"History of art" by Ernst Gombrich

Abstract

Abstract

The text is a critique of Ernst Gombrich´s book “History of Art”, old work translated into many languages, which in 2011 was published as a pocket edition in Spanish. Rather than providing a criticism of the content, only certain aspects are mentioned, the critique is centered around comments on the author´s choice of anthology taken from the universal history of art. In this way not only does the lack of presence of Spanish art in general come under particular criticism, but most of all the feeble representation of the Spanish collection of the Prado museum, the finest gallery in the world. Under scrutiny also come the unwise choice of several examples and the overabundance of British and Dutch art of a minor character. Similarly, the author deplores the little sense of references to architecture since the Baroque, and, with reference to the content, the maintaining of the old and offensive thesis regarding the supremacy of art in Protestant countries over that of Catholic ones.