THE STORY OF ART
It is no small part of education to have seen much beauty, to recognize it when we see it, and to keep ourselves humble in its presence.—C.M. Mason
The Story of Art, widely regarded as a seminal work of art criticism, has been a worldwide bestseller for over half a century. Austrian-born historian and art critic Sir Ernst Gombrich wrote a remarkably accessible introduction to a field barricaded by academic pretension.
With delightful enthusiasm as well as impressive authority, Gombrich spins a compelling narrative spanning ‘prehistory’ to the twentieth century. The lively text is richly illustrated by masterpieces of painting, sculpture and architecture.
In the prefaces (written for multiple editions), Gombrich establishes the tone and some rules for himself. From the beginning he rejects academic posturing, and instead takes the modest role of a storyteller.
‘In telling the story of art once more in simple language, it should enable the reader to see how it hangs together and help him in appreciation... It sets out to place the works it discusses in their historical setting and thus to lead towards an understanding of the master’s artistic aims.’ [p viii]
In the introduction, Gombrich discusses the nature of art (‘There really is no such thing as Art,’ he begins. ‘There are only artists.’) and artistic appreciation (‘[T]he least they have a right to ask is that we try to understand what they wanted to do.’).
‘[T]o enjoy these works,’ wrote Gombrich, ‘we must have a fresh mind, one which is ready to catch every hint and respond to every harmony: a mind, most of all, not cluttered up with long high-sounding words and ready-made phrases.’
The book was originally intended for young teens. I recommend The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich as an excellent option for a high school (or adult) course in art appreciation. {Another is Paul Johnson’s Art: A New History.}
{THE STORY OF ART}
Preface
Introduction: On Art and Artists
1.Strange Beginnings
Prehistoric and primitive peoples,
Ancient America
2.Art for Eternity
Egypt, Mesopotamia, Crete
3.The Great Awakening
Greece, seventh to fifth century BC
4.The Realm of Beauty
Greece and the Greek world,
fourth century BC to first century AD
5.World Conquerers
Romans, Buddhists, Jews and Christians,
first to fourth century AD
6.A Parting of Ways
Rome and Byzantium, fifth to thirteenth century
7.Looking Eastwards
Islam, China, second to third century
8.Western Art in the Melting Pot
Europe, sixth to eleventh century
9.The Church Militant
the twelfth century
10.The Church Triumphant
the fourteenth century
11.Courtiers and Burghers
the fourteenth century
12.The Conquest of Reality
the early fifteenth century
13.Tradition and Innovation I
the late fifteenth century in Italy
14.Tradition and Innovation II
the fifteenth century in the North
15.Harmony Attained
Tuscany and Rome, early sixteenth century
16.Light and Color
Venice and northern Italy,
early sixteenth century
17.The New Learning Spreads
Germany and the Netherlands,
early sixteenth century
18.A Crisis of Art
Europe, later sixteenth century
19.Vision and Visions
Catholic Europe,
first half of the seventeenth century
20.The Mirror of Nature
Holland, seventeenth century
21.Power and Glory I
Italy, late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
22.Power and Glory II
France, Germany and Austria,
late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries
23.The Age of Reason
England and France, eighteenth century
24.The Break in Tradition
England, America, and France,
late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries
25.Permanent Revolution
the nineteenth century
26.In Search of New Standards
the nineteenth century
27.Experimental Art
the first half of the twentieth century
28.A Story Without an End
the triumph of Modernism, an altered mood,
the changing past
• page from the Phaidon pocket edition of The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich, showing The Great Piece of Turf by Albrecht Dürer •
June 6, 2013