The Thames and Hudson dictionary of art terms - Edward Lucie-Smith

Over 2000 authoritative entries and 400 illustrations, including diagrams for comprehensive treatment of architectural terms


Covers painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, the decorative, applied and graphic arts from all periods throughout the world up to the present day: there is even a table of the dynasties of Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, China, India and Japan


This new edition features entries connected with the use of computer technology in the art world and includes today's influential groups and tendencies

From the Preface:

This dictionary is compact, because our experience of the arts is gained in so many places - in exhibitions, in museums, touring with a guide book - and no one wants to tour with a reference library. It is also comprehensive, because neither in real life nor in books are the various arts neatly segregated. More than 2000 entries therefore define and explain terms from painting, sculpture, architecture, the decorative and applied arts

With this dictionary at hand, the reader should be able to puzzle out any art text, however technical, and the collector or exhibition-goer should feel at ease with any auction or museum catalogue, no matter how recondite.