Art history

What is art? This engaging gift book from The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers nearly 200 illustrated answers to that question, all presented in simple, concise observations about selected works in the museum's stellar collection. For example, a Nigerian mask is symmetry, a Van Gogh still life is composition; A Babylonian lion is fierce, a Duccio portrait is tender. A Leger canvas is shape, a Ferragamo sandal is colour. A Klee gouache is geometric, a Mughal folio is arabesque. Some of the statements speak to technique, while others are descriptive or evocative. All are simple reflections that encourage readers to observe, to think, to debate and to develop their own definitions of art. Reaching across all periods and media, from ancient statues to medieval tapestries to Baroque instruments to modernist paintings to photography, the selected works gathered in this clever little book are sure to inspire both novice and seasoned art lovers.