A Chronology of Art: A Timeline of Western Culture from Prehistory to the Present

A fresh take on the history of art, using cultural timelines to reveal little-known connections and influences between artworks and artistic movements.

Most surveys of the history of art come neatly packaged. They are divided up into historic periods, artistic schools and movements, and the careers of individual painters. They may make the subject appear more manageable, but they are oversimplifications. In reality, movements and careers overlapped and intertwined, reacting to events in the world around them.

A Chronology of Art places developments in the art world into sharp focus. By prioritizing a purely chronological approach and side-stepping the clichs of conventional, academic pigeonholes, it presents an entirely fresh perspective on the subject. The book is structured around a central timeline, which features lavish illustrations of artworks, together with commentaries and additional information about the social, political, and cultural events of the period.