A thrilling journey through 100,000 years of art, from the first
artworks ever made to art's central role in culture today
"This lively volume is ideal for the precocious high-schooler, the
lazy collegian . . . and any adult who wishes for greater mastery of the
subject. . . . Mullins leav[es] readers with an expansive, no-regrets
appreciation of art and the human story."--Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall
Street Journal
"A fresh take on art history as we know it."--Katy Hessel, The Great
Women Artists Podcast
Charlotte Mullins brings art to life through the stories of those who
created it and, importantly, reframes who is included in the narrative
to create a more diverse and exciting landscape of art. She shows how
art can help us see the world differently and understand our place in
it, how it helps us express ourselves, fuels our creativity and
contributes to our overall wellbeing and positive mental health.
Why did our ancestors make art? What did art mean to them and what does
their art mean for us today? Why is art even important at all?
Mullins introduces readers to the Terracotta Army and Nok sculptures,
Renaissance artists such as Giotto and Michelangelo, trailblazers
including Käthe Kollwitz, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and contemporary
artists who create art as resistance, such as Ai Weiwei and Shirin
Neshat. She also restores forgotten artists such as Sofonisba
Anguissola, Guan Daosheng and Jacob Lawrence, and travels to the Niger
valley, Peru, Java, Rapa Nui and Australia, to broaden our understanding
of what art is and should be.
This extraordinary journey through 100,000 years celebrates art's
crucial place in understanding our collective culture and history.
