Power of Art

To read most histories of art, you might be forgiven for supposing that great artists are superhuman, and the knowledge of different movements, periods and styles is essential to truly appreciate art.It's time to look at art in a new way.THE POWER OF ART delves into the stories behind remarkable acts of creation in fifteen global cities at pivotal moments of artistic brilliance. It shows how art is an integral part of our daily lives, embedded in the very fabric of our existence. From the enduring wonders of ancient Babylon to the menacing pastel architecture of contemporary Pyongyang, eminent curator Caroline Campbell intertwines the stories of artists with the broader social, cultural and political landscapes of their time.In each vivid episode, Campbell reveals how art, in all its forms, is a testament to humanity's inventiveness and ingenuity: it has served our fundamental needs for shelter, sustenance, spirituality, pleasure, order and community. But it can also evoke envy, anger, greed, and even be used as a means of social control.Spanning thousands of years of creativity, THE POWER OF ART will ignite your imagination and open your eyes to the art that surrounds us, whether it be a painting in a gallery, a public sculpture or an everyday object with hidden beauty.

A formidable work of synthesis ... Each of [Campbell's] case studies, however, is taut in its telling and rich in detail ... lovers of historical facts will be in clover ... In the author's persuasive telling, the world as we know it is not the creation of great men and their battles, but of an infinite number of artists and craftsmen

Dr Caroline Campbell is Director of the National Gallery of Ireland. She was previously Director of Collections and Research at the National Gallery in London, a curator at the Ashmolean Museum, Curator of Paintings at the Courtauld Gallery and The Jacob Rothschild Head of the Curatorial Department at the National Gallery.Caroline was educated at University College, Oxford and the Courtauld Institute of Art and is a former fellow of the Center for Curatorial Leadership in New York. She is passionate about widening public engagement with art and has spoken to audiences around the world on numerous subjects from art history.