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Readings in Art History Vol. 2: The Renaissance to the Present
Readings in Art History Vol 2 The Renaissance to the Present Author:Harold Spencer In one respect, an anthology of readings has a great advantage as a teaching instrument over the encyclopedic textbook, be it ever so sound. A scholar--like William Stevenson Smith or Gisela M. A. Richter--who undertakes to write an introductory chapter to a fuller treatment of his special field will boil down into trenchant and illuminating gen... more »eralizations a rich fund of scholarly knowledge and understanding... On the other hand, the writer of a general textbook is apt to generalize on the generalizations of others, or content himself with a few high points which afford a rather distorted view of the historical landscape. It is impossible to quarrel with Spencer's choice of writers... One must emphasize the important contribution the editor makes in his headnotes to each selection and in his bibliographic suggestions and comments. The notes are succinct and pertinent, placing the readings in context and supplying desirable continuity, while the bibliographical suggestions will be useful not only to the student but to the novice teacher as well.« less