Art in History provides an illuminating overview of humanity's long tradition of creation, from the earliest cave paintings to contemporary installations.

By relating works of art -- primarily painting, sculpture, and graphics, but also major architectural monuments -- to the societies in which they were created, Dr. Silver intensifies the reader's understanding of humanity's most famous and enduring images. Each chapter surveys a historical era, presenting its major figures against a background of social forces that helped shape their creativity. Non-Western cultures are included as counterpoints, and a careful balance is established between long-acknowledged masters and those whose achievements have been recognized only recently.