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 café or visiting a gallery.