Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I should preface everything I say with a general caveat: I am a novice in the world of art, which is the reason I picked up this book in the first place. Although I often drew as a child, I was more interested in schematic, technical drawings than anything you could call ‘art�. And, despite my keen appreciation of music and fiction, I’ve always had the visual equivalent of a ‘tin ear�. I could stand in front of a masterpiece and be more interested in what I just ate for lunch.

So with that shameful admission out of the way, on to the review.

In a book such as this, there are bound to be almost as many people disappointed as impressed. It’s the curse of the writer of survey books: to reduce the scope of the material down to the size of one volume, enormous omissions are inevitable. If sales alone are the to be the rubric, then Gombrich must be considered a tremendous success; nevertheless, many whose favorite paintings and sculptures were passed over without mention or comment will likely be irked. (It should also be said that his treatment of ‘primitive� art is hopelessly uninformed and, despite his best efforts, condescending. Additionally, this book hardly touches on non-European art.)

Due to my general ignorance, I was none too bothered by this. In fact, it was just what the doctor ordered. Gombrich sweeps the reader through Western history, allowing just enough time for some quick rubber-necking at the sites along the way. What you get is a brief who’s who, and the general lay of the land. Of course, anyone with an even moderate interest in art history will have to fill in the quite sizable gaps left by this method, but that’s to be expected.

The only book somewhat similar to The Story of Art I've read is Revolution in the Head, by Ian MacDonald—a song-by-song analysis and critique of the Beatles’s music. That book (highly recommended) is astounding because MacDonald’s ears are so frighteningly acute. Although I have musical training and have been listening to the Beatles since my youth, MacDonald makes you hear their music in new and exciting ways, opening up a whole new aural world.

Gombrich does the same thing, but to a lesser extent, with the history of art. He has a keen eye; and, more impressive, he is able to render technical analysis into the plainest of plain prose. The reader’s mind is not burdened by the slew of art history terms that are thrown at undergraduates in introductory classes. Gombrich bypasses the linguistic apparatus and goes straight to what’s really important: the image on the canvass (or the form on the marble, etc.).

So, to bring this already-too-long review to a close, read The Story of Art for a clear, concise, and engaging introduction to the world of visual art. It’s not one-stop shopping. But then, what book is?