Huyghe René (ed). Larousse Encyclopedia of Prehistoric and Ancient Art. Art and Mankind

Translated by Michael Heron, Corinne Lambert and Wendela Schurmann from the French original: L'art et l'homme. — New York: Prometheus Press, 1962. — 414 p.Spanning a period of tens of thousands of years, this magnificently illustrated volume traces in detail the development of art in every corner of the globe — rediscovering the art objects of paleolithic times, relating them to the artifacts of the dim ages of protohistory and the art of living primitive societies, and examining their evolution into the monumental treasures of Classical and Oriental antiquity. Scrupulously edited by a noted art historian and reproducing art treasures from the world's greatest museums, this volume encompasses the entire range of man's activities as reflected in his artistic creations — religion and myth, culture and philosophy, esthetics and civilization. Indeed, it is an epic account of the first long, eventful stage in the development of mankind.
Incorporating the latest findings in the fields of art criticism, archeology, history, anthropology, mythography, ethnology, and comparative religion, this volume is not just another history of art. Indeed, it presents a new view of art — not only the art of the Western tradition but also of Asia, Africa, the Pacific islands, Australia, and the Americas — from the earliest man-made objects to the massive achievements of Greece and Rome.
The magic ritual art of the Stone Age hunters; the megaliths of Stonehenge and Carnac; the mysterious civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro; the art of Sumeria, Babylonia, Assyria, of the Medes and Persians, of the Egyptians, Canaanites, Mycenaeans, Etruscans, Minoans — these are only part of the riches found in these pages. There are chapters on the 'barbarian' arts of the Celts, Huns, and Vikings; on the arts of China, Japan, and India at the dawn of history; on the art of the few surviving primitive cultures, from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic, with
their definite links to the art of prehistoric man; on the arts of the Incas, Mayas, and other older civilizations of pre-Columbian America; and, of course, the magnificent art of Greece and Rome at their zeniths.
Each chapter begins with a penetrating article by a famous art historian describing the course of art over different areas and periods in relation to one another and to civilization as a whole. There are also sections which give in clear and concise form a summary of the facts about all the arts - paintings, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, etc. - and a series of illuminating essays by leading authorities on the successive phases of art all over the world.
There is, in addition, a comprehensive index so that any fact — artists, schools, styles, important works of art — can easily be found. And welded to all these elements are almost 800 illustrations of art masterpieces, 32 in full colour, and numerous maps, making this volume one of the most significant and meticulously documented books on art ever published.
One of the notable achievements of this book is the presentation of art not on its own, but as an essential element of the continuous development of mankind, to show how art is affected by and affects the thinking, attitudes, and way of life of a particular period and place. 'Art and mankind are indissolubly linked,' and it is only by considering art in relation to mankind and not just as an interesting phenomenon entirely unconnected with 'real life' that the true nature of art and also of man can be fully understood.
Sweeping in range, brilliant in its interpretations and analyses, the Larousse Encyclopedia of Prehistoric and Ancient Art is an essential work of reference as well as a volume which, in the freshness of its approach, outdates all other books dealing with this incomparably rich period in the fascinating story of world art.