What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye

It's very well written, funny and very well researched. Haven't finished it yet, but no complaints. Good one.

Amazing book written with style and humour

I enjoyed this book as it was a good overview of the history of modern art. This is a chunky book, so it not only spoke of the well known known artists but also the lesser noted ones I definitely enjoyed more reading about the artists I knew and the works of modern art which I already know. However, this was an interesting and mildly entertaining read which would be a good starter book if you are interested learning more about it modern art. I rate this book a four star read.

This book is for champs that like art. I feel like an impressionist winner reading this book.

I can thoroughly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in modern art but who feels a bit in the dark when it comes to understanding how the different styles fit together chronologically and conceptually - who did what , when and why! Will Gompertz writes eloquently and can evoke the atmosphere of a painting in a few choice lines. He is never patronising, using ordinary language and explaining what the artists thought they were about as well as adding wry comments when he appears to think they were being a bit pretentious. The only fault is that the book boards warp slightly - but this is a minor cosmetic problem and I'd rather have this than pay several times the price. I would love an accompanying small book of illustrations of all the art works he mentions but does not illustrate. It is a testament to his skill that I could recognise from his descriptions some paintings that I have seen but would not have known the name of the artist. I would love to have the Kindle version to take with me when visiting galleries. This book was a present and I have now bought copies for two other friends. I think it would be suitable for anyone from teenage upwards.

Book in excellent condition and arrived earlier than expected. Excellent.

The task of tracing and linking the development of modern art is made readable and amusing by the author's clear love and knowledge of his subject. Thank you Will Gompertz.

The author has a most down-to-earth approach to interpreting modern art. He focuses on the stories of artists and more brilliantly, the connections between each artist / the period which they represent - how one influenced another, leading to the next "ism". Most incredible story-telling and most articulate interpretations - almost a novel of the art world!

Excellent “user-friendly” introduction to Contemporary Art. Many times wandering in art galleries and hopelessly staring at seemingly incomprehensible brushes of colors and 3D exhibits, I was wondering – what does it all mean? I always wanted to ask some expert or at least somebody who claims to understand it. This book is exactly what I was looking for. It is for the completely uninitiated. It patiently explains logical progression toward ever more abstract art, and gives invaluable insights into meaning (or lack thereof), aesthetic aspects, and context of contemporary art. After reading this book I visited Albright-Knox Contemporary Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY, and was able to enjoy a lot more exhibits than I would’ve been able to appreciate without this book. I highly recommend it to anyone puzzled about and interested in understanding Contemporary Art.

I think like others have mentioned, not all the images were included which is a little annoying.... But it is more a matter of curiosity, personally, I am too lazy to go see the paintings off of the internet, but I don't feel like I have missed much as the paintings mentioned but not displayed tend not to have much depth in their explanation. They are merely a historical point without much analysis of the painting itself. I think the book gives a great analysis of paintings as it puts them in a historical timeline, which is necessary, because context is everything, which most art books don't do. They just talk amount motion, focus, lighting etc.... But now you know why this artist was famous what he did well, what areas of painting he sacrificed on etc.... The analysis is not on the specific painting so much as the painter as whole and what his goals were. It really gives you a chance to walk up to one of his/her paintings and appreciate it even if it wasn't analyzed in the book. That being said it is written in a very light and enjoyable manner. I would prefer sometimes that the book stick to factual conversations, but to be fair the assumed conversations do help make the book very readable.

For those who’ve been attracted to, yet baffled by, modern art, Will Gompertz is a wonderful, enlightening, down to earth guide. Highly recommended.

Llego en perfectas condiciones y en el tiempo indicado.

....und sich nicht getraut haben zu fragen - das haben sie in diesem Buch! Es ist kurzweilig zu lesen, die Exponate sind interessant beschrieben und mit der Prise trockenem Humor versetzt, der englische Bücher häufig so unterhaltsam macht. Mit Will Gompertz hat man einen Fachmann an der Hand, der es versteht einem die selbst verrücktesten Exemplare moderner Kunst näher zu bringen. Man muss ja nicht gleich alles toll finden worüber die Kunstszene so schwärmt, aber man bekommt mit dem Buch ein paar tiefere Einblicke warum dieses oder jenes Werk als moderne Kunst zu betrachten ist und halt nicht "weg sollte" (um den Spruch "Ist das Kunst, oder kann das weg?" mal gleich zu benutzen). Definitiv sieht man nach der Lektüre einige Ausstellungen mit anderen Augen und kann bei Unterhaltungen mit Kunstkennern gut seinen (angelesenen) Senf dazu geben. Klare Kaufempfehlung!