The Meaning of Art (With 68 illustrations, 1951)

Read, Herbert

Published by Pitman Publishing Corporation, 1951

About this Item

THE MEANING OF ART, Herbert Read, 68 B/W illustrations, hardcover with unclipped dust jacket (price never printed), 3rd or later edition, 1951. BOOK CONDITION: very good. The text block and illustrations are in near fine condition, with no tears, dogears, or marks. Some rippling of the early pages. Bookplate of a prior owner is affixed to the first free endpaper. Not a library book or remainder. The red-orange cloth boards are in very good condition (lightly bumped spine top). The dust jacket is in good condition (discolored spine; height size is smaller than that of the book). 7 ½ x 5, 262 pages, 14 ounces XX [From the dust jacket inner flaps] A survey of the history of art, especially paintings and sculpture, and of the bases of aesthetic judgements by one of the foremost authorities on the subject. Mr. Read considers such fundamental terms as beauty, harmony, and pattern as applied to art appreciation, and examines the mental processes involved in the contemplation of works of art. The book points out the persistence of certain principles and aspirations throughout the history of art, and summarizes the essence of such movements as Gothic, Baroque, Impressionism, Surrealism, Expressionism, etc. [From the preface by Read] This book began as a series of articles contributed to The Listener, the weekly literary journal of the British Broadcasting Corporation. For the first edition (1931) I selected passages from these articles, added to them, and so ordered them as to form what is, I hope, a fairly consistent argument. In subsequent editions further sections were added for the sake of theoretical and historical completeness. With the exception of the paragraphs on Chinese art (42), Turner (67) and modern sculpture (81c) these additions were again adapted from articlcs which first appeared in The Listener. In the present edition I have throughout made minor corrections in the text which should make for clarity and accuracy. [About the author, Wikipedia] Sir Herbert Edward Read, 4 December 1893 ? 12 June 1968) was an English art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher, best known for numerous books on art, which included influential volumes on the role of art in education. Read was co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary Arts. As well as being a prominent English anarchist, he was one of the earliest English writers to take notice of existentialism. He was co-editor with Michael Fordham of the British edition in English of The Collected Works of C. G. Jung. Seller Inventory # 002132

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Meaning of Art (With 68 illustrations, ...

Publisher: Pitman Publishing Corporation

Publication Date: 1951

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: Good