Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
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?
Charlotte Mullins brings art to life by focusing on those who made it, from teenage prodigies to nonagenarians. This little history introduces us to overlooked artists, busts a few art history myths and celebrates global networks of art, from Japan and India to South America and the Middle East.
Mullins shows us the first artworks ever made and early masterpieces such as the Terracotta Army and Nok sculptures. She tells the story of the Renaissance, from Giotto to Michelangelo, and introduces us to subsequent leading artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Rembrandt and Hokusai. Through the turbulence of the twentieth century, we see artists group together and break apart and meet trailblazers including K the Kollwitz and Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo and Jacob Lawrence. More recently contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei and Shirin Neshat create art as resistance as they address today's urgent issues. This extraordinary journey through 100,000 years celebrates art's crucial place in understanding our collective culture and history.
Synopsis
A thrilling journey through 100,000 years of art, from the origins of mark making to art's pivotal role in culture today 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?
Charlotte Mullins brings art to life by focusing on those who made it, from teenage prodigies to nonagenarians. This little history introduces us to overlooked artists, busts a few art history myths, and celebrates global networks of art, from Japan and India to South America and the Middle East.
Mullins shows us the first artworks ever made and early masterpieces such as the Terracotta Army and Nok sculptures. She tells the story of the Renaissance, from Giotto to Michelangelo, and introduces us to subsequent leading artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Rembrandt, and Hokusai. Through the turbulence of the twentieth century, we see artists group together and break apart and meet trailblazers including K the Kollwitz, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and Jacob Lawrence. More recently contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei and Shirin Neshat create art as resistance as they address today's urgent issues. This extraordinary journey through 100,000 years celebrates art's crucial place in understanding our collective culture and history.
Synopsis
A thrilling journey through 100,000 years of art, from the first artworks ever made to art's central role in culture today. "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 K the 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.
Synopsis
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 K the 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.