Hauser Arnold. The Social History of Art. Volume II: Renaissance, Mannerism and Baroque

London: Routledge, 1992. — 234 p. — ISBN: 0-415-04579-7First published in 1951 Arnold Hausers commanding work presents an account of the development and meaning of art from its origins in the Stone Age through to the Film Age. Exploring the interaction between art and society, Hauser effectively details social and historical movements and sketches the frameworks in which visual art is produced. This new edition provides an excellent introduction to the work of Arnold Hauser. In his general introduction to The Social History of Art, Jonathan Harris asseses the importance of the work for contemporary art history and visual culture. In addition, an introduction to each volume provides a synopsis of Hausers narrative and serves as a critical guide to the text, identifying major themes, trends and arguments.The concept of the renaissance
The demand for middle-class and courtly art in the Quattrocento
The social status of the renaissance artist
The classicism of the Cinquecento
The concept of mannerism
The age of political realism
The second defeat of chivalry
The concept of the baroque
The baroque of the catholic courts
The baroque of the protestant bourgeoisie