Art history: A critical introduction to its methods

This book does a great job of presenting methods in art history in a way that is easy to understand. Hatt and Klonk also do well with presenting problems with the theories and how they are applied in contemporary art history.

It was very good and diverse. Outside reading was still used, of course, can't get everything in 1 book. Very good explanations and descriptions.

Very useful for graduate students and well-written. A must-have book for art history majors! Hatt and Klonk are excellent scholars.

Definitely a bit dense. Takes a couple times reading through to grasp the methodologies, but paired with a class on Art History Methodologies, it helps clarify a lot of principles.

As a general intro into the histories of Art this book is magnificent.

I had to buy this book for an art history course in college. Nevertheless, if you want a comprehensive background on the development of the field of art history and the different methodologies that go into current art historical analysis, this book is for you!

Yes, this book is incredibly informative. It breaks down the development of Art History. It helps the reader to better understand the field and how it came to where it is today. BUT It is incredibly dry. Many of the things that are taught could be better taught through primary source readings. For example, in a class environment, it would be much easier to understand gaze theory by reading Laura Mulvey's "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" instead of reading for a page and half while they summarize gaze theory in a feminist context. Yes, it is a tall task to condense the entirety of any discipline into one (short) book, but this book is dull and makes the reader lose interest quickly. I love the subject matter, but I dreaded having assigned readings from this book. What a snore-fest!

Had to purchase this book for a class in which we are to study art history. It does so through a very bias lens for roughly half the book before diving deeply into socialist propaganda rather than looking at art itself. This book utilizes ones yearning for artist knowledge to force their ideological jargon upon the reader. If you must buy this book as I have safe guard your internal monolog against it's indoctrinating text.

This is a set text on my course and unlike some others is accessible, entertaining and at the same time 'academic' and informative. For the art gallery/museum goer it is worth reading for general interest and to get the thought processes going.

The book is informative and useful. However it is outrageous that a paper back book on art theory, without good reproductions of works of art costs euro 57.90. I think around euro 25-30 would be reasonable.

Yes, I really liked this one. Its a really good tour through the various theories of Art History, explaining how they emerged, how they are applied and where these methods seem to come short. They demonstrate however that new methods don't the old, as they often borrow from them in one way or another. There's plenty of room for ideas of your own and I could dispute with them on this point or that, and it would be good to sit down with the authors and have two minutes to argue with them about Foucault,but they're not trying to lay down the law,only explain the arguments going on, which has actually been very interesting reading.

This is not a complex book. However, for beginners interested in art history or theory of art, it's interesting and easily consumable. Also great for a coffee table read. I would love to read its small chapters in an office waiting room, or as a guest in someone's home. A great book to pick up and put down, without losing its efficacy.

Provides an accessible insight into different approaches to art history, from Marxism to Feminism, Formalism to Iconography, and so on. Great for students of art studies at all levels and for those interested generally in theories on understanding art.