30000 Years of Art: The Story of Human Creativity Across Time and Space is not only a great coffee table book but a reference book and indispensable resource for the art lover. It's a first edition, published in 2007 by Phaidon Press. It depicts 1000 masterpieces from the earliest times into the 21st Century. Each page depicts a work of art along with the period it was made, the artist, medium used, country of origin, and a brief description of the piece.
This book offers an unusual and exciting way of looking at art. A perfect introduction for those who are new to the subject, as well as an indispensable resource for those who have been studying art for years. 30,000 Years of Art presents 1000 masterpieces from different countries, cultures and civilizations in simple chronological order. From the first accomplished cave paintings made 30,000 years ago to the conceptual art of the twentieth century, this book includes acknowledged masterpieces, some lesser-known, and many surprises. With descriptive texts that shed light on why each work is important, what makes it typical of the culture in which it was created and its place in the development of art history, the book offers a brand-new perspective on the world of art. Only here can you easily find what was being created in Japan, Iraq, Peru or Nigeria when the Venus de Milo was being carved in Greece. Only here will you discover what while Diego Velazquez was painting the monumental royal family portrait Las Meninas, an unnamed artist in India was creating a delicate jade wine cup for the Shah who built the Taj Mahal. From the time when human beings can first be called human, they have felt compelled to depict themselves and their world - as gods, mortals, animals or abstractions. 30,000 Years of Art celebrates this rich diversity and shows how art created across the millennia and from around the world, fits together.
This book offers an unusual and exciting way of looking at art. A perfect introduction for those who are new to the subject, as well as an indispensable resource for those who have been studying art for years. 30,000 Years of Art presents 1000 masterpieces from different countries, cultures and civilizations in simple chronological order. From the first accomplished cave paintings made 30,000 years ago to the conceptual art of the twentieth century, this book includes acknowledged masterpieces, some lesser-known, and many surprises. With descriptive texts that shed light on why each work is important, what makes it typical of the culture in which it was created and its place in the development of art history, the book offers a brand-new perspective on the world of art. Only here can you easily find what was being created in Japan, Iraq, Peru or Nigeria when the Venus de Milo was being carved in Greece. Only here will you discover what while Diego Velazquez was painting the monumental royal family portrait Las Meninas, an unnamed artist in India was creating a delicate jade wine cup for the Shah who built the Taj Mahal. From the time when human beings can first be called human, they have felt compelled to depict themselves and their world - as gods, mortals, animals or abstractions. 30,000 Years of Art celebrates this rich diversity and shows how art created across the millennia and from around the world, fits together.