Conceived as a gorgeously illustrated accompaniment to ?How Do We Look? and ?The Eye of Faith,? the famed Civilisations shows on PBS, renowned classicist Mary Beard has created this elegant volume on how we have looked at art. Focusing in Part I on the Olmec heads of early Mesoamerica, the colossal statues of the pharaoh Amenhotep III, and the nudes of classical Greece, Be Conceived as a gorgeously illustrated accompaniment to ?How Do We Look? and ?The Eye of Faith,? the famed...
| Title | : | How Do We Look: The Body, the Divine, and the Question of Civilization |
| Author | : | Mary Beard |
| Rating | : | |
| Genres | : | History |
| ISBN | : | 1631494406 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 240 pages pages |
How Do We Look: The Body, the Divine, and the Question of Civilization Reviews
I picked this up in my local library. It was a quick read that I mostly enjoyed, but realize I can't recall the main theses afterwards. ...
While it was a good book and I did enjoy what was written and the art work covered. I was left with a feeling that something was missing. Since it is meant to accompany the "Civilizations" shows, maybe that was what was missing. Overall good, but somehow lacking. ...
I really like Mary Beard and her perspective on human civilization through her expertise in antiquity. This book focuses on the question of who are we when we are looking at art, not only how do we see art, but how does art reflect our gaze. Using numerous examples of ancient figurativ...
In sum: "So much depends on who is looking, from ancient master or ancient slave to eighteenth-century connoisseur or twenty-first-century tourist. And so much depends on the context in which they look, whether ancient cemetery or temple, English stately home or modern museum. I am not...
Much more approachable than I expected. I enjoyed the information, but I?m not sure I came away with any particularly profound new ideas. She did raise some good questions that I think will stick with me. ...
This was accessible and interesting, which are two things I wouldn't often say about art history. ...
A good basic read on how we look at art. Reflects the importance of historical context, religion, and even historical perceptions on the role human form in deciphering and understanding art, especially of ancient civilizations. Great for those looking for an intro to looking at ancient...
Fascinating read on art and sculpture and how people from long ago memorialized themselves and others. ...- Mary Beard is not as well known in America as she is in Great Britain I dare say, but this down to earth Cambridge professor has entertained, and educated me via Youtube. She delves into ancient civilizations and makes their world part of our own with her intelligent and witty tutoria...
- I am beginn68ng to believe the quote , "there is no such thing as art, only artists". A fascinating look at art, from ancient to 1600s. It seems we've been asking the same questions, having the same discussions for thousands of years. I know know the definition of iconoclast. ...
I read it. It happened. ...
This is more of a companion to Mary Beard?s Civilizations tv series, so it?s a little too episodic to be a satisfying read. Just when you?re starting to get into something she?s shown you, she moves on to a new subject, But it?s a wonderful taste of a really interesting appro...
A beautiful and witty art survey, about one of my favorite subjects--people and how they represent themselves. What does it mean politically and socially to be painted "warts and all," or as a hundred foot tall, bare-chested incarnation of Ra? Beard carefully chooses pieces from around...
You look fine Mary. Why do you ask? Oh, How Do We Look is the title of the book. Sorry, at first glance it looked like Mary Beard was the title. By the way, are you the same Mary Beard who presents episodes of Timeline - World History Documentaries? You are! I just finished Calig...
This book is, to the best of my knowledge, a companion to the new rendition of "Civilizations" that aired on PBS a few months ago. If you have not watched the new series, I highly recommend it. Among others, this book primarily explores how we look at figures from a western bias, as w...
This is a companion book to a TV series (well 2 episodes of said series), so it is a short and somewhat shallow introduction to the topics it covers. The illustrations were very integral to this book, which I appreciated. Unlike most books, I was able to see a picture of each and every...
A very short book with many photos. I do not think it is correctly titled. More than half the book concerns religious art. The section on ? how we look? is relatively short. I guess that comment assumes that ?look? means ?appear.? The title could also refer to how we view a...
Very basic introduction to how we have looked at and engaged with art objects throughout the centuries. This is a very quick read with short chapters focused on a specific place, object, or topic. Unfortunately, it is very Western-centric although Beard says she tried not be. Even ...
This is a beautiful book with many lovely photos of ancient people, gods and architecture. The book is divided into two parts. The first part is about the body image as seen in ancient cultures through their art, particularly their statues and paintings. Part 2 deals with religious fai...
I greatly appreciate Mary Beard's writing, and this book is no exception. A light, enjoyable read containing art, history, and the context the art would have been seen in/what it would have meant to contemporary viewers. Fascinating food for thought! I received a digital ARC from th...
The premise of this book is intriguing. Art history often focuses on the artists, and sometimes their models, but seldom the viewers. However, as commissioners of the artwork, as art dealers, and as consumers, viewers determine the value of art and influence the creative processes with...
I expected more meat on the bones. ...
I guess I was expecting a different read or maybe different format of this book. This is basically research based on sculptures and art through centuries to show how human interpreted and had looked at art. Different cultures and different traditions would show a person in a diff...- I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. To star I wold say that Mary Beards book is a joy to read, too short for certain and packed with lessons quickly absorbed.Thebook is filled with historical details and Beard?s ideas about the images of gods are fascinating, especially wit...
tl;dr: This is an informative, brief read that gives us some insights into art and the relationship we have had with it over time. I was a little surprised to see Olmec art in the book as it is typically the Aztecs, Mayans and Incans that get the burn in most books, but each of the ...
How Do We Look offers the reader a question well worth exploring: how do humans use art to explain how they think and feel about themselves. This is a question stolen directly from an Intro to Art syllabus, but it is a question worth asking because human imagination is arguably the mos...- The author presented an interesting way of thinking about art history and archeological interpretation. However, this book might not be as meaningful for someone who doesn?t already have some familiarity with the cultures and art movements discussed as only basic backgrounds are prov...
Very informative and easy to read prose! This would be a fantastic addition to a 100 level art history class. ...
Sumptuously produced, it was an easy read in one sitting on a rainy afternoon. Mary Beard is a classicist of the highest order, yet this book was, for me, a prime example of overreaching. Her credentials as an art historian or critic are clearly lacking. Her statements are often ped...
Very interesting, especially for an anthropology major like me! The pictures were sometimes in very strange places in the book, like an image would be referenced and the image itself would be 3 pages back. ...
