30,000 Years of Art

This book offers an unusual and exciting way of looking at art. A perfect introduction for those who are new to the subject, as well as an indispensable resource for those who have been studying art for years, *30,000 Years of Art* presents 1000 masterworks from different countries, cultures and civilizations in simple chronological order. From the first accomplished cave paintings made 30,000 years ago to conceptual art of the twentieth century, this book includes acknowledged masterpieces, some lesser-known, and many surprises. With descriptive texts that shed light on why each work is important, what makes it typical of the culture in which it was created and its plaace in the development of art history, the book offers a brand new perspective on world art. Only here can you easily find what was being created in Japan, Iraq, Peru or Nigeria when the *Venus de Milo* was being carved in Greece. Only here will you discover that while Diego Velázquez was painting the monumental royal family portrait *Las Meniñas*, an unnamed artist in India was creating a delicate jade wine cup for the Shah who built the Taj Mahal. From the time when human beings can first be called human, they have felt compelled to depict themselves and their world – as gods, mortals, animals or abstractions. *30,000 Years of Art* celebrates this rich diversity and shows how art created across the millennia, and from around the world, fits together.