Western Art History from the Renaissance to the Present

Western Art History from the Renaissance to the Present: A Thematic Approach explores how visual art and architecture has engaged with social, cultural, political, and economic landscapes. It highlights renowned artworks since the Renaissance and key themes in art history. The book emphasizes how artists challenge religious and secular power, racism, ableism, and sexism within Western culture. Its thematic structure helps students to connect art to big cultural issues that matter to them.

The text opens with a guide to formal elements and principles of design before expanding to art’s intersection with historical and contemporary contexts. Chapters focus on the construction of museums; new definitions of artistic genius; turning points in modern architecture; how the nude in art reveals changing social attitudes; and more. Art and architecture’s role in the rise of capitalism and the art market is also explored.

In accentuating 21st-century debates, this book moves beyond the traditional art history survey. Its up-to-date discussion of convergences between art history, contemporary art, and social and economic issues promises to engage students of the visual arts. With its modern and timely approach, it is an ideal text for introductory courses in Western art history.