Art and Art History

In this beautifully written story of art, Julian Bell tells a vivid and compelling history of human artistic achievements, from prehistoric stone carvings to the latest video installations. Bell, himself a painter, uses a variety of objects to reveal how art is a product of our shared experience and how, like a mirror, it can reflect the human condition.With hundreds of illustrations and a uniquely global perspective, Bell juxtaposes examples that challenge and enlighten the reader: dancing bronze figures from southern India, Romanesque sculptures, Baroque ceilings, and jewel-like Persian manuscripts are discussed side by side. With an insider's knowledge and an unerring touch, Bell weaves these diverse strands into an invaluable introduction to the wider history of world art.

Can you tell pop art from dada? Are baroque and rococo, or existentialism and minimalism, all Greek to you? Would you like to be able to differentiate a Georgian manor house from a Tudor mansion, a Meissen cup from a Delft saucer? Anyone who reads is constantly coming across more or less arcane references to period and style. Even television has gotten into the act. One episode of the former series "Miami Vice" caught a character describing the upscale taste of a burglar: "This guy knows the difference between Baccarat and Lalique." Once museums were largely deserted and wonderfully peaceful places in which to browse. Now you must get a ticket and sometimes stand six deep to see a popular exhibit. Who are all these people? They are the culture vultures, and you, and perhaps the person next to you, are among them. Now The Culture Vulture, the book, brings more than 250 terms to your fingertips. No longer will you be in the dark wondering how a Biedermeier chair relates to a Victorian couch or what the difference is between a Bokhara and a Baluchi rug. Based on scholarly sources, this guide provides a readable and amusing synthesis of all those things you learned in school and forgot, with suggested readings should you care to delve further. The Culture Vulture is for the true dilettante (from the Italian dilettare, meaning to delight, charm), or one who finds pleasure in knowledge. We may not have the time or ability to become scholars, but we want to know more.

A trusted guide and companion for current and future art educators, CHILDREN AND THEIR ART presents a professional approach to teaching art consistent with national standards for student learning. This Ninth Edition is targeted at middle level and elementary schools. The authors are experienced as art teachers in the public schools and have a broad knowledge about school art programs. The Ninth Edition provides updated developments in theory, research and practices, with a strong emphasis on how digital technology provides new ways of teaching art. The most comprehensive textbook available for teaching art education methods, CHILDREN AND THEIR ART covers all aspects of teaching art in the elementary and middle school classroom: the basic principles and goals of art education, the characteristics and needs of children as learners, the core principles of art as a subject--aesthetics, principles of design, art history, new developments in art media and technology. It also covers all aspects of instruction--curriculum planning, sample lessons, suggested readings, and internet resources. Among numerous updates throughout the text, the Ninth Edition features a brand-new chapter on new media in art education with 22 new images. It features the use of digital technology in elementary and middle school classrooms and examples of digital art created by students.