Product Description: The market-leading text for the art history survey course, GARDNER'S ART THROUGH THE AGES has served as a comprehensive and thoughtfully crafted guide to the defining phases of the world's artistic tradition. With this book in hand, thousands of students have watched the story of art unfold in its full historical, social, religious, economic, and cultural context, and thus deepened their understanding of art, architecture, painting, and sculpture. By virtue of its comprehensive coverage, strong emphasis on context, and rich, accurate art reproductions, GARDNER'S ART THROUGH THE AGES has earned and sustained a reputation of excellence and authority. So much so, that in 2001, the Text and Academic Authors Association awarded both the McGuffey and the "Texty" Book Prizes to the Eleventh Edition of the text. It is the first art history book to win either award and the only title ever to win both prizes in one year. The Twelfth Edition maintains and exceeds the richness of the Gardner legacy with updated research and scholarship and an even more beautiful art program featuring more color images than any other art history book available. The Twelfth Edition features such enhancements as more color photographs, a stunning new design, and the most current research and scholarship. What's more, the expanded ancillary package that accompanies GARDNER'S ART THROUGH THE AGES, features a wealth of tools to enhance your students' experience in the course. With each new copy of the book, students receive a copy of the ArtStudy 2.0 CD-ROM--an interactive electronic study aid that fully integrates with the Twelfth Edition and includes hundreds of high-quality digital images, plus maps, quizzes, and more.
never again I purchased (or rather tried to purchase) this book with CD for my daughter and have it shipped to her for her college course. The first book arrived unsealed, no CD, no student guide. I called, the first customer service rep suggested I tried to find the CD on my own on-line and purchase it seperately. I called back and the second customer service rep agreed to send a new set and emailed me the return lable for the first book. SURPRISE! second book came unsealed and without the CD or student guide. They are both going back. I ended up buying the book directly from the publisher and it was less than was listed at Amazon. Plus, the publisher told me that the CD is packed inside the book. The only way it would have been missing is that someone esle bought the book and returned it, keeping the CD and then Amazon resold the book as new. Totally disgusted with the whole thing.
Book in condition that was stated but too long on the delievery The book came as described by the seller and the CD that comes with the book is has great resources for studying the chapters but I have never waited so long for a book to arrive from amazon, I ordered on the first week of my class and I got it the third week into my class which wasn't very helpful to me
The Bible of Art Books I had to buy this book for school and I have to tell you, it isn't easy forking out over $100 bucks for a textbook. I have no regrets now after finishing my course and exploring this amazing Art Histoty book. It is something you will have for a lifetime and be glad that you do!
Excellent book that covers art through the ages! I purchased this book for a class; Ancient Art history. This book really is beautiful. Most of my textbooks I would resale once my class ended, but I definitely plan on keeping this one. The authors did a great job of giving high level overviews and thorough descriptions for each work; both in artistic form and historical context. I would highly recommend this book for both art enthusiasts and students.
Excellent pictures but not quite reliable text The main strength of this book are the pictures - most of them in colour and all of superb quality. To each picture corresponds a section in the text which describes the displayed work in a vivid and informative way, cultivating the reader's ability to look at art, understand and appreciate it. Another excellent feature are the "boxes", containing e.g. a description of an artistic technique or an excerpt from an original written source.
However, questions arise when it comes to more general parts of the text, e.g. chapter introductions aimed at conveying a broad picture of art and society of the epoque. Simplifications are expected, but they shouldn't be misleading - here are just some examples of the contrary: it's not correct to include Merovigians among the barbarian tribes (Goths, Franks, ...) that invaded the Roman empire! This is absent in the 11th edition but present in the 12th. Or, one cannot say that the Treaty of Westphalia granted religious freedom in Europe: that freedom mostly applied only to the local sovereigns, while their subjects were forced, sometimes quite brutally, to follow the religion of their boss. The Centre Pompidou in Paris is not quite a place of "popular entertainment", etc.
Conceptually, the book follows a certain point of view, emphasizing e.g. the question of gendre - the reader learns, for instance, that the communities in ancien Grece were dominated by "white males" ... The authors have also decided to include some works which are not generally accepted as art - but is an introductory textbook like this a good place to redefine the notion of art?
In summary, if you want in the first place to enjoy splendid pictures described in revealing yet understandable terms, go for this book. If you are looking for a more solid and reliable information, look somewhere else.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
