A Beginner's Guide to the Humanities

A “must-have” guide for anyone interested in deepening their cultural experiences, this easy-to-carry handbook gives users practical advice on observing, enjoying, thinking about and feeling in response to the arts so that they can get the most out of their next visit to the theater, gallery, or museum. Self-contained chapters provide an essential companion guide to understanding a specific art—painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater, opera and musical theater, dance, prints, photos and digital art, and movies—with concisely defined key terms one should know relating to that particular art, as well as a clear and insightful explanation of its process of creation. Presents a commentary in each chapter defining the art in some social, historical, or psychological context, and shares authors' recollections and reflections of his own encounters with works of art in the particular medium under discussion. Offers easy-to-follow instructions for understanding and encountering a specific art form for the first time, and provides a handy page of reference for each art form that users can photocopy and take with them on their next cultural outing. For all readers who appreciate and want to become more knowledgeable about the arts in general.