Art and Human Consciousness

This survey of western art from ancient Egypt to Picasso looks at visual art in a completely new and imaginative way. Gottfried Richter's lively and penetrating obser-vations will inspire and enthuse the novice, while breathing new life into the thinking of art critics and historians. Richter concerns himself broadly with architecture, sculpture, and painting-as well as mythology and legend-in pre-senting the creations of artist and architect as an expression of the evolution of human consciousness. In vivid images he offers the reader interpretive keys to under-stand this process in all areas of art history. With many examples the author illustrates how human life has undergone a qualitative transfor-mation as humanity has gradually freed itself from a life determined by spiritual guidance in order to take hold of the sensory world and experience free individuality.