giovannigf: Julian Bell's "What Is Painting? Representation and Modern Art" is the perfect complement to Richard Brettell's "Modern Art 1851-1929: Capitalism and Representation." The first, written by a painter, gives a very thorough, very even-handed, and well thought-out history of modern painting from a formal point of view - essentially, he explains what artists were trying to achieve in painting from the late 19th century to the end of the 20th. Brettell, on the other hand, gives us a more objective view of the economic and social forces behind modern art and includes unexpected influences such as the invention of the photograph, the rise of the museum, and the power of the bourgeoisie. Reading both these books will give you a satisfyingly well-rounded education on modern art.… (altro)