Author Description
What is landscape? How does it differ from "land?" Does landscape always imply something to be pictured, a scene? When and why did we begin to cherish images of nature? What is "nature?" Is it everything that isn't art, or artifact? By addressing these and many other questions, Landscape and Western Art explores the myriad ideas and images of the natural world in Western art since the Renaissance.Implying that land is the raw material, and that art is created by turning land into landscape, which then becomes art, author Malcolm Andrews takes the reader on a thematic tour of the fascinating and challenging issues of landscape as art. The books broad sweep covers the full, rich spectrum of landscape art, including painting, gardening, panorama, poetry, photography, and art. Artistic issues are investigated in connection with Western cultural movements, and within a full international and historical context.Clear explanations and beautiful illustrations convey to the reader the idea of landscape as an experience in which everyone is creatively involved. Landscape and Western Art provides an enlightening and comprehensive critical overview of landscape art.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the conceptual evolution of landscape as a distinct artistic category and its relationship to the natural world within Western culture. Author Malcolm Andrews, a scholar of art history, utilizes a thematic framework to analyze how the raw material of land is transformed into aesthetic landscape through various media. He argues that landscape is not merely a passive representation of nature but an active, culturally constructed experience that has shifted in meaning from the Renaissance to the present day.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of landscape across diverse media including painting, gardening, panorama, poetry, and photography.
- Examination of the intersection between artistic production and broader Western cultural movements.
- Historical context spanning from the Renaissance to contemporary periods.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on Western traditions and does not provide an exhaustive global survey of landscape art.
- It prioritizes thematic analysis over a strictly chronological or encyclopedic catalog of artists.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts and academics frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the theoretical underpinnings of landscape art. Readers often note that the prose balances scholarly rigor with accessible explanations, making it suitable for both students and interested laypeople.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
2000-02-03
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192842331
ISBN-13:
9780192842336
Non-Fiction
Cultural History
Landscapes
Art History
Aesthetics
Landscape Art
Western Art
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