowed her to practice detachment, she said. This particular piece coming and going from her life was uncertain. But beauty would always enter her life.

Before I left, she mentioned an upcoming exhibition of the artist who painted the black box. I marked it in my calendar, not because I cared for the artist but rather I was intrigued by the idea of experiencing art in the real world. Gym classes, songwriting and politics had all revealed themselves this year to be ways of connecting with people in the real world by socialising my interests. Would art not be the same? I had purchased my artwork of the artist represented by this gallery online after a year of regular browsing in a digital space where this unpredictable conversation with a stranger was, is, impossible.

I thanked her for the chat and said that I would practice detachment from the pieces I had admired. I wondered later that if I do purchase them that they might no longer just represent a healthy body and a summer breeze but this moment; the freedom to wander, end up at a gallery, and have a conversation about beauty, attachment, and meaning.

Anyway, this is a book about art.

I loved how the first use of visible brushstrokes paved the way for the impressionists who sought to capture fleeting moments.

I loved how Munch’s scream inspired Marina Abramović’s performance of one.

And I loved how the first depictions of children at play gave way to the ebullient joy of Sorolla’s beach scenes.

[Tabish Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art history books have a tendency to be informative but rather dry. This one bucks the trend by keeping it snappy with a few pages on each topic - telling the history of art from the first kiss depicted in art through to the first anti-war painting and the first portrait of a Black person in Western art.

Each short chapter also references more recent works on the same theme so it also dips into Modern and Contemporary Art. It's a read that you can find fascinating even if you're new to art history.

[Calvyn]

An interesting, fun read about various "firsts" in art."

Grouped by related topic and then seb-divided into Firsts; the 3-5 page chapters include --

First Abstract
First Feminist
First Anti-War
First Kiss

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun concept.
I came in knowing 0 things about art history and felt like I learned a lot and enjoyed doing so. I was confused why they bothered to include 1 or 2 of the pieces... because there came too big of an emphasis on the disclaimer that it wasn't actually "the first".

[Mbur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to glance through what were perceived as the 'firsts,' from the first nudes painting, the first selfie, first landscape painting, to the first female painter. Covers 3-5 artists/paintings per topic.

[Julie Akeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on a short excursion through art history.

[harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun!! i love art

[Neo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Martha Courtauld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun !