introduction

introduction
- About art and artists

1. Origins shrouded in mystery
- Prehistoric and primitive tribes: Ancient America

2 Art for Eternity
- Egypt, Mesopotamia, Crete

3 Great Awakening
- 7th century BC to 5th century BC: Greece

4 The World of Beauty
- From the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD: Greece and the Greek world

5 Conquerors of the World
- From the 1st to the 4th century AD: Roman, Buddhist, Jewish, and Christian art

Art at a Crossroads
- From the 5th to the 13th centuries: Rome and Byzantium

7 Oriental Art
- From the 2nd to the 13th centuries: Islam and China

8 Western Art in the Chaos Era
- 6th to 11th centuries: Europe

9 Militant Church
- 12th century

10 The Victory of the Church
- 13th century

11 Nobles and Citizens
- 14th century

12 Conquest of Reality
- Early 15th century

13 Tradition and Innovation I
- Late 15th century: Italy

14 Tradition and Innovation II
- 15th century: Northern Europe

15 Achieving Harmony
- Early 16th century: Tuscany and Rome

16 Light and Color
- Early 16th century: Venice and northern Italy

17 Diffusion of new knowledge
- Early 16th century: Germany and the Netherlands

18 The Crisis of Art
- Late 16th century: Europe

19 The evolving visual world
- First half of the 17th century: Europe under the Catholic Church

20 Mirror of Nature
- 17th century: Netherlands

21 The Art of Power and Glory I
- Late 17th and 18th centuries: Italy

22 The Art of Power and Glory II
- Late 17th and early 18th centuries: France, Germany, Austria

23 The Age of Reason
- 18th century: England and France

24 Break from tradition
- Late 18th century, early 19th century: England, the United States, and France

25 Endless Transformation
- 19th century

26 In search of new norms
- Late 19th century

27 Experimental Art
- First half of the 20th century

28 The Neverending Story
- The triumph of modernism
- Another trend change
- The changing past

About references
Chronology
map
List of plates by location
index

In an age overflowing with images, the bridge between seeing and knowing
An introductory book that outlines Western art and the best humanities book that contains everything.
From prehistoric times to modern art, the vast history of Western art is completed in 700 pages and 413 color plates.

The world's best-selling art book, translated into 19 languages ​​and selling over 8 million copies worldwide, a great gift, a book that recipients actually read, a book that will change your life, the ultimate humanities book that has it all… … .

As many people as there have been in the book's long history have read Gombrich's "A History of Western Art" and have showered it with praise.
All of these words are crucial words that run through this book, but if I had to choose just one, it would be 'A must-read for an introduction to Western art history.'
The closer we are to the truth, the more universal and ordinary the words that express that truth must be.


Gombrich's "A History of Western Art" is a must-read book for anyone wanting to understand Western art.
Because it is best for those who are new to the field of art and need some theoretical training.
Covering a wide range of topics from prehistoric cave paintings to experimental modern art, it presents great and outstanding works from throughout art history, organized by period, style, title, and artist on each page, helping readers understand the systematic order of Western art.
Only Gombrich's "A History of Western Art" can contain such a vast history in one volume that will be read for a long time.


There is no such thing as art.
'There are only artists.' This is the first sentence of the preface to 'A History of Western Art.'
When you open a book, the illustrations catch your eye first, but as you read the text, you feel the people.
When you read and think about why the artist painted, what concerns he had while painting, and the relationship between the subject in the painting and the artist, you will see the painting again.
The story of a person, told in plain language, eventually becomes a story of art, and the history of art becomes the history of people.
If you follow this flow, you will not be able to let go of books, art, art, and life.
This is why I believe that Gombrich's "A History of Western Art" will always be with us in future history.


“The whole history of art
It's not a story of progress in technical proficiency,
“It’s about changing thoughts and needs.”
- by Gombrich