10,000 Years of Art

Followingonfrom"TheArtBook"(1994),"30,000YearsofArt"providesanoriginalandaccessiblewayoflookingatart.Onitspublicationin2007,"TheDailyTelegraph"describeditas'aboldnewpublishingeventthatpromisestoredefinetheparametersofarthistory'.Inthisminiformateditionofthebook,500greatworksofartfromallperiodsandregionsintheworldhavebeencarefullyselectedfromtheoriginalbookandareagainarrangedinchronologicalorder,breakingthroughtheusualgeographicalandculturalboundariesofarthistorytocelebratethevastrangeofhumanartistryacrosstimeandspace.Thebookpresentsartinawaydifferentfromotherarthistorycompendia,revealingthediversity,orinmanycasessimilarity,ofman'sartisticachievementsthroughtimeandaroundtheglobe.Orderedchronologically,theresultingtimelineofworksleadstocompellingbrowsing:surprisingjuxtapositionsofferintellectualpleasureandasenseofwonderanddiscovery.Theselectionofworksfromacrosstheworld,arrangedinthesequenceinwhichtheyweremade,takesthereaderonaglobalandhistoricaljourney,respondingtosuchquestionsas'wheredoestheearliestartappear?'WhatwereartistscreatinginChinaorAfricawhileRembrandtwaspaintingportraitsinLeyden?Howweresimilarsubjects-equestrianthemes,landscapes,religiousscenes-manipulatedbyartistsinAztecMexicoandMedievalEurope?WhileartworksfromancientGreeceortheEuropeanRenaissanceorpre-ColumbianAmericaswillbeinterspersedwithcontemporaneousworkscreatedinAfrica,IndiaorJapan,anextractionoftheGreekorRenaissanceorAmericanworkscouldstandaloneasanessentialabridgementofthefinestartofthatperiodorculture.Theselectionofworksisnon-hierarchicalandincludesbothfineanddecorativearts-mostcommonlypaintingandsculpture,butalsotextiles,masks,ceramicsandjewellery.Primarilyfunctionalarts(furniture,architecture,industrialandgraphicdesignetc.)arenotcovered.Eachworkisaccompaniedbykeycaptioninformation(date,title,placeoforigin,styleorculture,medium,dimensionsetcetera),andatextthatprovidescriticalreviewofthework,placingitinitsarthistoricalcontextandthusexplainingitscontributiontothedevelopmentofthehistoryofart.