History of Illustration (New Stuff Tuesday)

History of Illustration Book Cover

So what is the difference between illustration and fine art? This book helpfully defines illustration as “visual communication through pictorial means” and notes that illustration is often created through mechanical processes (p. xvii). The authors specifically note that illustration is largely kept out of histories of art because of its (often) commercial nature. But they further point out that the commercial nature of illustration contributes to making it an ideal vehicle for studying popular culture.

This scholarly volume traces illustration from pre-history through the present. The history is presented chronologically, beginning with cave paintings and ending with digital forms. The authors also explore various themes and genres, including comics, children’s books, anatomical drawing, natural science illustration, fashion illustration, and many chapters on the unique contributions to the field from different regions of the globe.

The pages are sprinkled liberally with high-quality color and black-and-white images, bringing the history to life.

History of Illustration
by Susan Doyle, Jaleen Grove, and Whitney Sherman
New Arrivals Island, 2nd Floor
NC998 >H46 2019

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