Art and Illusion: A Study in the Psychology of Pictorial Representation - Millennium Edition

by E.H. Gombrich and Leonie Gombrich

Book Overview

A groundbreaking account of perception and art, from one of the twentieth century's most important art historians

E. H. Gombrich is widely considered to be one of the most influential art historians of the twentieth century, and Art and Illusion is generally agreed to be his most important book. Bridging science and the humanities, this classic work examines the history and psychology of pictorial representation in light of...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691070008
• ISBN13: 9780691070001
• Release Date: December 2000
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.7" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

It will teach you understanding for the visual language

A great book, it is a bit long but filled with information, so take your time when reading and prepared yourselve for an epiphany

Art and Illusion review by artist/filmmaker

Art & Illusion is an altogether brilliant text - one of the most profound discussions of fine art in the 20th century. No matter what one's field - whether painting, film, new media, performance art - it is a book both timeless and essential.

Fantastic book

As someone with an interest in art I found this book very interesting.However, this book is also a classic example of how a non-fiction book should be written. It flows smoothly from topic to topic, is not written on too high a level, but on the other hand does not insult your intelligence.His other book are also very good.

An extremely though-provokling and worthwhile book

In this now classic work, Gombrich uses his command of the history of art to reflect deeply on how creators and viewers of illusionistic, that is representational art, do what they do. While he wrote this in the 50's, and is deficient when it comes to issues of abstract art (which is really outside his stated purview) he comes close to what might now be termed a post-structuralist view of seeing, certainly an extremely careful and sophisticated one. Old-fashiioned as some of the language is, the book remains fresh and well worth reading or re-reading. The numerous and very well-chosen illustrations are unusually well coordinated in their placement, so that the reader rarely is forced to lose her place while thumbing back and forth in search of them.