This is an updated and expanded second edition of the seminal book first published by Thames & Hudson in 2004, featuring 107 new illustrations and over 100 new pages, and completely updated throughout (including all reference sections). It introduces students to the key theoretical approaches to modern and contemporary art, enabling them to understand the many voices of current approaches to the subject. A flexible year-by-year structure and extensive cross-referencing allows teachers and students to pursue a chronological approach, and/or to study the currents of art since 1900 by medium, theme, country or region. It contains more than 120 essays (including fifteen new essays), each focusing on a crucial event in the history of art from 1900 to the present. The new essays cover subjects such as the De Stijl movement, the use of mannequins and the automaton in Dada, and modernist graphic design between the wars, as well as discussions of the global emergence of Chinese artists in recent years, the influence of gaming and social network technologies, and the impact of the market on current art practice. Text boxes provide further information on key figures and issues. A new final chapter is devoted to the first decade of the 21st century. Four introductions set out and explain the different methods of art history at work in the book. There are two roundtable discussions between the authors one at mid-century, the other at the close of the book. All reference material has been updated.

The additional years of coverage are essential for studying the emerging art of today. Recommended readings . . . are current and excellent.