--isms - Stephen Little

Revised Edition, Updated 2017

Isms: Understanding Art is the perfect pocket-sized guide for gallery
and museum lovers who have a general interest in the arts, but not
necessarily any formal education in the visual arts. With this portable
and indispensable tool in hand, anyone can guide themselves through the
world's prestigious museums and major art collections and recognize and
intelligently discuss the significant movements that have shaped the
world of art.
Using an informative and engaging style with informal
and direct tone, each of the numerous "isms" that are used to define-but
often misleadingly cloud-art movements are explained in simple terms
and made accessible to the casual art lover. Readers are encouraged to
think of styles as useful tools for conversation and exploration rather
than as hard and fast academic definitions, and to relate to the art
itself rather than to a merely conceptual idea.
Each spread is
devoted to a single art historical period and begins with an
introduction that explains when the movement first emerged, the
historical period to which it applies, and the principal disputes over
its applicability, usefulness, or significance. The rest of the chapter
is divided into several sections illustrating the most important artists
and works within the period, related key words, and illustrations that
best represent the distinctive features. This comprehensible structure
makes it possible for any reader to gain a clear understanding of
Classicism or Cubism while sitting in a cafe or visiting a gallery.