HISTORY OF WESTERN ART IN COMICS

Western art history becomes a joyful journey in this information-packed comic.

This second volume of History of Western Art in Comicsbegins where the first left off and follows the development of artistic movements in the context of social and cultural shifts through the late 20th century. Readers meet up again with the knowledgeable grandfather driving his grandchildren across Europe as they embark on a deep dive into the Renaissance, the Baroque period, and the Enlightenment, then tour the seminal works and artists of impressionism, expressionism, cubism, Dadaism, and more. The book begins with a helpful review of key questions and themes and is punctuated by snippets of interesting facts and funny asides to break up the often dense material. Readers are also introduced to artistic terminology—such as tenebrismor gestural painting—in the context of individual, influential pieces. Occasional large panels focus on specific, seminal moments and works, such as the Mona Lisa, the vault at the Sistine Chapel, and the Palace of Versailles, to name a few. Periodic reviews of the overall timeline let readers catch their breath and consider context. These story anchors are key for young readers. The book concludes with a visual glossary of important works, all by White, male Europeans, who also make up most of the book’s characters, both fictional and historical, though White, male Americans join the mix in the 20th century. Louise Bourgeois and Jean-Michel Basquiat are the sole exceptions.

A compact, intelligent, and enthusiastic survey, with gaps.