Reviews

This newly expanded edition of a major art history survey continues to fulfill the function of the original (LJ 4/15/96), which was written as a classroom tool. Stokstad and Cateforis (art history, Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence) here include additional media such as textiles, jewelry, furniture, and photography thereby enlarging the scope and approach to the study of art history as well as recognizing the social, cultural, and political aspects of the arts throughout the world. Arranged topically, each section opens with a color illustration and a vignette on a work representing the period covered. The numerous color illustrations, text boxes, and varying page designs are aimed at making this a more interesting and user-friendly research tool. Much of the text described as "the cumulative efforts of a distinguished group of scholars and educators" has been rewritten to include newly recovered or restored works of art, themes of controversy and debate, and changes in scholarship and attribution. Each volume includes an appropriate glossary, bibliography, and index. Designed to make the introduction to art history intellectually stimulating and visually exciting, this accessible, attractive edition is recommended for the reference shelves of students and teachers alike. Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Destined to establish itself as a modern classic, this hugely informative, wholly enjoyable global history of art from prehistoric times to the present views art as a fundamental, inextricable vehicle for the human spirit. Although Western visual art and architecture receive the most attention, there is also extensive coverage of India, China, Japan, Africa, Islamic art and Pacific cultures. Few texts so wide-rangingly connect the artistic output of each period to the artists' lives, sources of funding and historical, social and political context. The 1625 stunning illustrations (761 in color) are unrivaled in their adventurous selection and quality by any book of this type. Time lines chart parallel developments across cultures and civilizations; inserts spotlight literary and intellectual trends and artists' techniques. Stokstad, art history professor at the University of Kansas, has produced both a college text and a layperson's guide that is more fun than H.W. Janson's standard History of Art, and more multicultural. (Feb.)