Nineteenth Century Art: A Critical History

by Stephen F. Eisenman, Thomas E. Crow, Brian Lukacher

In art as in music, literature, philosophy, and political economy, the nineteenth century was a period of questioning, experimentation, discovery, and modernization. From Goya to Blake, from David to Delacroix, from Courbet to Cezanne, artists explored the links between perception and history, and in so doing challenged the prevailing definitions of art and the existing order of society. First published in 1994, this innovative and ground-breaking survey details the development of a critical perspective in nineteenth-century painting and sculpture. For the revised edition, a new introduction by Stephen Eisenman provides a cogent overview of the century, its issues, and its art. Three completely new chapters have been added, which discuss photography and its crucial role in nineteenth-century art; American and German landscape painting and its effect on the growth of romantic nationalism in each country; and Toulouse-Lautrec, whose popular appeal consists both in his work's novel technique and medium and in its exotic sexual perspectives. Nineteenth Century Art embraces many aspects of the "new" art historyattention to issues of class and gender, racism, and Eurocentrismbut it also emphasizes the remarkable vitality and subversiveness of the era's best art. Indeed, nineteenth-century artists addressed many of the aesthetic, political, and moral issues that preoccupy audiences and historians today, such as the relationship between popular and elite culture, and the representation of women and non-European peoples in Western art. This rich and diverse volume demonstrates that nineteenth-century art remains compelling today because its critical insights have rarely been surpassed. It will prove of interest not only to the specialist, but to anyone fascinated by the art, history, and culture of the era. 428 illustrations, 63 in color.

Genres: Art, Art History, Nonfiction, History, Textbooks

428 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1994

Reviews

[Denise みか Hutchins]

While I technically didn't read the entire book, I read enough for a 3-credit university art history course, so I think it's ok if I mark it as read! It was a very informative book, but sometimes became hard to follow (my professor called it "dense"), like a typical textbook. I really appreciated some modern writing practices, such as putting female pronouns before male ones (you never notice what a difference such things make until you actually read it!), and the chapters that focused on Black, Native American, and female artists were especially welcome. It's a big, burly textbook in the truest sense, but it's relatively modern and informative so I was happy to have it assigned for this class!

[Mary Emily O'Hara]

This is a great text that sets 19th century work into socio-political frameworks. It explores lesser-known movements in europe, but that's where it stops. The frustrating aspect of the text is its uniform focus on europe, with short jaunts to the U.S.
What about the rest of the world? As an art history student, I get annoyed with the idea that only western cultures valued art enough for us to study their histories. A book titled "Nineteenth Century Art" should either include art of a global scale, or the title should be changed to include the word "European." The definition of art isn't inherently European, so why should every modern survey course be so?

[Scout]

Had to read 85% of this for my class, so it counts 🫵

[Beatrice]

a critical synthesis of text (& illustrations) composed of chapters that each analyse the social circumstances of art, combined with visual analysis that unites to form an enlightening totality. most pockets of the 19th century are explored in great capacity, written in chronological order from the blossoming of jacques-louis david and neo-classicism to the starkly contrasting post-impressionists; even the context surrounding the 19th century is explored greatly, mentioning the influence of the 18th century, and how that influence is led into works from the 20th century onwards.

[Sara]

ngl, este fue el que más me gustó entre este y el de Janson y Rosenblum. La lectura se me hizo más llevadera (tal vez porque eran distintos escritores por capítulo?) y creo que el contexto aportado es mucho más completo que en el otro libro, lo comprendí muchísimo mejor y por ende hizo más interesante el analisis de pinturas.

[Juan Manuel]

Excelente recorrido por la evolución de las técnicas, temáticas y sensibilidad de la pintura del siglo 19, narrada en el contexto de importantes eventos sociales, de cambios tecnológicos, políticos y un nuevo reconocimiento de la realidad y las luchas enmarcadas por las diferencias de clases

[Maria Manaia]

"Place a man in a fog, in the midst of a storm, the sun in his eyes, and his head swimming, and depict if you can, his impressions upon canvas - these arc the gloomy visions, the vagueness, the delirium of an imagination such as Turner's."

[Cate Meredith]

This book covers a broad time period and a huge geographic swath so it can feel a little disjointed if you attempt to read it straight through. Excellent reference book but not terribly deep.

[Katarina]

HRV: Pročitano za nastavu na faksu i korišteno u seminarima.

ENG: Read for my college classes and used for seminars.

[Luís]

2.5

[Whitney Reid Drebot]

2 ⭐️ | 🍏

Raise your hand if you are accidentally getting a minor in Art History even though you don’t really like Art History classes… 🙋🏼‍♀️ oh… just me?

This was a very textbook feeling textbook. Pretty borring to read. Honestly my biggest complaint is that for an ART history textbook it didn’t show enough pictures of art.

I definitely didn’t read 100% of this but I read enough that I think it counts.

[Artlab]

we have both the first and second editions of this book.

[Tiffany]

good textbook

[Divvy]

This was probably the most interesting textbook I purchased as a graduate Art History student.