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30,000 Years of Art

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Sales Rank : 26973

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

30,000 YEARS OF ART: THE STORY OF HUMAN CREATIVITY ACROSS TIME AND SPACE is the follow-up to Phaidon's phenomenally successful THE ART BOOK. This is an accessible, fun and informative compendium of world art that offers a fresh perspective on the whole of art history, from 28,000 BC to the present day. It debunks art historical classifications and hierarchies by presenting 1,000 masterworks of art in simple chronological order, demonstrating what was being created all over the globe at the same time. Only here can you find the Venus de Milo next to a mural from the Mayan civilization, or Velazquez' Las Meninas next to a painting from the Chinese Ming Dynasty, an Indian jade wine cup, a ritual Nepalese plaque, a Korean portrait, and Vermeer's Milkmaid. Each work has been chosen for its unique place in the history of art, and as a representative example of the art of its culture. By juxtaposing works of art from different cultures throughout time, this is the first book to offer a balanced appraisal of world art history, revealing the huge diversity of and similarity between man's artistic achievements.

Each entry includes a full-page color image of the work and a concise descriptive text that sets the work in context, explaining its contribution to the development of art and the medium in which it was created. A comprehensive index, illustrated timelines, and a glossary of terms and movements make this book an invaluable reference tool and teaching resource.

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Customer Reviews

Best Art Text Ever

Text gives historical overview of art from 25000BC to 2000AD. Text offers beautiful pictures of the art along with succinct descriptions of each object. What is most significant is the text's identification of each object with its historical affiliation and genre. Loved it.

Living with great art

My wife and I are both enjoying this book daily. We've decided to open the book to a new pair of pages each day. Yes, it's a huge book - but it takes many pages to cover 30,000 years! Presently the book resides, open, on the end of our partners desk. But to read the entries requires bending; so I'm underway in the building of a lectern so we can read it while standing erect. As we both went to art school, we have some of our own work on the walls; but having masterworks in the home to speak to us daily is truly inspiring.

I refute the observation that the binding is less than adequate. (I've published two books myself.) This binding is sturdy, being sewn into signatures and properly glued, including headbands. Crackling sounds are characteristic of any large new book.

The Monster of All Cocktail Table Art Books

The Amazon editorial review of this impressive book is excellent.

This monstosity is the definitive 'reference' of art through the millennia. Represented here are works in all mediums as well as a comprehensive sculpture timeline. It is a wonderful art book to page through at any level of ones art knowledge. The descriptions accompaying each artist's work are short (2-3 paragraphs) but thoughtfully written and enlightening. Albight its abbreviated text it does do each artist justice. And en total is an impressive book.

Kudos to PHAIDON for taking on such a challenge.

Great book

I am really enjoying this book - but it's all but impossisble to read in bed! Truly a delight and very educational.

Bigger is not always better

Possibly useful for children with no knowledge of art, the book is cumbersome in size and slightly loathsome in outlook. '30,000 Years of Art' lumps all creative output from both past and distant cultures into one whopping big format. That being one big picture beside one simple page of text. It renders equivalent Australian aboriginal art and French nineteenth century eroticism, an idea that I find thoroughly absurd. There are many better books around that introduce world art without ruining the distinctive character of entirely different enterprises. The best introduction to art is William Fleming's 'Arts and Ideas', the pictures are not quite as big but what it lacks in size it makes up for in depth. It covers roughly the same period and includes a brief discussion of music and architecture as well. This book reminds me of those giant roadside attractions (the big pineapple etc) that some cities cling to to create tourist interest. Like this book they represent nothing more than empty imaginations.