The ArtCurious Guide: Gifts for the Art Newbie
Are you new to the world of art, or do you know someone who is? Behold our favorite recommendations for the art newbie in your life (or yourself).
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Isms: Understanding Art
Stephen Little
From the publisher:
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.
The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to the Present
Carol Strickland
This book is my top recommendation for any newbie that comes to me asking for book ideas. It’s easy to read, educational yet entertaining, but gives you all the whats, wheres, and whys that you’re needing to really get into art history.
The Story of Art
E. H. Gombrich
This one is a little bit headier. Gombrich is one of the big names in art history (take any graduate level course in art history methodology, and he’s one of the first names mentioned). But there’s a reason that’s he’s one of the biggies: his information is thorough. For the bookish newbie, this one is a real win.
Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History
Fred S. Kleiner
If you want to get really thorough about things—and get a head-start on your art history 101 studies, if you’re a student— Gardner’s is one of the top texts. To be fair, Gardner’s (and its equivalent by Marilyn Stokstad) is a book I’ve used for decades as an art history textbook, so it’s a bit more academic than others on this list, but it’s still so readable (I often read mine in my spare time in college, because I’m a happy nerd). Gardner has been updated many times over the past couple of decades, but I like this version especially because it isn’t so Eurocentric/focused on a “Western” perspective.
The Art Book
Phaidon Press
Think of it like this: one color image, and one page of text per image. That’s the whole book. This is an excellent choice for someone who wants to focus more on pictures than on text. It’s an aesthetic pleasure, and if you’re more interested in looking than in learning/reading, I’d go with this. And no judgment!
Art: A Visual History
Robert Cumming
This is a lusciously-illustrated overview of art history but without all the term words and stuffiness.
From the publisher: Covering every era and over 650 artists, this comprehensive, illustrated guide offers an accessible yet expansive view of art history, featuring everything from iconic works and lesser-known gems to techniques and themes.
The Short Story of Art
Susie Hodge
Like the idea of The Annotated Mona Lisa but don’t want quite so much detail? This one is great— let’s take 50 works of art throughout art history and tell you exactly why they are important. Easy peasy.
Why is Art Full of Naked People? and Other Vital Questions about Art
Susie Hodge
Honestly, this book is usually one of my recommendations for kids, but it’s so fun that I wanted to share it here, too. It’s a great gift for your inner child as much as any actual children in your life, and it gives very fun, very understandable answers to so many artsy questions. This one’s by the same author as The Short Story of Art, above.
50 Art Movements You Should Know: From Impressionism to Performance Art
Rosalind Ormiston
This one is especially helpful for anyone who ever questioned the difference between “modern art” and “contemporary art” (and haven’t we all, really?) and easily explains some (occasionally tricky) movements like Fluxus and New Objectivity. This is part of a great series that also includes 50 Paintings You Should Know and 50 Artists You Should Know.
But Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory
Cynthia Freeland
This one, like the books from Susie Hodge above, answers a lot of those questions we all have (but are sometimes afraid to ask), such as the title interrogative: “But is it ART?” It’s a totally fair question, though, and Cynthia Freeland doesn’t shy away from answering it. It’s brave, bold, and super-fun to boot.
From the publisher: From Andy Warhol's Brillo boxes to provocative dung-splattered madonnas, in today's art world many strange, even shocking, things are put on display. This often leads exasperated viewers to exclaim--is this really art?
