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A Little History of Art

Charlotte Mullins

$34.95

Hardback

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English
Yale University
03 June 2022
A thrilling journey through 100,000 years of art, from the origins of mark making to art’s pivotal role in culture today

Why did our ancestors make art? What did art mean to them and what does their art mean for us today? Why is art even important at all?

 

Charlotte Mullins brings art to life by focusing on those who made it, from teenage prodigies to nonagenarians. This little history introduces us to overlooked artists, busts a few art history myths, and celebrates global networks of art, from Japan and India to South America and the Middle East.

 

Mullins shows us the first artworks ever made and early masterpieces such as the Terracotta Army and Nok sculptures. She tells the story of the Renaissance, from Giotto to Michelangelo, and introduces us to subsequent leading artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Rembrandt, and Hokusai. Through the turbulence of the twentieth century, we see artists group together and break apart and meet trailblazers including Käthe Kollwitz, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and Jacob Lawrence. More recently contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei and Shirin Neshat create art as resistance as they address today’s urgent issues. This extraordinary journey through 100,000 years celebrates art’s crucial place in understanding our collective culture and history.

By:  
Imprint:   Yale University
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 216mm,  Width: 137mm, 
ISBN:   9780300253665
ISBN 10:   0300253664
Series:   Little Histories
Pages:   336
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Charlotte Mullins is an art critic, writer, and broadcaster. A former editor of ArtReview, V&A Magazine, and Art Quarterly, she has published more than a dozen books on visual art.

Reviews for A Little History of Art

This lively volume is ideal for the precocious high-schooler, the lazy collegian . . . and any adult who wishes for greater mastery of the subject. . . . Mullins leav[es] readers with an expansive, no-regrets appreciation of art and the human story. -Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal Author and art historian Charlotte Mullins aims to challenge the 'myopic prioritisation of male Western art' in earlier art history publications. -Gareth Harris, Art Newspaper In A Little History of Art, the author, a former editor of Art Review and V&A Magazine, plays to her strengths, breathing life into each artwork she holds her microscope up...Prepare to be whisked away on an extratemporal journey that spans 100,000 years of art in a mere forty chapters and discover a cornucopia of art within these pages. -Saffron Swire, Reaction A crisp and informative narrative of art's main trajectories and its leading figures...[Mullins] packs in a surprising amount of material. -Michael Prodger, Country Life An energetic, illuminating and wonderful book -Edmund de Waal Brilliantly insightful. A fresh take on art history as we know it. -Katy Hessel, host of The Great Women Artists Podcast Charlotte Mullins' A Little History of Art is a wonderfully refreshing, inclusive and readable romp through global art history. At once erudite and accessible, I can't recommend it enough - I wish it had been available when I was an art student! -Jennifer Higgie, author of The Mirror and the Palette Charlotte Mullins tells the story of art with a wonderfully vivid style, taking the reader on an exhilarating time-travelling journey, covering thousands of years and hundreds of artworks. -Will Gompertz, author of What Are You Looking At? A remarkable achievement. Charlotte Mullins tells a story of human creativity that takes us around the world and across vast panoramas of time. She introduces each of her chosen topics with lucid prose, guiding us deftly through changing artistic landscapes and bringing us face to face with artists as they work: we step with her into prehistoric French caves, Florentine squares and New York lofts. A Little History of Art will not only be an inspiring introduction to young readers-its pages contain much to intrigue and entertain anyone interested in human culture. -Susan Owens, author of Spirit of Place


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