[.ca] History Of Art Slip Cased Edition (ISBN 0810934469)

From Amazon.com:
Back in the early 1970s, "Janson"--as History of Art is universally known--was a hefty but manageable 616 pages, illustrated mostly with black-and-white photographs. It also famously contained not a single work by a female artist and devoted a scant eight pages to non-Western art. Five editions and three decades later, the art history student's Stone Age-to-20th-century Bible has swelled into a massive, slipcased, 1,000-page tome studded with 865 color reproductions and subheadings that corral individual artists whose achievements used to flow together like some mighty art historical river. Women artists (from 17th-century painter Artemisia Gentileschi to contemporary photographer Cindy Sherman) now make the cut, and the focus is purely Western, extended to include 20th-century photography and postmodernism (with a scant two pages on postmodern theory). The timeline charting landmarks in art alongside key events in history, science, and the arts has been handsomely redesigned. Each historical period now has its own world map and selection of excerpts from primary sources (including unusual ones, like a fellow monk's account of painter Hugo van der Goes's mental troubles). With each edition, portions of the text have been altered to reflect shifting scholarly interpretations. (As the late H.W. Janson wryly noted in the original, 1962 preface, "There are no 'plain facts' in the history of art.") H.W.'s son Anthony writes in his preface to the sixth edition that changes have been made to sections on ancient art; French romantic, realist, and impressionist painting; and the history of Western architecture. Happily unchanged--no dumbing-down here--is the clarity and intelligence of the writing. All in all, History of Art remains an invaluable reference for anyone who studies or writes about the subject. But even if no further bloat is contemplated, the time has come to rename the worthy Janson History of Western Art, and to divide it into two volumes, if only to protect the health and backpacks of art historians-to-be. --Cathy Curtis

recherche:
Histoire de l'art/h.w.janson en français. s.v.p.Préface de Luc ferry Éditeur, Paris; cercle d'art, c1993 C'est un livre que je veux acheté en version française. Merci!

Western art the only art history?:
I will agree that this is good source of overall view of the certain aspects of art history--the western side. It's always been quite an amusement for me to see books claiming to be a History of Art book and only include the WESTERN History of Art. It seems these historians have forgotten just how influential EASTERN art has been in forming these WESTERN artists. The Jansons book is no exception. Quite disappointment, and I wouldn't have had much to complain, if they hadn't started the book with a grand "What is Art?", intending to quite obviously to include all arts.. oops, forgot to do your homework there Jansons.

This edition is not a full survey:
ISBN# 0-13-019729-7 is for volume 1 which only covers "Prehistoric Through Gothic Art"... very disappointing considering I ordered this book under the assumption that it went up through the postmodern period

Fantastic Overview of Western Art History...:
This book (although an earlier version) was our standard textbook for the western survey of art history while I was working on my Bachelor of Fine Arts, and for good reason. Jansen does a good job of covering many of the major movements and time periods of western art, with extensive imagery and well organized chapters. A timeline at the end of each section helps to better keep the history in order, and highlights important dates. I do agree with some of the nagative critique in that Jansen does not include important eastern art in the book, and this probably should be reflected in the title. However, I don't believe that this warrants the book having a lousy review: the buyer should just be aware that this is a WESTERN survey, and a very good one. This newer edition contains some additions to the older editions; of particular importance is the added chapters on Twentieth-Century Photography and Postmodernism, which if I recall correctly were not in earlier versions of the book.

All You Need to Know About Art History in One Volume:
Anyone who has taken an Art Survey or Art History course at a major university will no doubt already be familiar with this monumental and venerable book. It's long been the standard reference, for good reason. It doesn't merely take a few paintings or pieces of sculpture from a particular cultural period and overload the reader with needless minutiae. Janson's (father's and son's) text merely presents the relevant info that provides for a clear understanding of the progress and trends in areas ranging from visual arts (painting and sculpture) to architecture. The prints in the new edition are more vivid and outstanding than ever. The helpful timelines and diagrams have been updated, to great effect. The sections on Oriental and Sub-Contintent art , that was just a postscript in earlier editions have been expanded significantly. The emphasis is still on Western art and architecture, but the editors are making strides. As the Amazon blurb-writer notes, some attempts have been made to include more female artists besides Mary Cassatt and Georgia O'Keefe. The recent revival of interest in women artists such as Frida Khalo and Artemisia Gentileschi will no doubt have an impact on the next revision. This book would make a perfect gift for the budding artist in your household. It would also be a useful and important source of information if you are planning a trip to Europe. There is a reason they call it "Art Appreciation." The more background you have, the more "appreciative" you are of what is involved in the creation of a great canvas or a Gothic cathedral. If you believe that the contemplation of great works of art is a rewarding and enriching endeavor, then I highly suggest you make the investment and let the Jansons be your guides. For more background on Renaissance artists, in particular, I would also recommend Vasari's Lives of the Artists and Benvenuto Cellini's highly enjoyable autobiography. BEK