"Art History gives today's readers cultural and social context for art along with visual explanations of art's special qualities and particular vocabularies. Its narrative tells the many-sided story of art, starting with the earliest prehistoric paintings and sculpture through today's wildly varying works in new mediums." "In addition to offering an outstanding collection of color illustrations. Art History features maps, chronologies, and scores of labeled line drawings and architectural plans. Special essays called "The Object Speaks" offer insights on topics such as authenticity, patronage, and artistic intention." "Thoroughly updated to reflect the latest in scholarship, this revised Second Edition features even more works in color and more newly cleaned or restored works. Many works of art are completely new to the book. More attention has been paid to the art and culture of the Islamic world and specifically the Ottoman Empire."--BOOK JACKET.