Japanese Art (World of Art)

This book is good but short. Surprisingly good coverage for its size. if you can afford it, buy Penelope Mason's History of Japanese Art, 2nd Edition

This book has been frustrating to read. Maybe it is because I am still in school, using this for a specific class so I am used to the typical formatting of regular textbooks, but the formatting doesn't make any sense to me. What bothers me the most is that there are pictures displayed throughout the book, and it seems some of them are discussed and some of them are not, and when they are the pictures are displayed on pages after with no indication. It is up to the reader to understand when the information switches from chapter information to the picture directly so you have to know your self. In my other textbooks, the pictures being talked about are clearly laid out in the paragraph and in text underneath the picture. The textbook will say in the paragraph what photo is being referenced with some sort of identification and the photo in reference is displayed with the same identification. With this book there is no structure that dictates which photo is in discussion or not. The photos are talked about on later pages and not clearly identified. I am spending so much time rereading this book that I don't even want to give it three stars, but I will because I guess its true and I am passing my class. I mean this is a problem that I was able to fix, but I don't understand why the book is formatted in this way when other methods are much more effective. I can understand how I just sound whiny but I just felt more frustration than was worth the $20 and it caused me to do more work than I thought is necessary especially when in comparison to the countless other textbooks that get the job done right.

Great collection of Japanese art through the ages. Selection had small examples of every period.

Needed this for a Japanese Cultures Art class; a very helpful and informative on historical and modern Japanese Art.

While very informative on artists/schools and the contexts in which they flourished I found this book a little too dry for my tastes. I came away from reading it a lot better informed but not very enthused. Perhaps, in part, because it did not devote as much attention to wood block prints as I would have liked but I have to admit that this might be more revealing of a bias in the reader than a fault in the writer.

great book

Written by an authority but with very long twisting sentences and not very interesting. Also it is hard to find the references to illustrations since they float around in the margins.

Good enough for college

Tardo en llegar más de lo que debería, pero al menos llegó. El libro merece mucho la pena si estudias arte o si te gusta el arte japonés. Claro que necesitas saber algo de inglés para poder entenderlo.

Not at all what I thought it would be!I love Japanese art, and have purchased a good few paintings over the years. The Japanese paint the most beautiful and amazing landscapes and abstract art.Sadly, this book is very dull and boring, it has no pictures of beautiful art through the ages but mainly focuses on a collection of very dull sculptures of Japanese men.If you want a book to excite and inspire you, please look elsewhere. I wish I had bought anything other than this!