HISTORY OF WESTERN ART IN COMICS

Art, architecture, history, and culture come together seamlessly in this comprehensive illustrated overview of Western art imported from France.

Even adults and older readers who think they know it all will be pleasantly surprised to find that there is something new to learn in this whimsically illustrated but exceptionally thorough survey. A frame story begins with a grandfather arriving in Paris to teach his two grandchildren art history. (All three are White.) Their questions and answers structure the narrative, which is divided into six sections: Prehistory, the Ancient Middle East and Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Important ideas for each section are highlighted or presented in bold typeface, and the big ideas and key works are revisited with color photographs in the final pages of the book. This richly informative text has two particular winning points. First, it makes complete use of the comics format; more than just a clever illustrated story, it uses pictures to include diagrams, double-page timelines, asides, and illustrated examples, all of which allow for deeper understanding and some breaks in the often dense material. Secondly, it presents the history of Western art in sociopolitical and cultural context. This creates a smooth, continuous, robust historical narrative, giving readers access to not just what happened, but also the multiple reasons why and how.

Even pictures are better with pictures!