A Beginner's Guide to the Humanities

This practical beginner's guide to appreciating and experiencing culture provides a handy introduction to the world of art that teaches students how to observe, enjoy, and analyze the arts. Professor Philip Bishop wrote this book because there was no concise handbook on the market covering the arts as a whole. His text provides a succinct and affordable guide to the arts and humanities geared to students who are starting from scratch in their study of the arts. Self-contained chapters provide an essential companion guide to understanding a specific discipline—including painting, sculpture, music, and theater—with a clear and insightful explanation of the discipline’s process of creation.

This guide assists readers through their encounters with the best in human culture and creativity. Each chapter concisely introduces an art form through its historical or social importance, its essential vocabulary, and its important styles or artists. From there, each chapter leads readers through the unique experience of the art and ends with a companion guide which focuses on questions to ask, terms to remember and a reminder that readers should think and feel for themselves.

In each chapter:

• The Tool Kit
• A glossary of everything the reader needs to know about a particular art form
• Style Guide
• Important styles or principal artists
• Step-by-step directions to guide the reader through the experience of an art
• A Companion to the Art