In the early 1970s, "Janson" was a manageable 616-page volume, primarily featuring black-and-white photographs, with no works by female artists and only eight pages on non-Western art. Over the decades, it has transformed into a substantial, slipcased 1,000-page book filled with 865 color reproductions and organized subheadings that clarify individual artists' contributions. Women artists, from Artemisia Gentileschi to Cindy Sherman, are now included, and the focus has expanded to encompass 20th-century photography and postmodernism, albeit with limited coverage of postmodern theory. The redesigned timeline now charts significant art milestones alongside key historical, scientific, and cultural events, complemented by world maps and primary source excerpts, including unique accounts like that of painter Hugo van der Goes's struggles. Each edition reflects evolving scholarly interpretations, as noted by H.W. Janson in his original preface, emphasizing that "there are no 'plain facts' in the history of art." Changes have been made to sections on ancient art, French romanticism, realism, impressionism, and Western architecture, while the clarity and intelligence of the writing remain intact. Overall, this work continues to be an essential reference for art students and scholars, though it may benefit from a new title and division into two volumes to ease the burden on future historians.
Anthony F. Janson Bücher
For 1000s of art lovers both amateur & professional, esthetic life began with Janson, as his History of Art is often called. In the 1st edition, published in 1962, he spoke to that perennial reader he gently called "the troubled layman." His opening paragraph revealed his sympathy: "Why is this supposed to be art?" he quoted rhetorically. "How often have we heard this question asked--or asked it ourselves, perhaps--in front of one of the strange, disquieting works that we are likely to find nowadays in the museum or art exhibition?" Keeping that curious, questioning perspective in mind, he wrote a history of art from cave painting to Picasso that was singularly welcoming, illuminating & exciting. Sojourning thru this book, a reader is offered every amenity for a comfortable trip. Because he never assumes knowledge on the part of the reader, a recent immigrant from Mars could comprehend Western art from this text. The only assumption the Jansons have made is that with a little guidance everyone can come to understand the artifacts that centuries of architecture, sculpture, design & painting have deposited in our paths. Countless readers have proven the Jansons right & found their lives enriched in the process.