"Spirited Prospect is a lively, scholarly, original and enjoyable survey of the great artists, works, and movements that make up the history of Western art. The book serves as an excellent introduction for first-time students and novices in the field, as well as an invaluable resource for those returning to it. It is especially aimed at artists and art-lovers. Co-authored by two university professors, an art historian and a sculptor, Spirited Prospect is an engaging narrative linking the major monuments and masterpieces of Western visual culture. Readers will learn about the origins of art before written history; the great ancient cultures of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Italy; the advent of Christianity and its manifestations in Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art; the fragmentation of old traditions and the proliferation of new artistic choices that characterize the Modern Era. Spirited Prospect is at once sweeping and selective, thoughtful and enlightening, and a wonderful read. Filled with masterly interpretation and stunning imagery, Spirited Prospect is ideal for survey courses in the history of art, studio art foundation courses, and courses in Western civilization."--(Publisher's website).