Art The Critics Choice : 150 Masterpieces of Western Art Selected and Defined by Experts, hardcover book by Marina Vaizey

This book has numerous color illustrations of (mostly) paintings: one picture per spread, the other page is a mini essay on the painting and its artist. Several time periods of Western art are covered - up to the year 2000. A great way to learn about art, a painting a day! Highly recommended.

Includes ten essays written by scholars of various periods use representative samples from each to cover the broad range of Western art, from ancient to postmodern artworks.

"In Vaizey's Art: The Critics' Choice, art historians have selected their favorite works of Western art or those they deem the most influential from Antiquity through the present. Concise overviews of each period provide a good introduction for the novice and a handy brush-up for those familiar with the material. As with any personal "best of" listing, there's bound to be arguments over the merits of what was selected and what omitted. In general, however, most of the icons of Western art are present; it's only when the authors move into the later 20th century that the choices become debatable. In contrast, Cole's The Informed Eye is the focused aesthetic opinion of a single art historian. Covering roughly the same time period, Cole provides rough thumbnail sketches of artists' lives and the creation of their work, which he then places in the larger context of Western art history. Cole builds persuasive arguments for each "masterpiece" he selects; as in Vaizey's work, there are no major surprises. Both volumes are appropriate for newcomers to art history seeking a quick introduction as well as for more seasoned viewers in search of an aesthetic debate, and they complement each other stylistically: Cole's train of thought is more coherent, while Vaizey's book presents more color illustrations in a larger format. Recommended particularly for public libraries with an interest in art and architecture." - A Martin R. Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC

• Format: Hardcover
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications, Incorporated
• Publication Year: 1999
• Weight: 4.7 lbs
• Language: English
• Condition: Used/Good
  
• Author: Marina Vaizey
• ISBN: 9780823002603 / EAN: 9780823002603
• Dimensions Weight 75.2 Oz Width 8.8in. Height 1.5in. Length 11in.
• Foreword by John Russell
• Illustrated Yes
• Copyright Date 1999
• Number of Pages 368 Pages
• Lc Classification Number N7560.A78 1999
• Publication Date 1999-09-01 Lccn 99-062741
• Edited by Marina Vaizey