Great Themes in Art

This chronologically-structured, thematic survey of Western art and architecture (supported with comparative material from non-Western parallel cultures) treats art contextually as an expression of the key values, insights and aspirations of its makers, their patrons, and the surrounding culture. By exploring the style and media of art in ways that connect with larger human concerns, it exposes readers to the wealth offered by art and architecture--not only to their eyes but to their whole selves. It discusses the art of each period in relation to four dominant human concerns--found at all times in all cultures: Spirituality, The Self, Nature, and The City. Boxes within the text highlight the changing roles of the artist within society; describe the media and techniques they use, at their points of first encounter; and explain the belief systems and symbolism that makes art's subject matter more accessible. Engaging the Arts. Prehistoric and Ancient Art. Greek Art. Roman Art. The Rise of Christianity. Medieval Art. The Italian Renaissance. The Northern Renaissance. The Counter Reformation & Aristocratic Baroque Art. Dutch Seventeenth-Century Art. Eighteenth Century: Art of Privilege and Enlightenment. Romanticism. Nineteenth-Century Art. Early Twentieth- Century Art. Post World-War-Two Art.