中文简介：

这是一本简明易懂、从史前至今的西方艺术和建筑概览。本书介绍了建筑、绘画、雕塑和装饰艺术如何反映了其时代的文化和社会，邀请读者体验和欣赏从史前到今天的整个西方艺术。本书共十二章，聚焦艺术史中的“历史”，每一章都以一个值得深思的问题开篇，然后是对该时期主要历史发展的总结，涉及社会结构、政治组织、移民、种族、宗教信仰、科学进步和习俗。在视觉艺术中探索这些主题的同时，揭示了建筑、雕塑和绘画是如何同时塑造、反映和记录它们被创造的时间和地点的文化。第二个重点是探索不断演变的美学偏好，在自然主义和抽象主义之间摇摆，每个时代和风格要么反抗前一个，要么寻求改进。同时也讨论了前因和外界影响。

英文简介：

A concise, reader-friendly illustrated survey of Western art and architecture from prehistory to the present day.Acknowledging how architecture, painting, sculpture and the decorative arts reflect the culture and society of their time, this latest addition to the Art Essentials series invites the reader to experience and appreciate the entirety of Western art from prehistory to today.Focusing on the 'history' in art history, each of the twelve chapters opens with a question to ponder, followed by a summary of the major historical developments of the period, touching on social structure, political organization, migration, race, religious beliefs, scientific advances and customs. An exploration of these themes in the visual arts reveals how architecture, sculpture and painting simultaneously shape, reflect, and document the culture of the time and place they were created. A secondary focus explores the constantly evolving aesthetic preferences that swing between naturalism and abstraction, with each era and style either rebelling against the previous or seeking to improve it. Antecedents and outside influences are also discussed.