Rating: 
Summary: Great beginner or advanced book on art.
Review: Originally got this book for a class my wife was taking. she dropped out of the class but we kept the book because it is so wonderful. Lots of great pictures and extensive information. Nicely bound and the slipcase is a bonus. A favorite on our coffee table and a great addition to our collection.
Rating: 
Summary: The Cornerstone of Any Art History Library
Review: Simply put, this book is the standard that any other art history book is measured by. It's long, thorough, and extremely good. Well-illustrated, it covers every major (and most minor) periods of Western art starting from primitive cave sketches in France to modern-day. Beware, however; though the title doesn't say it, this book is a history of WESTERN art. Don't expect to see much in the way of art from other cultures, except in a comparison with a piece of western art. As the editors suggest, Janson does not assume any level of knowledge on the part of his reader. This does, in fact, make this book fabulously easy to understand, even while he fills your head with a near-exhausting level of information. Janson is THE name in art history, and unfortunately, he knows it. He has a tendency to talk down to his readers, and his arrogance comes across clearly in nearly every paragraph. If it weren't for this exception and the fact that it only covers western art, it would have been an easy 5-star. You still can't get a better guide to western art-- no matter your level of familiarity.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Studying Art History using the fourth version of this book was a little odd: a 20th century painting may have been described as one that used colour to portray a certain emotion, and then the plate of that painting would be in black and white. This fifth edition of H.W. Janson's History of Art pays much more attention to historic detail, giving the actual sources the authors used to come up with their explanations. Also, the book has been devided into more chapters, going into more detail in each one, for example the prior version only briefly discussed post-modernism, whilst this fifth edition dedicated a whole chapter to this genre. I really enjoyed rereading this book in this edition, for it clarified some points made in the fourth version regarding architectural, sculptural, and pictorial detail in works of art in all major genres of Western art.
A great buy for any art historian that will give the reader or scholar a clearer and better view of the history of the world of Western art
Rating:
Summary: A great way to learn about art!
Review: The History of Art is one of the best books in the subject. You can find information about any kind of art and it tells you everything about it's history. I'm a student of Drama and Theatre and I read it to University, but on the contrary of some other books I read it with a great pleasure. It's worth of it.
Rating:
Summary: Vincent, behind you!
Review: The History Of Art. Simple, short title. Get ready for a ton of bricks! Mr. Janson took an unmeasurable task when he decided to produce this now quite famouse master guidebook. You have to know what you're looking for or you might get lost between the changing centuries. History itself is the true heroine of this book, and so it should be. One cannot expect to learn about a thin line connecting ancient greek architecture to C. R. Macintosh while pushing aside the pillars of the bridge over the great ocean of History! OK, what I'm trying to say here is Janson succeeded at his job because he didn't throw the artifacts in at some chronological order. That would have given us an index, at best. Instead, he took great care to let the natural pattern of the evolution of art to manifest itself through its fruits. A must for art student - a basic. An impressive gift for someone who's hobby is history.
Rating: 
Summary: This edition is not a full survey
Review: This book (although an earlier version) was our standard textbook for the western survey of art history while I was working on my Bachelor of Fine Arts, and for good reason. Jansen does a good job of covering many of the major movements and time periods of western art, with extensive imagery and well organized chapters. A timeline at the end of each section helps to better keep the history in order, and highlights important dates. I do agree with some of the nagative critique in that Jansen does not include important eastern art in the book, and this probably should be reflected in the title. However, I don't believe that this warrants the book having a lousy review: the buyer should just be aware that this is a WESTERN survey, and a very good one. This newer edition contains some additions to the older editions; of particular importance is the added chapters on Twentieth-Century Photography and Postmodernism, which if I recall correctly were not in earlier versions of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Overview of Western Art History...
Review: This book (although an earlier version) was our standard textbook for the western survey of art history while I was working on my Bachelor of Fine Arts, and for good reason. Jansen does a good job of covering many of the major movements and time periods of western art, with extensive imagery and well organized chapters. A timeline at the end of each section helps to better keep the history in order, and highlights important dates. I do agree with some of the nagative critique in that Jansen does not include important eastern art in the book, and this probably should be reflected in the title. However, I don't believe that this warrants the book having a lousy review: the buyer should just be aware that this is a WESTERN survey, and a very good one. This newer edition contains some additions to the older editions; of particular importance is the added chapters on Twentieth-Century Photography and Postmodernism, which if I recall correctly were not in earlier versions of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Everything you wanted to know about art but were afraidtoask
Review: This book has everything. I'm not a really big art fan, but I just couldn't stop turning the pages and looking at the pictures. I'm not an expert, but I really liked this book -- pretty good job.
Rating:
Summary: Want an overview easy to understand? THIS IS IT!!
Review: This book is a good tool for first year students in art or for people who want a quick glance at the different changes art has gone through. You have everyone famous from Gaungin, Picasso, Michelangelo and then some not so familiar names too. Cramming for an exam and can't remember what each artists style is? You better get this book and fast!
Rating:
Summary: Everything you ever wanted to know....
Review: This book is a great reference for anyone interested in the different fields of art, mainly including painting, sculpture, and architecture. Whether you just want a reference to look up how specific artists or pieces of work relate to the time period they were done in, or you're looking for a nice chronological work which displays an overview of art history around the world spanning from cave drawings to modern sculpture, this is the book. I originally had to purchase this book for an art history class I took and found it to be the most comprehensive book I had read on the subject. If you're just interested in one specific field or time period, there may be a more specialized book for you to read but for someone seriously interested in the broader sweep of the different fine arts throughout the ages, I'd suggest checking out this book.
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