For beginners, art history might seem a daunting subject with complex
rules and impenetrable technical language. Even for more seasoned art
lovers the question of how to think about art is a perennial riddle.
Art Uncovered is the perfect resource for both audiences: an engaging,
visual primer for the general reader and educators. Designed like an
instruction manual, fifty key artworks from around the world are
deconstructed with explanations, diagrams, and close-ups in order to
reveal the elements that comprise a masterpiece.
Dating from the earliest times to the present, the artworks under
analysis are drawn from many cultures and cover all forms of visual
media, including drawing, illustration, photography, prints, and
sculpture. Matthew Wilson's simple approach, using established art
historical methods, enables the reader to discover the fundamentals of
art history, from considerations of function, historical context,
iconography, and artists' experience to broader issues of identity,
including feminism, gender, and postcolonialism. Whether it's the mask
of Tutankhamun or Dorothea Lange's photograph Migrant Mother,
Katsushika Hokusai's GreatWave or Kara Walker's Gone, each image is
dissected on the page in a no-nonsense style, with explanatory notes
detailing artists' sources of inspiration, associated styles and
movements, plus any relevant quotes, related visuals, and other
contextual and issue-led information with keywords for handy
cross-referencing. The resulting book is a dynamic visual resource that
will inspire and spark enjoyment of art in all its forms.
