Books in the Art Essentials series

An essential guide to the multifarious and increasingly connected world of global art from 1900 to today.

An introductory guide to the art of ancient Greece and Rome, capturing the passion and inspiration that fired the artists of these civilizations

Exploring the origins, designs and themes of over one hundred pictures from different periods and places, Susan Woodford artfully expands our appreciation of pictures. Woodford's riveting prose compares different artistic approaches, questions assumptions and introduces us to a wide range of stimulating ideas. Whether looking at a Japanese woodcut, Leonardo's Last Supper or Picasso's Guernica, Looking at Pictures will develop your eye as well as your confidence. This essential guide concludes with a glossary and invaluable suggestions for further reading.

Amy Dempsey unravels the all-too-often daunting language of modern art by mapping the styles, schools and movements that help us understand modern and contemporary art, from Impressionism in the 19th century to Destination Art in the 21st. Using a practical and easy-to-navigate structure, Dempsey's lucid writing and carefully selected artworks define sixty-eight essential groupings in western modern art. Each feature presents a succinct explanation, characteristic works and a relevant list of key artists, attributes, media and collections. A reference section provides an indispensable glossary of modern art terms and an index of artists.

Small, smart, essential - an accessible introduction to the Pop Art movement, offering a new perspective on canonical works and highlighting its international reach.

Small, smart, essential - an easy-to-read, straightforward and entertaining introduction to art history via fifty pivotal moments from antiquity to the 21st century.

A reference guide to fifty of the most frequently occurring symbols in global art history

A much-needed straightforward introduction to the ever-evolving story of abstract art, as told through the work of 55 pioneering artists.

Small, smart, essential - an incisive overview of Surrealism, introducing the movement's key artists and capturing its essential and enduring concepts.

Small, smart, essential - a chronological introduction to women artists through 500 years of history, providing a rich understanding of key female artists from the Baroque to today.

An introduction to the impressionist movement, highlighting the great artists, their masterpieces, and impressionism's enduring influence.

A lively introduction to self-portraiture, reflecting on the work of over sixty artists from the Renaissance to the present day.

An affordable, accessible introduction to artworks in the global landscape, including land art, site-specific art and sculpture parks.

A clear and concise overview of the fundamentals shared by visual arts across the globe, enabling the reader to think carefully, inquisitively and critically about art.

An all-encompassing introduction to photography that illuminates the dynamic role and character of this art form.

A concise, reader-friendly illustrated survey of Western art and architecture from prehistory to the present day. Acknowledging how architecture, painting, sculpture and the decorative arts reflect the culture and society of their time, this latest addition to the Art Essentials series invites the reader to experience and appreciate the entirety of Western art from prehistory to today. Focusing on the 'history' in art history, each of the twelve chapters opens with a question to ponder, followed by a summary of the major historical developments of the period, touching on social structure, political organization, migration, race, religious beliefs, scientific advances and customs. An exploration of these themes in the visual arts reveals how architecture, sculpture and painting simultaneously shape, reflect, and document the culture of the time and place they were created. A secondary focus explores the constantly evolving aesthetic preferences that swing between naturalism and abstraction, with each era and style either rebelling against the previous or seeking to improve it. Antecedents and outside influences are also discussed.