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The Ultimate Art Museum
Visit the world's greatest museum without leaving your home through this imaginary art museum - a visually spectacular survey of world art for middle-grade reader, curated in collaboration with a global team of experts and educators This imaginary art museum is an educational and inspiring experience without the constraints of space and time. Discover beautiful reproductions from pre-history to the present, arranged in easy-to-navigate, color-coded wings, galleries, and rooms, each with an informative narrative guide. Marvel at its remarkable range of styles and mediums - from classic to contemporary, and from paintings and sculptures to photographs and textiles. With a fold-out museum map and floor plans to follow, and interactive cross-referencing activities, this museum-in-a-book spotlights the iconic and important works and movements in art history and provides the perfect introduction to the history of human creativity. Curated in collaboration with the team of experts and educators behind Phaidon's groundbreaking global bestseller The Art Museum , which won acclaim from the New York Times, The Times, NPR, Vogue , and more - and a starred Library Journal review. Every single piece in this book was selected to illustrate important historical, cultural, and artistic facts, not only in order to give children a comprehensive foundation in world art history, but to also share with them the idea that art history is a culmination of 40,000 years of people sharing themes, ideas, techniques and incredible creativity across time and space. With its lavish page size and over 300 wonderfully diverse artworks, this book is the ultimate resource for all art-hungry children and their parents. Ages 8-12
232 pages, Hardcover
Published September 29, 2021
1 person is currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Ferren Gipson
5Ìýbooks6ÌýfollowersFerren Gipson is an art historian, writer, and artist based in London. She is the author of The Ultimate Art Museum and Women’s Work, hosts the Art Matters podcast, and is a doctoral researcher at SOAS, University of London.
Ferren is a researcher and advocate for art education. Her research areas include modern Chinese art history and topics exploring the crossover between pop culture and art. Her work can be found across mediums, including books, articles, interviews, and 68 episodes of the popular visual arts podcast Art Matters. Her first book is The Ultimate Art Museum (Phaidon), a museum-in-a-book for young readers. Her second book is Women’s Work (Frances Lincoln), which celebrates the stories of modern and contemporary women artists working in textiles and ceramics.
Within her art practice, she explores themes of labour, matrilineal connections, materiality, and colour.
Ferren has worked in the art and design sector since 2009, giving talks with wonderful brands and institutions, such as Tate and Esquire Magazine, and writing for the Financial Times and WePresent.
Ferren is a researcher and advocate for art education. Her research areas include modern Chinese art history and topics exploring the crossover between pop culture and art. Her work can be found across mediums, including books, articles, interviews, and 68 episodes of the popular visual arts podcast Art Matters. Her first book is The Ultimate Art Museum (Phaidon), a museum-in-a-book for young readers. Her second book is Women’s Work (Frances Lincoln), which celebrates the stories of modern and contemporary women artists working in textiles and ceramics.
Within her art practice, she explores themes of labour, matrilineal connections, materiality, and colour.
Ferren has worked in the art and design sector since 2009, giving talks with wonderful brands and institutions, such as Tate and Esquire Magazine, and writing for the Financial Times and WePresent.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 8, 2022
This was certainly an ambitious project! This is a museum-in-a-book, a collection of pieces that are physically scattered around the world (or lost altogether), a selection of different art from throughout human history: in short, all of the art needed to understand the history of art and its different styles, as created by different cultures from different millennia, all together in one fairly slender volume. By the very nature of the project's broad scope, it is clear that it will come short of some of its goals. I think THE ultimate museum in a book is probably an impossible dream, but the author (curator?) met this impossible task with commendable energy and zeal. Some things about this book were great, and others were naturally a little disappointing. As for me personally, I know very little about art, so I feel quite well-situated to comment on this book's ability to introduce such complicated subjects to an audience who may be encountering this art for the first time.
Okay, first, the good stuff!
� Its sense of fun. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this. This book is fun. Its bright turquoise cover, its "map" of the "rooms," its cheery tone: everything about this book is geared toward the accessibility and joy of art. No more is it something to be relegated to dreary classrooms and crowded lecture halls. Art is meant to be enjoyed, and so is this book.
� The layout. It's a museum with galleries and rooms and silly spaces (such as a café and a garden). There is even a "hall of selfies," which includes various famous self-portraits set inside a cartoony cell phone frame. The art itself is divided into three main groups, and the wings, galleries, rooms, etc. follow a logical order and flow naturally. It is not strictly chronological, but it is to a large degree, and it clarifies in many ways the connections between different pieces and movements.
� The book assumes that the readers are intelligent. This is definitely a children's book, but it never approaches anything akin to condescension. Some parts are even a bit open-ended. It seems clear to me that this author trusts the readers to engage with the artwork and explore it on their own terms.
� The book does NOT assume that the readers are educated about art. It does not just drop a bunch of technical jargon and expect people to follow the reasoning. Instead, ideas are explained carefully, and any technical art terms are clearly defined, both in the text of the book and in the glossary at the end. Consequently, it functions as a way to introduce children for the first time to different artistic movements.
� The variety. Lots of peoples, cultures, countries, religions, centuries, styles, and forms. The author clearly put a lot of thought into what to include and what to keep out, and I don't envy that task. She was intentionally inclusive, and she tried to highlight art from everywhere.
� The attitude. I want to be clear. I am reviewing the book, not the author. So when I mention her attitude, it is a direct response to the book itself, to the style of the writing, to the clear delight that shines through from every page. This was a labor of love, and it shows.
Okay, now to the stuff that didn't work so well.
� There was a lot that was not made clear. This book seems to be trying to function as an introduction to a lot of very complicated art topics, but there was still quite a lot that left me a little confused. That may just be the nature of any project of this scope. I don't think it would be fair of me just to make a blanket statement of "I didn't understand," so here's an example. "Conceptual Art" is treated as modern, and it is defined, in part, as art "to explore an idea." But a lot of art throughout the book explores ideas and inspires its viewers to do likewise. So where does that place conceptual art? What about this latest movement was different from what came before? I don't know.
� There are a lot of unanswered questions here. That is, there are a lot of things that I think kids might wonder about, things that I would have questioned as a child, that aren't addressed here. For example, kid-me would have wondered about all the naked bodies. (Actually, adult-me is wondering.) Were they depicted that way because the human form was considered artistic? Or was beautiful? Or was nudity understood differently back then? (The ancient Olympics, for example.) Were some of these depictions simply intended to be historically accurate? Nudity is just one example, but there were several times, when reading this, when there was a huge disconnect between my extreme feeling (e.g., confusion, bewilderment etc.) and the book's lack of even a mention of it. So it's not just that something seems strange; it's also that slightly surreal feeling that comes when no one else explains or even acknowledges something that seems bizarre.
� Lack of context. Most artists have only one artwork featured here. So was that one special piece early in the artist's career or late? Was it chosen for being the best of his/her art? Or was it the one that best represented that artist's body of work? Or was it chosen simply to be an example of a particular style, and maybe it was a more overlooked, minor production from the artist?
� Lack of scale. I have no sense of size for these pictures. Some of them are quite large, larger than a painting, yet nothing in the photo gives a scale. There is no rule or person or anything next to the art for context, nor is there anything in the description to give the height and width. Cave paintings, sculptures, miniature pictures—they all look the same.
� The small images. I mean really, REALLY small. I joked while I was reading this that this is a wonderful way introduce children to the concept of geriatrics and give them practice at aging. The book is heavy and hard to carry, it's full of things that don't necessarily make sense (so it's kind of like watching two people have a conversation in front of you), and if nothing else, it's terrific practice at hunching over, squinting, and then saying, "Eh, what's that? I can't see it!" All right, that's unkind of me. But it's bulky, and the pictures are way too small. I read interesting commentary in a very large font, but I just have to take the author's word for a lot of it because the art is too small to see. Frustration!
� I am unsure how to trust the book's information. I don't say this lightly, especially given my lack of an art education. I'm also not saying that the book is wrong—I mean, how would I know?—but I think it's fair to say that certain things are unclear. Again, in the interest of avoiding vague negative statements, I'll give an example. There is a piece of art called "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik." It looks to me like a picture of two girls in a spooky building with a sinister sunflower and some blood-red carpet. The book tells me the following: 1) This is a picture of one girl and one doll that is the same size as the girl; 2) They seem to be battling unseen forces; and 3) "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" is taken from a piece of Classical music by the same name, which means "A Little Night Serenade." I'm not saying I don't believe this, but I am saying I don't trust it. 1) They looked like two girls to me. I don't see any indication that one of them isn't human. Naturally, this made me curious, so I looked online and saw that these two figures (both of them) look eerily like the two girls featured in a different work by the same artist, and they look human there, too. I couldn't find any reference to them being dolls, and the website dorotheatanning.org which features the artist's works didn't mention it either. None of this means that the book is wrong—I didn't find any proof that she wasn't a doll, either—but it seems strange to me that the book treats so casually something that's so obscure. 2) The statement about the girls (girl/doll combo?) battling unseen forces is directly paraphrased from a statement from the artist, Dorothea Tanning, describing this piece of work. But she isn't credited in the description, and it comes across as the author's (that is, as Ferren Gipson's) interpretation, not as the artist's view. And finally, 3) I may not be an artist, but I am a musician, and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik means "A Little Night Music." Not all words in foreign languages that look like English words mean the same thing, but this one does; English shares quite a lot with the German tongue, including the same origin of the word "music." So why say something else? Why complicate things? The musical piece was written for chamber ensemble, so it's certainly not a serenade. Is Ms. Gipson making a reference, somehow, to the evening? Is she trying to evoke "night" with "serenade"? But why not just say "night"? If I hadn't studied German and music, I would not have known the misleading nature of the translation. And if I hadn't, would I even have caught the strangeness of the other two questionable? So now I'm left wondering to what extent I can trust anything here.
I'm going to wrap up my exceedingly long review one last art example, "Dancing In the Louvre." The artist is Faith Ringgold, whose "artworks show creative stories of groups, like women and Black people, who have often been left out of historical writings," according to Gipson's paragraph explaining her art. The art itself depicts Black women and girls dancing in front of the Mona Lisa. So what we have here is a piece of art that is in direct conversation with a previous piece of art. Sounds great, except that if this book is my only context for art, then the power of Ringgold's piece would be completely lost on me. The Mona Lisa isn't included in the book at all, nor is its significance explained here. Da Vinci isn't even in the index! I understand Gipson's intention (throughout this book) to bring to light artwork that wasn't quite so mainstream, but by the end of this book, it seems to have caused some issues. Ringgold clearly expects her audience to be familiar with Da Vinci and his work, with his influence on other artists, with the historical narrative that her artwork is challenging. And so Gipson's readers, in order to understand Ringgold's piece, should at least have some background on Da Vinci and the Mona Lisa. I know the work is famous, but I don't know why. I expect Da Vinci had an effect on the art community, but I cannot tell you what it was. So you see, Ringgold's piece, in being deprived of its context here in the book, is similarly robbed of its power. She is offering a new perspective, an empowering perspective, and she's doing it in the face of one of the giants of the Renaissance. (But I only know that because I looked it up elsewhere.) Da Vinci is mentioned briefly in the Renaissance section, but the Mona Lisa is not, and even Da Vinci seems unimportant to the movement, almost an afterthought. Now, I'm beginning to realize that I don't understand the Renaissance after all: at least one titan of the movement is glossed over (and probably others as well). What is Ringgold's piece reacting against? The book features much artwork from minorities and from women throughout, and I didn't question it until this page, which is near the end. Were these pieces by minorities and women obscure in their day? Were other pieces more well-known? How can I appreciate the triumphs of any marginalized group if I don't know about their struggles? Was Ringgold's piece considered shocking, then, for its casual attitude toward a classic work of art? To put it simply, I have only a slight understanding of how any of the art here featured would have been perceived in its own time.
Okay, first, the good stuff!
� Its sense of fun. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this. This book is fun. Its bright turquoise cover, its "map" of the "rooms," its cheery tone: everything about this book is geared toward the accessibility and joy of art. No more is it something to be relegated to dreary classrooms and crowded lecture halls. Art is meant to be enjoyed, and so is this book.
� The layout. It's a museum with galleries and rooms and silly spaces (such as a café and a garden). There is even a "hall of selfies," which includes various famous self-portraits set inside a cartoony cell phone frame. The art itself is divided into three main groups, and the wings, galleries, rooms, etc. follow a logical order and flow naturally. It is not strictly chronological, but it is to a large degree, and it clarifies in many ways the connections between different pieces and movements.
� The book assumes that the readers are intelligent. This is definitely a children's book, but it never approaches anything akin to condescension. Some parts are even a bit open-ended. It seems clear to me that this author trusts the readers to engage with the artwork and explore it on their own terms.
� The book does NOT assume that the readers are educated about art. It does not just drop a bunch of technical jargon and expect people to follow the reasoning. Instead, ideas are explained carefully, and any technical art terms are clearly defined, both in the text of the book and in the glossary at the end. Consequently, it functions as a way to introduce children for the first time to different artistic movements.
� The variety. Lots of peoples, cultures, countries, religions, centuries, styles, and forms. The author clearly put a lot of thought into what to include and what to keep out, and I don't envy that task. She was intentionally inclusive, and she tried to highlight art from everywhere.
� The attitude. I want to be clear. I am reviewing the book, not the author. So when I mention her attitude, it is a direct response to the book itself, to the style of the writing, to the clear delight that shines through from every page. This was a labor of love, and it shows.
Okay, now to the stuff that didn't work so well.
� There was a lot that was not made clear. This book seems to be trying to function as an introduction to a lot of very complicated art topics, but there was still quite a lot that left me a little confused. That may just be the nature of any project of this scope. I don't think it would be fair of me just to make a blanket statement of "I didn't understand," so here's an example. "Conceptual Art" is treated as modern, and it is defined, in part, as art "to explore an idea." But a lot of art throughout the book explores ideas and inspires its viewers to do likewise. So where does that place conceptual art? What about this latest movement was different from what came before? I don't know.
� There are a lot of unanswered questions here. That is, there are a lot of things that I think kids might wonder about, things that I would have questioned as a child, that aren't addressed here. For example, kid-me would have wondered about all the naked bodies. (Actually, adult-me is wondering.) Were they depicted that way because the human form was considered artistic? Or was beautiful? Or was nudity understood differently back then? (The ancient Olympics, for example.) Were some of these depictions simply intended to be historically accurate? Nudity is just one example, but there were several times, when reading this, when there was a huge disconnect between my extreme feeling (e.g., confusion, bewilderment etc.) and the book's lack of even a mention of it. So it's not just that something seems strange; it's also that slightly surreal feeling that comes when no one else explains or even acknowledges something that seems bizarre.
� Lack of context. Most artists have only one artwork featured here. So was that one special piece early in the artist's career or late? Was it chosen for being the best of his/her art? Or was it the one that best represented that artist's body of work? Or was it chosen simply to be an example of a particular style, and maybe it was a more overlooked, minor production from the artist?
� Lack of scale. I have no sense of size for these pictures. Some of them are quite large, larger than a painting, yet nothing in the photo gives a scale. There is no rule or person or anything next to the art for context, nor is there anything in the description to give the height and width. Cave paintings, sculptures, miniature pictures—they all look the same.
� The small images. I mean really, REALLY small. I joked while I was reading this that this is a wonderful way introduce children to the concept of geriatrics and give them practice at aging. The book is heavy and hard to carry, it's full of things that don't necessarily make sense (so it's kind of like watching two people have a conversation in front of you), and if nothing else, it's terrific practice at hunching over, squinting, and then saying, "Eh, what's that? I can't see it!" All right, that's unkind of me. But it's bulky, and the pictures are way too small. I read interesting commentary in a very large font, but I just have to take the author's word for a lot of it because the art is too small to see. Frustration!
� I am unsure how to trust the book's information. I don't say this lightly, especially given my lack of an art education. I'm also not saying that the book is wrong—I mean, how would I know?—but I think it's fair to say that certain things are unclear. Again, in the interest of avoiding vague negative statements, I'll give an example. There is a piece of art called "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik." It looks to me like a picture of two girls in a spooky building with a sinister sunflower and some blood-red carpet. The book tells me the following: 1) This is a picture of one girl and one doll that is the same size as the girl; 2) They seem to be battling unseen forces; and 3) "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" is taken from a piece of Classical music by the same name, which means "A Little Night Serenade." I'm not saying I don't believe this, but I am saying I don't trust it. 1) They looked like two girls to me. I don't see any indication that one of them isn't human. Naturally, this made me curious, so I looked online and saw that these two figures (both of them) look eerily like the two girls featured in a different work by the same artist, and they look human there, too. I couldn't find any reference to them being dolls, and the website dorotheatanning.org which features the artist's works didn't mention it either. None of this means that the book is wrong—I didn't find any proof that she wasn't a doll, either—but it seems strange to me that the book treats so casually something that's so obscure. 2) The statement about the girls (girl/doll combo?) battling unseen forces is directly paraphrased from a statement from the artist, Dorothea Tanning, describing this piece of work. But she isn't credited in the description, and it comes across as the author's (that is, as Ferren Gipson's) interpretation, not as the artist's view. And finally, 3) I may not be an artist, but I am a musician, and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik means "A Little Night Music." Not all words in foreign languages that look like English words mean the same thing, but this one does; English shares quite a lot with the German tongue, including the same origin of the word "music." So why say something else? Why complicate things? The musical piece was written for chamber ensemble, so it's certainly not a serenade. Is Ms. Gipson making a reference, somehow, to the evening? Is she trying to evoke "night" with "serenade"? But why not just say "night"? If I hadn't studied German and music, I would not have known the misleading nature of the translation. And if I hadn't, would I even have caught the strangeness of the other two questionable? So now I'm left wondering to what extent I can trust anything here.
I'm going to wrap up my exceedingly long review one last art example, "Dancing In the Louvre." The artist is Faith Ringgold, whose "artworks show creative stories of groups, like women and Black people, who have often been left out of historical writings," according to Gipson's paragraph explaining her art. The art itself depicts Black women and girls dancing in front of the Mona Lisa. So what we have here is a piece of art that is in direct conversation with a previous piece of art. Sounds great, except that if this book is my only context for art, then the power of Ringgold's piece would be completely lost on me. The Mona Lisa isn't included in the book at all, nor is its significance explained here. Da Vinci isn't even in the index! I understand Gipson's intention (throughout this book) to bring to light artwork that wasn't quite so mainstream, but by the end of this book, it seems to have caused some issues. Ringgold clearly expects her audience to be familiar with Da Vinci and his work, with his influence on other artists, with the historical narrative that her artwork is challenging. And so Gipson's readers, in order to understand Ringgold's piece, should at least have some background on Da Vinci and the Mona Lisa. I know the work is famous, but I don't know why. I expect Da Vinci had an effect on the art community, but I cannot tell you what it was. So you see, Ringgold's piece, in being deprived of its context here in the book, is similarly robbed of its power. She is offering a new perspective, an empowering perspective, and she's doing it in the face of one of the giants of the Renaissance. (But I only know that because I looked it up elsewhere.) Da Vinci is mentioned briefly in the Renaissance section, but the Mona Lisa is not, and even Da Vinci seems unimportant to the movement, almost an afterthought. Now, I'm beginning to realize that I don't understand the Renaissance after all: at least one titan of the movement is glossed over (and probably others as well). What is Ringgold's piece reacting against? The book features much artwork from minorities and from women throughout, and I didn't question it until this page, which is near the end. Were these pieces by minorities and women obscure in their day? Were other pieces more well-known? How can I appreciate the triumphs of any marginalized group if I don't know about their struggles? Was Ringgold's piece considered shocking, then, for its casual attitude toward a classic work of art? To put it simply, I have only a slight understanding of how any of the art here featured would have been perceived in its own time.
August 3, 2022
This is a wonderful book - someone or a team of someones has put some serious thought in how this book is designed and laid out. Their plan is extremely well executed!
At the beginning of the book is a Museum Map that literally illustrates, using drawings, examples of artwork, and color as a Table of Contents to showcase where each era of artwork is located within the book.
Next is an explanation of how the book works, as well as a list of Helpful Museum Tips. This book has the feel of a "Choose Your Own Adventure," because when you get to a room or hall, you might find an artifact or a painting or a sculpture, etc. - Sometimes there will be a page number to go and see a similar piece of artwork. It's your choice whether [or not] you move forward in chronological order or you start jumping around to see other artwork and how it is related to the original piece.
Wings (eras) are color coded by how they were shown in the "Table of Contents." For each wing, there is information about the era and what types of art you will find inside the wing. From here, you will find brief essays on various types of art, artistic concepts, and more! For each subject, there are color photographs, maps, illustrations, etc. Scattered throughout are little informational boxes called, "Art Detective." that provide interesting little tidbits about specific subjects.
At the end of the book is A Message from Your Art Historian: a World map that shows locations of Museums of the World; and actual list of Museums of the World and their locations (city and country) - divided by continent; a Glossary; an Index, Picture Credits, and more!
At the beginning of the book is a Museum Map that literally illustrates, using drawings, examples of artwork, and color as a Table of Contents to showcase where each era of artwork is located within the book.
Next is an explanation of how the book works, as well as a list of Helpful Museum Tips. This book has the feel of a "Choose Your Own Adventure," because when you get to a room or hall, you might find an artifact or a painting or a sculpture, etc. - Sometimes there will be a page number to go and see a similar piece of artwork. It's your choice whether [or not] you move forward in chronological order or you start jumping around to see other artwork and how it is related to the original piece.
Wings (eras) are color coded by how they were shown in the "Table of Contents." For each wing, there is information about the era and what types of art you will find inside the wing. From here, you will find brief essays on various types of art, artistic concepts, and more! For each subject, there are color photographs, maps, illustrations, etc. Scattered throughout are little informational boxes called, "Art Detective." that provide interesting little tidbits about specific subjects.
At the end of the book is A Message from Your Art Historian: a World map that shows locations of Museums of the World; and actual list of Museums of the World and their locations (city and country) - divided by continent; a Glossary; an Index, Picture Credits, and more!
July 6, 2022
I bought this for a friend with a young kid. He’s a bit young for it now but I was hoping this would be a long-term gift that he could appreciate more and more as he got older. It’s a great mix between colorful elements that a young kid could enjoy and more detailed text that an art hungry middle schooler or high schooler could get into. Definitely a lovely addition to the shelves of any home with the kids at any age who love learning about art and museums.
February 2, 2022
65%
* rounded-out collection covering all eras and areas around the world
* the pictures were a bit too small, and the lettering too big; there'd be notes on style and techniques, but because of the size, you just couldn't tell what they were talking about
* very minor thing, but it said it covered art back to 40k years ago, and they only did it to 35k
* rounded-out collection covering all eras and areas around the world
* the pictures were a bit too small, and the lettering too big; there'd be notes on style and techniques, but because of the size, you just couldn't tell what they were talking about
* very minor thing, but it said it covered art back to 40k years ago, and they only did it to 35k
April 18, 2022
Wonderful YA book about a tour of the ultimate art museum. It leads the reader to different rooms and cultures and displays some of the most important art in the world. Really gives a solid understanding about how art museums are structured and the research that goes into each piece. Done a most entertaining way.
November 12, 2021
This fabulous exploration of the history of art is written by an art historian who clearly loves sharing how art reflects the lives of people. Gatefold pages welcome readers to the many “galleries� in this imaginary museum. The book is divided into three “wings�: ancient art (prehistoric, Greek, Roman, Egyptian and art from other ancient cultures); art from the 1200’s to the 1800’s; and modern and contemporary art. Along the way, readers learn about history, religions, materials used, and much more. It is striking how Gipson manages to include so many cultures, and that women and people of color are so well represented in the book � why didn’t we learn about all of these artists in school?! Occasional short whimsical sections break up the succession of galleries: “Welcome to the Café� allows the reader to browse a menu of artwork depicting food, and “A Walk in the Garden� shows plants and flowers by different artists through time.
Fun, conversational language is engaging, and always points out something surprising. Color and photography values are great � the artworks jump off the page. I really love how the book not only covers traditional mediums such as painting, sculpture and architecture, but also books, jewelry, masks, quilts, photography, performance art and videos. With a section on famous museums around the world and an exhaustive index, this book is an important resource for the young armchair art historian.
Fun, conversational language is engaging, and always points out something surprising. Color and photography values are great � the artworks jump off the page. I really love how the book not only covers traditional mediums such as painting, sculpture and architecture, but also books, jewelry, masks, quilts, photography, performance art and videos. With a section on famous museums around the world and an exhaustive index, this book is an important resource for the young armchair art historian.
August 3, 2023
12 January, 2023
What the blurb doesn't tell you: excellent graphic design! For those of us who've never studied art history, the form here provides function, in addition to the map of galleries, color also provides a way of orienting, among others.
***
12 April, 2023
I've been taking my time on this since it's my crash course in Art History. My taste doesn't run to fine art so much, but in part that may be because I never had an overview to slip examples into. So for Christmas my son the artist gave me a book that is a beautiful work of graphic design as well as an overview of art styles, movements, techniques.
Besides reading it straight thru I've also been using it as a reference. When an artist or work comes up it is easy to google a specific work. Many a rabbit hole has sucked me in. But now I have context.
And as an aside, it was just as well I hadn't had a class back in the day: it was worth some ignorance to get a big picture covering a broad array, which the art history courses of my youth notoriously failed to do.
A great book, beautifully conceived, well executed, and not too precious. Highly recommended for the curious well above the intended audience in years.
Should something similar be attempted to cover architecture, I will pre-order with delight and speed.
A very personal copy now, with little post it flags all over.
What the blurb doesn't tell you: excellent graphic design! For those of us who've never studied art history, the form here provides function, in addition to the map of galleries, color also provides a way of orienting, among others.
***
12 April, 2023
I've been taking my time on this since it's my crash course in Art History. My taste doesn't run to fine art so much, but in part that may be because I never had an overview to slip examples into. So for Christmas my son the artist gave me a book that is a beautiful work of graphic design as well as an overview of art styles, movements, techniques.
Besides reading it straight thru I've also been using it as a reference. When an artist or work comes up it is easy to google a specific work. Many a rabbit hole has sucked me in. But now I have context.
And as an aside, it was just as well I hadn't had a class back in the day: it was worth some ignorance to get a big picture covering a broad array, which the art history courses of my youth notoriously failed to do.
A great book, beautifully conceived, well executed, and not too precious. Highly recommended for the curious well above the intended audience in years.
Should something similar be attempted to cover architecture, I will pre-order with delight and speed.
A very personal copy now, with little post it flags all over.
February 18, 2022
I think I enjoyed this more than the kid I got to read it to. I love the concept and how the book was organized the photographs are amazing and introduce kids to a wide variety of art and artists and time periods. I'm glad the library lets us keep books out for an entire month because I feel we can keep coming back and discovering something we missed the other times we looked at it.
September 19, 2021
A spectacular "museum" in a book for children ages 8-12! This book takes you though an impressively curated tour of art eras and styles as if you were touring a museum that houses all of the world's great art, especially the art pieces that define their style. Beautifully represented and arranged -- I think the text is engaging and the narrative is fitting for the age group. This is practically also a nicely-arranged and organized book. The beginning includes a map of the art museum you are about to take a tour through, which is neatly color-coded. It's a fun way to organize the book! Maps of locations are included throughout the book, and a map and list of the world's art museums is included at the back of the book along with a detailed index. This is an incredible volume of art for any child to read through and learn about art history, famous works from around the world, and important artists.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book by Phaidon. Opinions are my own.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book by Phaidon. Opinions are my own.
August 29, 2022
I bought this book after I checked it out from the library. It is bright, beautiful, and stimulating. A wonderful introduction not only to the world's most famous art, but also, to the experience of visiting an art museum. I absolutely adore this book and am happy to add it to my collection of favorites.
January 20, 2022
Take a trip to an art museum with this book. From the Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and more there are artifacts and art from all over the world. The book is divided off into sections which makes it easy if you are interested in a certain time period or region of art.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2022
Set like you’re walking through galleries of art chronologically, this is a great book to see the whole scope of art history.
December 10, 2022
Everything is in here.
It's a good book. Not just western centered. It made me realize how little I actually know..
It's a good book. Not just western centered. It made me realize how little I actually know..
April 21, 2023
Art throughout history, if you are fan of modern art there is lots of it, which is quite unusual for this type of book. Descriptions straightforward and interesting.
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June 15, 2023LOVE IT! For museum lovers & museum
1st timers alike- a delightful exploration
of art, history & culture!!!!
intriguing & accessible language
1st timers alike- a delightful exploration
of art, history & culture!!!!
intriguing & accessible language
May 1, 2024
I mostly liked the clever layout of this book . . . as if I was visiting a real museum!
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