Thinking and Writing About Art History (3e)

Designed to provide students with the tools necessary to launch a successful study of art history, this succinct and accessible guide offers a practical introduction to the methodology of art history and an overview of writing in the discipline. Helping students to think as art historians, this Third Edition teaches how to ask questions and how to answer them, and challenges students to seek new insights through their readings, discussions, and written work. Parts of the Art Basics series provide students with high quality books at an affordable cost.

I. THINKING ABOUT ART HISTORY.

II. RESEARCHING AND WRITING IN ART HISTORY.

III. SAMPLE STUDENT ESSAYS.

IV. SELECTED GLOSSARIES.

• Selected glossaries —Include materials and processes of the visual arts, and art historical terms conclude the text.

  • Offers students additional study resources that inspire further interest and exploration.

• Instruction and techniques for researching on the Internet.

  • Equips students with the latest guidelines and insider tips for conducting research on the Internet and using electronic databases.

• NEW - Selected glossaries —Include materials and processes of the visual arts, and art historical terms conclude the text.

  • Offers students additional study resources that inspire further interest and exploration.

• NEW - Instruction and techniques for researching on the Internet.

  • Equips students with the latest guidelines and insider tips for conducting research on the Internet and using electronic databases.

• Various elements and principles of art are examined—Including style, purpose, analysis, and interpretive approaches in art history.

  • Provides students with a solid background on the defining facets of art history.

• Divided into four sections—Part I discusses what art history is and the approaches that can be used in thinking about the history of art; Part II explores writing about art history, covering topics such as choosing a subject, locating information, using information from sources, writing and revising essays, and writing essay examinations; Part III presents several student essays and a research paper with comments; and Part IV defines selected terms that students find challenging in their reading.

  • Gives students a concise and clear foundation in the methodology of art history, while enabling them to write effective and meaningful essays on the subject through various writing exercises and by critiquing other students' writing samples.