Janson's History of Art: Western Tradition, Volume 1

For courses in the History of Art.

Completely rewritten and reorganized, this groundbreaking edition weaves together the most recent scholarship, the most current thinking in art history, and the most innovative digital art library. Experience the new Janson and re-experience the history of art.

Long established as the classic and seminal introduction to art of the Western world, the Seventh Edition of Janson's History of Art is groundbreaking. When Harry Abrams first published the History of Art in 1962, John F. Kennedy occupied the White House, and Andy Warhol was an emerging artist. Janson offered his readers a strong focus on Western art, an important consideration of technique and style, and a clear point of view. The History of Art, said Janson, was not just a stringing together of historically significant objects, but the writing of a story about their interconnections, a history of styles and of stylistic change. Janson’s text focused on the visual and technical characteristics of the objects he discussed, often in extraordinarily eloquent language. Janson’s History of Art helped to establish the canon of art history for many generations of scholars.

The new Seventh Edition introduces the authorship of six distinguished specialists narrating the history of art for today’s students. The contribution of multiple authors allows an expert's understanding to permeate each and every part of the text with a currency in art historical thinking and an enhanced discussion of context. The result is a