An accessible and attractive beginner’s guide to getting the most out of looking at pictures
Beautifully illustrated with some of the world’s greatest pictures, from cave paintings and Roman mosaics to Picasso and Damien Hirst, this affordable guide explains the art of looking at and understanding pictures, equipping the reader with the vision and tools to approach any museum picture with confidence.
Looking at pictures can be an exciting or moving experience, but some pictures―often the most rewarding―require some explanation before they can be fully understood. Delving into the origins, designs, and themes of over one hundred pictures from different periods and places, this book illuminates the art of looking at―and talking about―pictures. Susan Woodford shows how one can read a picture by examining the formal and stylistic devices used by an artist, and she explores popular themes and subject matter, and the relationship of pictures to the societies that produced them.
This indispensable guide is supplemented by a glossary of key terms, ranging from art movements and technical terms to religious and classical terminology, to give readers all the information they need at their fingertips. 100+ color illustrations

Looking at Pictures (Art Essentials) (Art Essentials, 1)

Arts & Photography

Woodford, Susan

History & Criticism

Thames&Hudson

For more than 2,000 years the art of Greece and Rome has lain at the heart of western civilization. This book recaptures the excitement of the artists who first created it. It traces the daring innovations of those who, defying traditional wisdom, explored new ideas; it describes the valiant struggles of sculptors and painters to portray - for the first time - both the complexities of the human form and the richness of human emotions. So much has been destroyed by the ravages of time that Greek and Roman art seems to consist only of impressive ruins and broken fragments. Yet the creative achievements of the Greeks and their legacy, as adapted by the Romans, have never lost their power.

Greek and Roman Art (Art Essentials) (Art Essentials, 9)

An introduction to the History of the Parthenon: How the Parthenon came to be built, how the Greeks worshipped their Gods and Goddesses and the history of Parthenon from the 5th century BC until the present day.

The Parthenon (Cambridge Introduction to World History)

Children's Books

History

Cambridge University Press

Susan Woodford illuminates the greatness of classical art and architecture and conveys a sense of the excitement that fired the creative artists of the time. The Greeks were quick to challenge time-honoured styles and, stimulated by the problems that sometimes emerged from their daring innovations, they invented solutions that have been considered classics ever since. The Romans recognized the Greek achievement and built on it, adding a talent for organization and flair for architectural construction on a huge scale to create an impressive art of their own.

The Art of Greece and Rome (Cambridge Introduction to the History of Art)

Looking at pictures can be enjoyable, exciting or moving. Some pictures are easily appreciated at first glance, but others - often the most rewarding - require some explanation before they can be fully understood. This clearly written and enjoyable book is intended to increase pleasure and stimulate thought. It tackles many aspects of looking at paintings as well. Starting with familiar ideas, Dr Susan Woodford moves on to explore subtler, less obvious concepts. For example, she shows how paintings can be appreciated as patterns on a flat surface emotional effect; how ordinary objects can conceal hidden meanings and how knowledge of tradition improves our understanding of revolutionary works.

Looking at Pictures (Cambridge Introduction to the History of Art)

Study & Teaching

The Art of Greece and Rome

Susan Woodford illuminates the great achievements of classical art and architecture and conveys a sense of the excitement that inspired the creative artists of the ancient world. Examining all aspects of Greek and Roman visual arts, this revised edition includes a new chapter on Roman architecture, as well as new illustrations, and an updated bibliography and glossary. First Edition Hb (1982): 0-521-23222-8 First Edition Pb (1982): 0-521-29873-3

Stories take time to tell; Greek and Roman artists had to convey them in static images. How did they go about it? How could they ensure that their scenes would be recognized? What problems did they have? How did they solve them? This generously illustrated book explores the ways classical artists portrayed a variety of myths. It explains how formulas were devised for certain stories; how these inventions could be adapted, developed and even transferred to other myths; how one myth could be distinguished from another; what links there were with daily life and historical propaganda; the influence of changing tastes, and problems still outstanding. Examples are drawn from a wide range of media--vases, murals, mosaics, sarcophagi, sculpture--used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The myths are mostly those that are also easily recognized in later works of art. No previous knowledge of the subject is assumed, all examples are illustrated and all names, terms and concepts are fully explained. Susan Woodford teaches Greek and Roman art at the University of London and is engaged in research for the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum. A former Fullbright Scholar and Woodrow Wilson Fellow, she and is author of The Parthenon (Cambridge, 1981), The Art of Greece (Cornell, 1993), An Introduction to Greek Art (Cornell, 1986) and The Trojan War in Ancient Art (Cornell, 1993).

Images of Myths in Classical Antiquity

Individual Artists

Stories take time to tell; Greek and Roman artists had to convey them in static images. How did they go about it? How could they ensure that their scenes would be recognized? What problems did they have? How did they solve them? This generously illustrated book explores the ways classical artists portrayed a variety of myths. It explains how formulas were devised for certain stories; how these inventions could be adapted, developed and even transferred to other myths; how one myth could be distinguished from another; what links there were with daily life and historical propaganda; the influence of changing tastes, and problems still outstanding. Examples are drawn from a wide range of media--vases, murals, mosaics, sarcophagi, sculpture--used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The myths are mostly those that are also easily recognized in later works of art. No previous knowledge of the subject is assumed, all examples are illustrated and all names, terms and concepts are fully explained. Susan Woodford teaches Greek and Roman art at the University of London and is engaged in research for the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum. A former Fullbright Scholar and Woodrow Wilson Fellow, she and is author of The Parthenon (Cambridge, 1981), The Art of Greece (Cornell, 1993), An Introduction to Greek Art (Cornell, 1986) and The Trojan War in Ancient Art (Cornell, 1993).

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Woodford, Susan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Woodford, Susan

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Woodford, Susan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Looking at Pictures (Art Essentials) (Art Essentials, 1)

Greek and Roman Art (Art Essentials) (Art Essentials, 9)

The Parthenon (Cambridge Introduction to World History)

The Art of Greece and Rome (Cambridge Introduction to the History of Art)

Looking at Pictures (Cambridge Introduction to the History of Art)

Looking at Pictures (Cambridge Introduction to the History of Art)

The Art of Greece and Rome (Cambridge Introduction to the History of Art)

The Art of Greece and Rome

Images of Myths in Classical Antiquity

Images of Myths in Classical Antiquity