A brief, brilliant and essential introduction to the key concepts in art, from ancient times to the present day. A Short Book About Art tells the story of art from a fresh perspective, integrating previously marginalised aspects of artistic creation into the principal narrative. Illuminating and lively, it sets out authoritative answers to key questions about how art is made, interpreted and displayed, and offers an unusually accessible route to new ways of thinking about the creative drive of individual artists and their relationships with their work. Through a series of carefully-selected illustrated examples, ranging from the iconic to the unusual, A Short Book About Art provides a stimulating and thought-provoking introduction to a subject of universal importance.