Routledge Perspectives On Western Art, Vol.1: Source Documents And Readings From The Ancient Near East Through The Middle Ages (Icon Editions)

Product Description This anthology of readings related to Western art history explains specific works of art illustrated in Janson's History of Art and De la Croix and Tansey's Gardner's Art Through the Ages in terms of the ideas, beliefs, and concerns of the people and cultures who created the art. It brings a new understanding of art because it shows the social and cultural basis of major works of art through history. The ten sections are Ancient Near East; Egyptian; Aegean; Greek; Etruscan; Roman; early Christian, Byzantine, and Islamic; early Medieval; Romanesque; and Gothic. The readings have been drawn from many areas of intellectual and social history, including religion, philosophy, literature, science, economics, and law. Each selection is preceded by an introductory note, which discusses the readings in terms of its subject and theme, its source and usage, and its relevance to the study of the work of art. From the Back Cover The purpose of this anthology is to unite the study of Western art history with the understanding of Western social and cultural history. Painting, sculpture, architecture, and other forms of the visual arts are, like literary documents, primary sources that reveal the thoughts and abilities of individuals and that record the fundamental concerns of their age and culture. About the Author Linnea Wren