The American art book.
(Book)

Covering three centuries, this vibrant, fresh overview ranges from Puritan portraits to the American Impressionists to the videos and digital works of today's most intriguing conceptual artists. 500 color illustrations. The American Art Book is a vibrant, fresh overview of the most influential & best-loved American artists from Colonial times to the present. Covering three centuries, it ranges from Puritan portraits, the luminous paintings of the Hudson River School & the American Impressionists, through to the videos & digital works of today's most intriguing conceptual artists. Like the enormously popular Art Book, it presents 500 artists in an A to Z format which departs from the usual emphasis on genres & time periods: Jenny Holzer faces Winslow Homer, & Robert Mapplethorpe sits next to Grandma Moses, encouraging readers to contemplate the connections between art, American history & popular culture. Each artist is represented by a full-page colour plate of a characteristic work, accompanied by an informative & engaging text which places the image & artist in the context of contemporary movements & preceding traditions. The book includes an easy-to-use glossary of artistic terms & movements, & a directory of museums & public collections across the United States & around the world with important holdings of American art, making it a valuable reference work as well as a stimulating way to approach this rich & varied subject.