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History of Modern Art
by H. Harvard Arnason • 1968
How a century of painters dismantled perspective, freed color, and rebuilt art from scratch.
4.01
9k+
History of Modern Art Summary
History of Modern Art 90%
How a century of painters dismantled perspective, freed color, and rebuilt art from scratch.
by H. Harvard Arnason 1968
4.01
9k+ ratings
The Story of Art Without Men
by Katy Hessel • 2022
Art history left out the women. Five centuries of painters and sculptors the canon overlooked.
4.29
5k+
The Story of Art Without Men Summary
The Story of Art Without Men 90%
Art history left out the women. Five centuries of painters and sculptors the canon overlooked.
by Katy Hessel 2022
4.29
5k+ ratings
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy
by Michael Baxandall • 1972
Art appreciation in 15th-century Italy began with a contract and a barrel-gauging formula.
3.95
3k+
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy Summary
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy 90%
Art appreciation in 15th-century Italy began with a contract and a barrel-gauging formula.
by Michael Baxandall 1972
3.95
3k+ ratings
Lives of the Artists
by Calvin Tomkins • 2008
When art has no fixed rules, the artist's life becomes the work. Ten portraits.
4.10
586
Lives of the Artists Summary
Lives of the Artists 90%
When art has no fixed rules, the artist's life becomes the work. Ten portraits.
by Calvin Tomkins 2008
4.10
586 ratings
A History of Histories
by J.W. Burrow • 2007
From Greek inquiry to the modern archive: 2,500 years of historians bending the past to their age.
3.78
456
A History of Histories Summary
A History of Histories 90%
From Greek inquiry to the modern archive: 2,500 years of historians bending the past to their age.
by J.W. Burrow 2007
3.78
456 ratings
Leonardo and the Last Supper
by Ross King • 2012
Leonardo almost refused the mural. He painted it with a doomed technique. It became immortal anyway.
3.93
3k+
Leonardo and the Last Supper Summary
Leonardo and the Last Supper 89%
Leonardo almost refused the mural. He painted it with a doomed technique. It became immortal anyway.
by Ross King 2012
3.93
3k+ ratings
Twelve Caesars
by Mary Beard • 2021
Suetonius named twelve Caesars. A millennium of misidentification, satire, and reinvention followed.
3.68
2k+
Twelve Caesars Summary
Twelve Caesars 89%
Suetonius named twelve Caesars. A millennium of misidentification, satire, and reinvention followed.
by Mary Beard 2021
3.68
2k+ ratings
Philosophy of Art
by Noël Carroll • 1999
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
3.88
204
Philosophy of Art Summary
Philosophy of Art 89%
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
by Noël Carroll 1999
3.88
204 ratings
History of Beauty
by Umberto Eco • 2004
Beauty was never absolute. Every era invents its own: from sacred light to industrial symmetry.
3.82
68k+
History of Beauty Summary
History of Beauty 89%
Beauty was never absolute. Every era invents its own: from sacred light to industrial symmetry.
by Umberto Eco 2004
3.82
68k+ ratings
Kybalion
by Three Initiates • 1912
From gold trinkets to the Aegina marbles: how Greek sculptors learned to make stone breathe.
4.23
17k+
Kybalion Summary
Kybalion 89%
From gold trinkets to the Aegina marbles: how Greek sculptors learned to make stone breathe.
by Three Initiates 1912
4.23
17k+ ratings
Visual Methodologies
by Gillian Rose • 2001
Seven methods for interpreting images, one demand: know your own position and why it matters.
3.87
278
Visual Methodologies Summary
Visual Methodologies 89%
Seven methods for interpreting images, one demand: know your own position and why it matters.
by Gillian Rose 2001
3.87
278 ratings
Astrazione e empatia
by Wilhelm Worringer • 1907
Primitive art wasn't clumsy. It was fleeing from the terror of space into geometry.
3.83
192
Astrazione e empatia Summary
Astrazione e empatia 89%
Primitive art wasn't clumsy. It was fleeing from the terror of space into geometry.
by Wilhelm Worringer 1907
3.83
192 ratings
Bleu
by Michel Pastoureau • 2000
The Virgin Mary, a French king, and denim: how blue went from barbarian to beloved.
3.99
2k+
Bleu Summary
Bleu 88%
The Virgin Mary, a French king, and denim: how blue went from barbarian to beloved.
by Michel Pastoureau 2000
3.99
2k+ ratings
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics
by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel • 2004
Art makes truth visible, but the age when it could fully satisfy the spirit is over.
3.89
1k+
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics Summary
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics 88%
Art makes truth visible, but the age when it could fully satisfy the spirit is over.
by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 2004
3.89
1k+ ratings
Silencing the Past
by Michel-Rolph Trouillot • 1995
Why the Haitian Revolution was erased from history while it was still happening.
4.35
3k+
Silencing the Past Summary
Silencing the Past 88%
Why the Haitian Revolution was erased from history while it was still happening.
by Michel-Rolph Trouillot 1995
4.35
3k+ ratings
The Art Spirit
by Robert Henri • 1929
Art isn't a specialist's skill: it's a way of being. Henri's 1929 manifesto still startles.
3.87
27k+
The Art Spirit Summary
The Art Spirit 88%
Art isn't a specialist's skill: it's a way of being. Henri's 1929 manifesto still startles.
by Robert Henri 1929
3.87
27k+ ratings
Eye of the Beholder
by Laura J. Snyder • 2015
Vermeer and Leeuwenhoek lived blocks apart, using lenses to show the world what it had never seen.
3.93
398
Eye of the Beholder Summary
Eye of the Beholder 88%
Vermeer and Leeuwenhoek lived blocks apart, using lenses to show the world what it had never seen.
by Laura J. Snyder 2015
3.93
398 ratings
Letters on Cézanne
by Rainer Maria Rilke • 1907
One poet's letters on Cézanne: how seeing becomes the artist's hardest and most honest work.
4.16
957
Letters on Cézanne Summary
Letters on Cézanne 88%
One poet's letters on Cézanne: how seeing becomes the artist's hardest and most honest work.
by Rainer Maria Rilke 1907
4.16
957 ratings
The Notebook
by Roland Allen • 2023
A blank paper book reshaped finance, art, and the self long before any screen.
4.32
2k+
The Notebook Summary
The Notebook 88%
A blank paper book reshaped finance, art, and the self long before any screen.
by Roland Allen 2023
4.32
2k+ ratings
The Man Without Content
by Giorgio Agamben • 1970
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
4.15
383
The Man Without Content Summary
The Man Without Content 88%
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
by Giorgio Agamben 1970
4.15
383 ratings
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
by Walter Benjamin • 1936
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
4.08
25k+
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Summary
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction 88%
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
by Walter Benjamin 1936
4.08
25k+ ratings
Hitchcock/Truffaut
by François Truffaut • 1985
A bomb under the table, a document nobody cares about: Hitchcock decodes suspense for Truffaut.
4.47
10k+
Hitchcock/Truffaut Summary
Hitchcock/Truffaut 88%
A bomb under the table, a document nobody cares about: Hitchcock decodes suspense for Truffaut.
by François Truffaut 1985
4.47
10k+ ratings
Art as Therapy
by Alain de Botton • 2013
Art as your emotional toolkit: how to find hope, memory, and balance without a therapist.
4.08
5k+
Art as Therapy Summary
Art as Therapy 88%
Art as your emotional toolkit: how to find hope, memory, and balance without a therapist.
by Alain de Botton 2013
4.08
5k+ ratings
The Arts and the Creation of Mind
by Elliot W. Eisner • 2002
Schools treat art as a break from thinking. It's the most demanding thinking students do.
4.32
191
The Arts and the Creation of Mind Summary
The Arts and the Creation of Mind 88%
Schools treat art as a break from thinking. It's the most demanding thinking students do.
by Elliot W. Eisner 2002
4.32
191 ratings
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
by Andy Warhol • 1975
The most exciting thing is the thing you never do, and the best art is a dollar bill.
3.85
49k+
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol Summary
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol 88%
The most exciting thing is the thing you never do, and the best art is a dollar bill.
by Andy Warhol 1975
3.85
49k+ ratings
A History of the World in 100 Objects
by Neil MacGregor • 2010
The full sweep of human history, read not from texts but from 100 physical objects.
4.19
9k+
A History of the World in 100 Objects Summary
A History of the World in 100 Objects 88%
The full sweep of human history, read not from texts but from 100 physical objects.
by Neil MacGregor 2010
4.19
9k+ ratings
Van Gogh's Imaginary Museum
by Chris Stolwijk • 2003
Over 1,100 artworks and 300 books lived in Van Gogh's head. This book opens the collection.
4.42
12
Van Gogh's Imaginary Museum Summary
Van Gogh's Imaginary Museum 88%
Over 1,100 artworks and 300 books lived in Van Gogh's head. This book opens the collection.
by Chris Stolwijk 2003
4.42
12 ratings
Dangerous Games
by Margaret MacMillan • 2008
History is never neutral. Nations and leaders weaponize it daily, and the patterns are predictable.
3.64
2k+
Dangerous Games Summary
Dangerous Games 88%
History is never neutral. Nations and leaders weaponize it daily, and the patterns are predictable.
by Margaret MacMillan 2008
3.64
2k+ ratings
Becoming Leonardo
by Mike Lankford • 2017
Illegitimate, arrested, haunted by brutality: the wounds behind Leonardo da Vinci's genius.
4.00
320
Becoming Leonardo Summary
Becoming Leonardo 88%
Illegitimate, arrested, haunted by brutality: the wounds behind Leonardo da Vinci's genius.
by Mike Lankford 2017
4.00
320 ratings
Art and Fear
by David Bayles • 1994
Art is a skill, not a gift. The only secret to sustaining it: knowing how not to quit.
3.77
105k+
Art and Fear Summary
Art and Fear 88%
Art is a skill, not a gift. The only secret to sustaining it: knowing how not to quit.
by David Bayles 1994
3.77
105k+ ratings
Shakespeare's Freedom
by Stephen Greenblatt • 2010
Shakespeare dreamed of absolute freedom; his entire career became a record of its limits.
3.83
175
Shakespeare's Freedom Summary
Shakespeare's Freedom 88%
Shakespeare dreamed of absolute freedom; his entire career became a record of its limits.
by Stephen Greenblatt 2010
3.83
175 ratings
Aesthetics of Excess
by Jillian Hernandez • 2020
Too much style is how Black and Latina women expose the class politics neoliberalism hides.
4.26
42
Aesthetics of Excess Summary
Aesthetics of Excess 88%
Too much style is how Black and Latina women expose the class politics neoliberalism hides.
by Jillian Hernandez 2020
4.26
42 ratings
Find Your Artistic Voice
by Lisa Congdon • 2019
Voice is built, not born. Daily practice, borrowed influences, and the discomfort most artists flee.
4.05
3k+
Find Your Artistic Voice Summary
Find Your Artistic Voice 88%
Voice is built, not born. Daily practice, borrowed influences, and the discomfort most artists flee.
by Lisa Congdon 2019
4.05
3k+ ratings
Monsters
by Claire Dederer • 2023
Our favorite art was made by awful people. A critic's personal, unresolved struggle with that fact.
3.68
23k+
Monsters Summary
Monsters 88%
Our favorite art was made by awful people. A critic's personal, unresolved struggle with that fact.
by Claire Dederer 2023
3.68
23k+ ratings
Beauty
by Roger Scruton • 2009
From dinner tables to galleries, beauty is a rational demand we are ignoring.
3.95
3k+
Beauty Summary
Beauty 88%
From dinner tables to galleries, beauty is a rational demand we are ignoring.
by Roger Scruton 2009
3.95
3k+ ratings
The Language of New Media
by Lev Manovich • 2001
Why a film is now a database, a screen is a control panel, and cinema became animation.
3.86
1k+
The Language of New Media Summary
The Language of New Media 88%
Why a film is now a database, a screen is a control panel, and cinema became animation.
by Lev Manovich 2001
3.86
1k+ ratings
The Gutenberg Parenthesis
by Jeff Jarvis • 2023
Before print, knowledge was conversation. Then books fenced it in. The fences are coming down.
3.83
218
The Gutenberg Parenthesis Summary
The Gutenberg Parenthesis 88%
Before print, knowledge was conversation. Then books fenced it in. The fences are coming down.
by Jeff Jarvis 2023
3.83
218 ratings
Leonardo da Vinci
by Walter Isaacson • 2017
He learned optics for sunsets, anatomy for smiles. Leonardo drew no line between art and science.
4.18
131k+
Leonardo da Vinci Summary
Leonardo da Vinci 87%
He learned optics for sunsets, anatomy for smiles. Leonardo drew no line between art and science.
by Walter Isaacson 2017
4.18
131k+ ratings
Frida
by Hayden Herrera • 1983
Two hundred self-portraits, one body in revolt. Frida Kahlo turned a lifetime of surgeries into art.
4.02
76k+
Frida Summary
Frida 87%
Two hundred self-portraits, one body in revolt. Frida Kahlo turned a lifetime of surgeries into art.
by Hayden Herrera 1983
4.02
76k+ ratings
The Lost Painting
by Jonathan Harr • 2005
A lost Caravaggio, a Dublin Jesuit home, and the restorer who trusted his eye.
3.87
36k+
The Lost Painting Summary
The Lost Painting 87%
A lost Caravaggio, a Dublin Jesuit home, and the restorer who trusted his eye.
by Jonathan Harr 2005
3.87
36k+ ratings
Historia del diseño gráfico
by Philip B. Meggs • 1983
Gutenberg, Bauhaus, Mac: the sweeping chronicle of how design made the modern world legible.
4.14
3k+
Historia del diseño gráfico Summary
Historia del diseño gráfico 87%
Gutenberg, Bauhaus, Mac: the sweeping chronicle of how design made the modern world legible.
by Philip B. Meggs 1983
4.14
3k+ ratings
How to Be an Artist
by Jerry Saltz • 2020
A handbook for artists: the work, the network, the rejection, and staying in the game.
3.94
4k+
How to Be an Artist Summary
How to Be an Artist 87%
A handbook for artists: the work, the network, the rejection, and staying in the game.
by Jerry Saltz 2020
3.94
4k+ ratings
The Book on the Bookshelf
by Henry Petroski • 1999
Why books once faced the wall and wore chains: the bookshelf as a history of engineering.
3.75
1k+
The Book on the Bookshelf Summary
The Book on the Bookshelf 87%
Why books once faced the wall and wore chains: the bookshelf as a history of engineering.
by Henry Petroski 1999
3.75
1k+ ratings
Abstract Art Painting
by Debora Stewart • 2015
Abstraction begins where the photograph ends. A practical guide for mixed media painters.
4.10
187
Abstract Art Painting Summary
Abstract Art Painting 87%
Abstraction begins where the photograph ends. A practical guide for mixed media painters.
by Debora Stewart 2015
4.10
187 ratings
Heretics and Heroes
by Thomas Cahill • 2013
Plague, print, and an obstinate monk shattered medieval Europe. The replacement is still here.
3.80
2k+
Heretics and Heroes Summary
Heretics and Heroes 87%
Plague, print, and an obstinate monk shattered medieval Europe. The replacement is still here.
by Thomas Cahill 2013
3.80
2k+ ratings
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
by Don Thompson • 2008
The art market runs on branding and insecurity. A $12 million dead shark proves it.
3.87
6k+
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark Summary
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark 87%
The art market runs on branding and insecurity. A $12 million dead shark proves it.
by Don Thompson 2008
3.87
6k+ ratings
Brunelleschi's Dome
by Ross King • 1999
A goldsmith promised to build the world's largest dome without scaffolding. No one believed him.
3.91
28k+
Brunelleschi's Dome Summary
Brunelleschi's Dome 87%
A goldsmith promised to build the world's largest dome without scaffolding. No one believed him.
by Ross King 1999
3.91
28k+ ratings
Introduction to Documentary
by Bill Nichols • 2001
Reality does not speak for itself. How documentary turns observation into argument, frame by frame.
3.77
484
Introduction to Documentary Summary
Introduction to Documentary 87%
Reality does not speak for itself. How documentary turns observation into argument, frame by frame.
by Bill Nichols 2001
3.77
484 ratings
The Art of the Con
by Anthony M. Amore • 2015
A master forger fooled the experts for decades. Then they checked the paint.
3.54
1k+
The Art of the Con Summary
The Art of the Con 87%
A master forger fooled the experts for decades. Then they checked the paint.
by Anthony M. Amore 2015
3.54
1k+ ratings
Information Is Beautiful
by David McCandless • 2001
Concept is the secret: why a simple, clever data drawing can reveal more than a supercomputer.
4.12
4k+
Information Is Beautiful Summary
Information Is Beautiful 87%
Concept is the secret: why a simple, clever data drawing can reveal more than a supercomputer.
by David McCandless 2001
4.12
4k+ ratings
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