16 Essays on the History of Art

This book is an introduction to the historical study of art. It is built around major problematized themes rather than traditional chronological and geographical principles. All themes are related to the development of art at different stages of human history and across different continents. The book presents various perspectives from which specific objects of art and culture can and should be viewed, described, and analyzed, showing what questions to ask, where, and how to seek answers. The explored themes are illustrated with numerous works of art from the East and the West, from antiquity to the present day. These include paintings, engravings, sculptures, and architectural structures by famous masters such as Leonardo, Rubens, Borromini, Van Gogh, Rodin, Picasso, Pollock, and Gabo. It also addresses lesser-known and under-studied monuments unfamiliar to a broad readership. All of them are analyzed using modern methods of the sciences of art and culture.