"Art in the modern era has come to be defined by its styles, schools, and movements. This guide to three hundred movements from 1860 to the present is without peer - it is the key to understanding more than a century of dynamic change in Western painting, sculpture, architecture, and design."

"Who, where, when, how, and why? - these are the essential questions answered in the one hundred main entries that make up the heart of the book. Presented chronologically, the subjects range from Impressionism in the nineteenth century to Earth Art, Sound Art, and Internet Art in the twenty-first. The entries examine the context and evolution of each movement - the claims of the artists' manifestos, the drama of the exhibitions, the judgments of the critics, and the delight, or outrage, of the public. Two hundred supplementary entries provide fully cross-referenced summaries of other essential styles and movements, tracing intriguing patterns of influence and development. The foldout illustrated time line shows the evolution of the art of this period at a glance, providing a thorough overview of the entire era." "Listings of major international collections and suggestions for further reading are given for all the main entries, and the comprehensive index features more than one thousand artists, architects, designers, impresarios, critics, collectors, and champions of modern art, linking the styles, schools, and movements with the people who made them happen." "Whether for reference, fresh exploration, or pure pleasure, this is a supremely valuable resource for anyone interested in art and artists in the modern age."--Jacket.