This text investigates the evolution of American visual arts from the post-World War II era to the late twentieth century, questioning how shifting cultural priorities influenced aesthetic movements. Dore Ashton, a prominent art critic and historian, utilizes her extensive background in mid-century art criticism to analyze the transition from Abstract Expressionism to subsequent movements. She provides a structured examination of the ideological shifts that propelled artists toward minimalism, conceptualism, and eventually, a return to realism. The work serves as a comprehensive survey of the artistic landscape during a period of rapid social and political change in the United States.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the trajectory of American art in the post-war period. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous framework for students and scholars of art history.