Clear, concise, and extensively illustrated, A Guide to Art provides an accessible introduction to an often daunting subject.
Here, beginners can explore the history of art as a whole or analyze individual works in detail; learn about specific artists or discover the various schools of art. And, readers already familiar with the subject will find the book to be a convenient reference, as it offers a fully rounded look at the last seven hundred years of Western artistic development.

A Guide to Art focuses on the major art-historical movements, concentrating on well-known artists and their works. Beginning in the fourteenth century, when the foundations of what we now see as modern art were established, the entire course of Western art history is treated, right up to the present. Each period is examined in a multilayered approach: compact yet highly informative historical essays appear alongside relevant color illustrations. Adjoining the text for easy reference are biographies of major artists and chronological tables summarizing important events in politics, literature, music, and philosophy as well as in art. Each chapter also includes a box spotlighting a topic of particular interest. Thus, with all the pertinent information at hand, readers can approach any period, movement, or artist easily.

Also included are appendices for further information, a glossary of art-historical terms, a list of the world's principal art museums with a description of their most important holdings, and an index of artists.

Stimulating, informative, logically organized, and beautifully designed and produced. A Guide to Art is both the perfect introduction to art and a convenient handbook for more knowledgeable artlovers.