How Art Made the World: A Journey to the Origins of Human Creativity

by Nigel Spivey

Overview

In the late nineteenth century, the first discoveries of prehistoric painting were greeted with incredulity. How could there have been such deft and skillful artists in the world over 30,000 years ago? Noted art historian Nigel Spivey begins with this puzzle to explore the record of humanity's artistic endeavors and their impact on our own development. Embarking with the motto, “Everyone is an artist,” Spivey takes us on a quest to find out when and how we humans began to explore the deepest questions of life, using visual artforms. With the help of vivid color illustrations of some of the world's most moving and enduring works of art, Spivey shows how that art has been used as a means of mass persuasion, essential to the creation of hierarchical societies, and finally, the extent to which art has served as a mode of terror management in the face of our inevitable death. Packed with new insights into ancient wonders and fascinating stories from all around the globe, How Art Made the World is a compelling account of how humans made art and how art makes us human.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786722136
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	11/27/2006
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	84,014
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Nigel Spivey is a lecturer in Classics at Cambridge University. He has written several books on Greek and Etruscan art. He is the presenter of the BBC/PBS television series “How Art Made the World,” which this book accompanies. He lives in Cambridge, England.