Art History: The Basics

Now in its second edition, this volume is an accessible introduction to the history of art. Using an international range of examples, it provides the reader with a toolkit of concepts, ideas and methods relevant to understanding art history.

This new edition is fully updated with colour illustrations, increased coverage of non-western art and extended discussions of contemporary art theory. It introduces key ideas, issues and debates, exploring questions such as:

• What is art and what is meant by art history?
• What approaches and methodologies are used to interpret and evaluate art?
• How have ideas regarding medium, gender, identity and difference informed representation?
• What perspectives can psychoanalysis, semiotics and social art histories bring to the study of the discipline?
• How are the processes of postcolonialism, decolonisation and globalisation changing approaches to art history?