Art and Its Histories, Volume I

Art and Its Histories, Volume I: Caves to Cathedrals Revisited tells a succinct and absorbing story about the varied, complex roles that images and objects have played in cultures from Prehistory to the Middle Ages. Each chapter in the textbook provides historical, social, religious, and cultural context for the images and objects analyzed, as well as recent research about materiality, gender, and social class to demonstrate connections between art history and contemporary visual culture. In addition to an engaging introduction and conclusion that emphasize connectivity across cultures, thirteen chapters, written by subject experts, explore over 500 individual images and objects within their respective historical contexts. Each chapter is accompanied by suggested activities and assignments that enrich the student reading and learning experience. Art and Its Histories, Volume I demonstrates that across historical periods cultures do not exist in isolation; instead they are in constant dialogue with each other, promoting cross-cultural pictorial languages and styles. It is the first textbook in a two-volume series designed to support courses and programs in art history. All of the contributors and editors are alumni of New York University's Institute of Fine Arts.