The Art of Understanding Art is a truly innovative textbook that presents and explains "behind-the-scenes" activities, methods, and tools involved in the creation, dissemination, analysis, and interpretation of art. Addressing topics not usually covered in traditional introductory texts - provenance, art conservation, art classification, primary and secondary textual research sources, museums and the web, copyrights - the book is a comprehensive guide to deciphering and appreciating the riotous visual world that is now the backdrop to our daily lives. Rather than offering an inventory of masterpieces and artists, The Art of Understanding Art reveals a novel pedagogical vision designed to educate readers to develop a global visual literacy, and an understanding of art that is distinctly related to, and transformative of, the way they view the world. Ample pedagogical material - useful introductions, text boxes, a glossary of institutions and individuals, innovative class...