E. H Gombrich
This book should be the first on the list for anyone interested in a
career in the arts. The story of art is exactly what it says on the
tin, it is a story which takes you on a journey from Egyptian 2345BC to
biblical art in the fourth century AD, to the age of reason in the
eighteenth century, to experimental art in the twentieth century.
The
journey is narrated in a simple easy to read chronological manor, which
will not confuse even the beginners of you. There are lots of pictures
for visual reference and plenty of dates to chew on.
This book
is on every art student's first year reading list but is often
dismissed for more contemporary dialogs on particular genres of art. A
graphic designer might ask why he is reading a generalist book on fine
art when he is studying design? The answer is obvious. To understand
graphic design, it has to be put into the context of history. What has
changed? Who has influenced, what new mediums are being used. How have
we arrived at this new form of communication?
Grombrich explains all.
