Request for consultation

Thanks for your request. You’ll soon be chatting with a consultant to get the answers you need.
Your form is submitting...
{{formPostErrorMessage.message}} [{{formPostErrorMessage.code}}]
First Name is required. 'First Name' must contain at least 0 characters 'First Name' cannot exceed 0 characters Please enter a valid First Name
Last Name is required. 'Last Name' must contain at least 0 characters 'Last Name' cannot exceed 0 characters Please enter a valid Last Name
Email Address is required. 'Email Address' must contain at least 0 characters 'Email Address' cannot exceed 0 characters Please enter a valid Email Address
Institution is required.
Discipline is required.
Country is required.
State is required.
Cengage, at your service! How can we best meet your needs? is required.
Why are you contacting us today? is required. 'Why are you contacting us today?' must contain at least 0 characters 'Why are you contacting us today?' cannot exceed 0 characters Please enter a valid Why are you contacting us today?

Understanding Art, 11th Edition

Lois Fichner-Rathus

  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2016-01-01T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $84.95 See pricing and ISBN options
Understanding Art 11th Edition by Lois Fichner-Rathus

Overview

UNDERSTANDING ART provides a balanced, fresh approach to art appreciation, incorporating coverage across the chronological and geographical spectrum. This 11th edition features new and expanded sections on religious and world art, green buildings, graphic design, and conceptual art, as well as a new Art Tour for Los Angeles and over 100 new images in the areas of fashion, crafts, industrial design and architecture. In addition, a comprehensive set of online tools in MindTap makes it easier than ever for students to study and learn the material, regardless of their particular learning styles.

Lois Fichner-Rathus

Lois Fichner-Rathus is a professor of art in the Department of Art and Art History of The College of New Jersey. She holds a combined undergraduate degree in fine arts and art history, an M.A. from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art and a Ph.D. in the History, Theory and Criticism of Art from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her areas of specialization include contemporary art, feminist art history and criticism and modern art and architecture as well as the theory and foundations of art and design. Dr. Fichner-Rathus is also the author of the Cengage Learning textbooks, UNDERSTANDING ART and FOUNDATIONS OF ART AND DESIGN. She teaches study-abroad programs in Paris, Rome, Spain and Cuba and resides in New York.
  • Non-Western art is integrated into each art history chapter, under the heading "The Wider World." For example, Chapter 15, "Classical Art," includes sections on Buddhism, Hinduism, and Pre-Columbian art. Chapter 17, "The Renaissance," includes discussion of the Mughal Empire in India, the Ming Dynasty in China, the Muromachi and Momoyama periods in Japan, and the Aztec civilization in the Americas.
  • "Connections" features illustrate how works of art from one period or one global location relate to works from another. In addition, some of these features show students how they can apply the information in the text to their own lives.
  • "Theory & Practice" features show how artists use principles and theories of art to arrive at their compositions. For example, a Theory & Practice feature in Chapter 5 shows how several artists sought to capture the dynamic spinning and twirling of Folies Bergère dancer Loïe Fuller's signature "Serpentine Dance" in drawings and sculpture.
  • "Putting It All Together" features visually summarize the ways in which artists use the visual elements of art and principles of design to render their compositions. A feature in Chapter 1 uses The Arnolfini Portrait to show how Jan Van Eyck used line, shape, value, color and other elements of art to bring his portrait of a newly married couple to life.
  • There are several new "Compare + Contrast" features. For example, in Chapter 22, "The Undying Legacy of the African Mask," relates a traditional African mask to the fiber arts of Faith Ringgold, the paintings of Pablo Picasso, and an assemblage of women's high-heeled shoes by contemporary American artist Willie Cole.
  • Hundreds of new works of art have been chosen for this edition to touch the landmarks of Western art and the art of the wider world, as well as to better illustrate the elements, mediums, and historic developments of art.
  • This edition is available on MindTap®, the first image-led educational software for art that keeps the core content--the artwork--at the forefront of study. This highly customizable and interactive, image-first digital experience encourages students to discover the history and meaning of art with a visually rich eBook experience that places the art, surrounding discussion and curated content all on the same two-page spread. Students can zoom in on and expand image details, explore curated content such as videos and architectural panoramas, visit significant locations of the works of art and architecture via Google Maps, and more--all without losing their place in the discussion.
  • Scales are placed next to images in the text to help students better visualize the size of each work and grasp the importance of scale. Like composition, color, line, and other terms used to describe an artwork, scale is a key factor in helping students understand the artist's purpose.
  • "A Closer Look" features help students understand the role of art in society and in everyday life by offering insights into artists' personalities and delving into various topics at greater depth.
  • The "Compare + Contrast" feature shows two or more works of art side by side and poses questions that help you focus on the stylistic and technical similarities and differences between two or more works.
  • "Theory & Practice" features show you how artists use principles and theories of art to arrive at their compositions.
  • "Putting It All Together" features visually summarize the ways in which artists use the visual elements of art and principles of design to render their compositions.
  • "Connections" features illustrate how works of art from one period or one global location relate to works from another. Some of these features ask you to apply information from the text to your own life.
1. Understanding Art.
2. Line and Shape.
3. Light and Color.
4. Texture and Pattern.
5. Space, Time, and Motion.
6. Principles of Design.
7. Drawing.
8. Painting.
9. Printmaking.
10. Imaging: Photography, Film, Video, and Digital Arts.
11. Art in Three Dimensions: Sculpture, Installation, Site-Specific Art, and Industrial Design.
12. Craft.
13. Architecture and Urban Design.
14. Art of the Ancients.
15. Classical Art: Greece and Rome.
16. The Age of Faith.
17. The Renaissance.
18. The Age of Baroque.
19. Modern Art.
20. The Twentieth Century: The Early Years.
21. Art Since 1945.
22. The Contemporary Contour: A Global Perspective.
Visual Glossary: Themes and Purposes of Art.
MindTap
Each MindTap product offers the full, mobile-ready textbook combined with superior and proven learning tools at one affordable price. Students who purchase digital access can add a print option at any time when a print option is available for their course.

This Cengage solution can be seamlessly integrated into most Learning Management Systems (Blackboard, Brightspace by D2L, Canvas, Moodle, and more) but does require a different ISBN for access codes. Please work with your Cengage Learning Consultant to ensure the proper course set up and ordering information. For additional information, please visit the LMS Integration site.

Standalone Digital Access — Ultimate Value

Recommended and most popular

  • ISBN-10: 1285859278
  • ISBN-13: 9781285859279
  • RETAIL $84.95

Textbook Only Options

Traditional eBook and Print Options

{{collapseContainerClosed['detail_0'] ? 'Show More' : 'Show Less'}}

  • ISBN-10: 0357688988
  • ISBN-13: 9780357688984
  • RETAIL $84.95

  • ISBN-10: 1285859294
  • ISBN-13: 9781285859293
  • RETAIL $274.95

Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

FOR INSTRUCTORS

MindTap Art, 1 term (6 months) Instant Access for Fichner-Rathus' Understanding Art

ISBN: 9781285859279
MindTap for Fichner-Rathus' Understanding Art, 11th Edition is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course—to provide engaging content, to challenge every individual, and to build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You. MindTap is the first image-led educational software for art that keeps the artwork at the forefront of study. This customizable, interactive, image-first digital experience encourages the development of visual literacy by placing the art, surrounding discussion and curated content all on the same two-page eBook spread. Students can zoom in and expand image details; explore curated content, such as videos and architectural panoramas; and visit significant locations of works of art and architecture via Google Maps.

FOR STUDENTS

MindTap Art, 1 term (6 months) Instant Access for Fichner-Rathus' Understanding Art

ISBN: 9781285859279
MindTap for Fichner-Rathus' Understanding Art, 11th Edition is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course—to provide engaging content, to challenge every individual, and to build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You. MindTap is the first image-led educational software for art that keeps the artwork at the forefront of study. This customizable, interactive, image-first digital experience encourages the development of visual literacy by placing the art, surrounding discussion and curated content all on the same two-page eBook spread. Students can zoom in and expand image details; explore curated content, such as videos and architectural panoramas; and visit significant locations of works of art and architecture via Google Maps.