A Short Guide to Writing About Art [with MySearchLab Access Code]

by Sylvan Barnet

ALERT: Before you purchase, check with your instructor or review your course syllabus to ensure that you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products exist for each title, including customized versions for individual schools, and registrations are not transferable. In addition, you may need a CourseID, provided by your instructor, to register for and use Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products. PackagesAccess codes for Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products may not be included when purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson; check with the seller before completing your purchase. Used or rental booksIf you rent or purchase a used book with an access code, the access code may have been redeemed previously and you may have to purchase a new access code. Access codesAccess codes that are purchased from sellers other than Pearson carry a higher risk of being either the wrong ISBN or a previously redeemed code. Check with the seller prior to purchase. -- Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE "The best-selling guide to writing about art" Sylvan Barnet's "A Short Guide to Writing About Art "guides students through every aspect of writing about art. Students are shown how to analyze pictures (drawings, paintings, photographs), sculptures and architecture, and are prepared with the tools they need to present their ideas through effective writing. Coverage of essential writing assignments includes formal analysis, comparison, research paper, review of an exhibition, and essay examination. New to the 11th edition is a chapter on "Virtual Exhibitions: Writing Text Panels and Other Materials." MySearchLab is a part of the Barnet program. Research and writing tools, including access to academic journals, helps students master basic writing skills. To provide students with flexibility, students can download the eText to a tablet using the free Pearson eText app. NOTE: MySearchLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase the text with MySearchLab, order the package ISBN: 0205949525/ 9780205949526 Short Guide to Writing About Art Plus MySearchLab with eText -- Access Card PackagePackage consists of: 0205239927 / 9780205239924 MySearchLab with Pearson eText -- Valuepack Access Card020588699X / 9780205886999 A Short Guide to Writing About Art

Genres: Art, Art History, Writing, Reference, Nonfiction, Textbooks, School

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Sylvan Barnet is an American literary critic and Shakespearean scholar. He is a Fletcher Professor of English Emeritus at Tufts University.

Barnet is the author of numerous books and articles on Shakespeare. He is the general editor of the Signet Classics Shakespeare,[1] the author of A Short Guide to Shakespeare,[2] and has written many textbooks. He is the co-author with William Burto of occasional essays on aspects of Japanese art.[3] He has also written books about the art of writing.

Reviews

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Background: I ordered this book a few months ago, when I decided I wanted to focus my studies on the theoretical side of art. In order to start practicing my writing more seriously, and having never had any formal training, I wanted a book that could guide me in the right direction, not too advanced nor too basic, and which could be a good reference in my future academic research. After looking around for a bit, I settled for this one, which appeared to have the most interesting contents and best reviews.

Review: Art criticism can be a daunting subject. Many times I've gone to an exhibition or read an art book and felt bewildered by the seeming impenetrability of the language used by the critics and art historians. On the other end of the spectrum, I have come across texts that not only deepened my understanding of the artworks, but also made me appreciate things I would normally never cast a second glance at. Short Guide to Writing About Art, A aims at those who wish to write the latter type of texts.

Written in a concise and clear language, this book is clearly aimed at art students, and is great for those, like me, who have some kind of background in art but who are just starting to write. The initial part of the book, which includes sections such as "Why Write about Art?" and "The Relevance of Context: The Effect of the Museum and the Picture Book", focuses on teaching the students to look at art and to organize their thoughts, ideas and opinions, and the best way of expressing them. The author makes a point of explaining that, if your audience doesn't understand (or misunderstands) what you wrote, most likely the problem is in your writing. He goes on to explain all the little things that one rarely thinks about or even notices, but which make all the difference when reading, and end up separating a great writer/critic from a mediocre one.

The guidelines presented are adapted to various situations, for example, exhibition catalogs, reviews and essays. The book covers everything from giving your own opinions and having a personal style, to the specifics of looking at the different art mediums. Towards the end, the author focuses more on the technical side of writing, including formats, language and research. It is, in short, a reference book and a how-to book combined into one. The points and guidelines presented can be applied to any kind of writing, not just art criticism.

The only complaint I have is that towards the end, the explanations about grammar, form and bibliography explanations got very heavy and the book ends on that note, which is a shame because the rest is so clear and easy to read. Because of the density of information it took me longer than usual to read this book - two months as opposed to, say, a week (granted, those two months included a trip to Paris and another to Cuba, in which I did no reading, but still). Nevertheless, I recommend this to every art student, and to everyone who wants to learn about looking at and writing about art.

What's Next: I'm really happy I bought this book. It was exactly what I needed to initiate my path towards being a better writer. I plan on checking out some of the books and resources mentioned throughout this one.

[Lệ Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially, I only managed to borrow this book as a reference for my art history class but now, if I ever find this book somewhere else, I will definitely buy it without hesitation. So remarkably detailed and invaluable that I feel like I have learned so so much beyond expectation. Not only does Sylvan Barnet give me ways of seeing and understanding any work of art but he also reflects on some mistakes that I may stumble upon throughout the process of (both amateur and professional) writing, such as doing research, jotting down ideas, revising drafts, giving credits and so on. This book is even a better guide for non-native English writers because he takes many pages to guide us on using synonyms, tenses, tones of writing, common mis-spelling terminologies and wordplay. As an aside, this book is one included in Sylvan's the short guide series. If you're interested, you can check out all of them and find a perfect match for yourself to read.

[Kate Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I borrowed this book from the library hoping for help in writing critical about exhibitions and artwork it turned out instead to be an excellent little book on helping to write about art in an educational setting. Barnet reinforces much of what anyone that has been to university should know about writing, but in an engaging and friendly way that meant the reminders were welcomed. Really easy to use, this book will arm you with transferable writing skills for a range of audiences and creative subject matters. I'll be borrowing it again.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

currently having an art analysis essay assignment in class and this book is literally my lifesaver =)))))) i really love how the book not only provides helpful tips on writing with illustrative examples but also interesting works, terms, and contexts across different disciplines concerning art (architecture, museology, etc.). definitely got to return to this book for future assignments in art studies courses.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fun details and snippets of art history interspersed with thoughtful writing advice, even if it often gets pretty specific into college paper writing. Good reminders, felt pretty breezy for an instructional text.

[Alma Barrios · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a good start in helping to write about styles and analysis of art. I enjoyed it although some aspects of writing about art have changed. Great staring book to learn how to write about art.Easy to read!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used this in grad school - finding it quite handy now for instructing students of history.

[Paul Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me through film school.

[Keely Shinners · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very helpful introduction for students and enthusiasts of art writing.

[Shabuki110 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got me through grad school.

[Faith Bolduc · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book, just no BS and straight to the point. love it

[Ron Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this from front to back when I was an undergrad. 20th Century Art History was one of the best classes I ever took in college. It's one of the few requirements I was so grateful to have to complete

[Elizabeth Schlatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm assigning this for a freshmen seminar on contemporary art, focused on building critical thinking and oral and written communication skills. This book was assigned to me as an undergrad DECADES ago, but I think it holds up. There are a few flaws; some of the writing is overly judgmental, and there is an alarming amount of typos, most probably due to the many updated editions -- although for a manual on writing, the publishers should hire a top-notch copy editor to catch this kind of thing. That said, it's still a very helpful book, with an unmistakeable sense that the author truly wants the student/reader to succeed in writing in a clear and insightful manner. Some of the advice is common sense, focused on basics of writing, etc., but much is focused on the unique issues of art-writing, including a section on how to avoid jargon. In general, it's a smart book that should be helpful for students taking any sort of liberal arts class requiring extensive writing. I picked up a few nuggets myself that I'll be using!

[Johnflynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very informative but I would only really recommend it to students of the arts as it primarily pertains to writing RESEARCH PAPERS about art. Large portions of it (I have an older edition) focus solely on research paper layout and technique, which was not particularly useful to me.

I learned much more about writing about art from "Madonna of the Future by Arthur Danto (this is a collection of art criticisms)

[Melanie Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book and helped me raise my grades in art history papers by full letters! This book was not required, but suggested to me by a teacher, and it should totally be required. This book is so helpful and easy to understand. It includes sections on various different types of writing assignments in regards to art. I highly recommend this book!

[Jonette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how to write about art? This book is a wonderful resource for you!

[Tori]

Short Guide to Writing About Art, A (8th Edition) (Short Guide) by Sylvan Barnet (2004)

[LemontreeLime]

Currently reading 6th ed.

[Risa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short guide to writing about art by Sylvan Barnet (1997)

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 400 hundred pages "short" is not a great descriptive word. :) But it was to the point on the subjects it covered and a good book for covering the proper way to write about art.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really helpful. I actually really enjoyed it also.

[Linds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is helpful for anyone taking college art history, appreciation, or aestetics courses. It will bump your papers up at least one grade.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not surprisingly, it's a rather dry topic, but this book manages to make it interesting!

[Mills College Library]

808.0667 B2616 2011

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll keep this as a reference. Excellent for English, Art History, etc. students, or really anyone writing research papers.

[Mills College Library]

808.0667 B2616 2015

[HeraSays · Rating 3 out of 5]

For reference.

[Claudia Deloach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great answers to many questions on writing.

[Nana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the fourth edition in advance of some art history term papers because that's what my university library had on hand - from the 90s so fairly out of date in terms of tech but the salient points remain the same. Overall I wish Barnett spent more time on the intricacies specific to writing about art. I liked the parts when he discussed these things, but I felt he spent a lot of time too on general writing advice (sentence structure, paragraph layout and so on) that I've picked up in past writing classes; I was hoping more would be specific to art writing. So parts 1, 2 & 3 were most useful and the rest may be skimmed, FYI. His style is brisk and not boring, I did appreciate that.

[Brandan]

A very resourceful companion for anyone interested in expressing an opinion on Art.