âčïž Skipped - page is already crawled
| Filter | Status | Condition | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTTP status | PASS | download_http_code = 200 | HTTP 200 |
| Age cutoff | PASS | download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH | 0.4 months ago |
| History drop | PASS | isNull(history_drop_reason) | No drop reason |
| Spam/ban | PASS | fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0 | ml_spam_score=0 |
| Canonical | PASS | meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed | Not set |
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| URL | https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/17/story-of-art-eh-gombrich |
| Last Crawled | 2026-04-01 23:50:43 (12 days ago) |
| First Indexed | 2017-02-25 18:09:28 (9 years ago) |
| HTTP Status Code | 200 |
| Meta Title | Picture perfect | Art and design books | The Guardian |
| Meta Description | <p><strong>Classics corner: The Story of Art by EH Gombrich</strong><br />It is not hard to fathom why this is the most popular art book of all time, says <strong>William Skidelsky</strong></p> |
| Meta Canonical | null |
| Boilerpipe Text | E
H Gombrich's The Story of Art is the most popular art book of all time, having sold more than 7 million copies since it was first published in 1950. Reading it today, its success is not hard to fathom. Gombrich, an Austrian-born scholar who spent most of his working life in London after fleeing the Nazis, has a wonderfully plain, jargon-free style and the confidence to enter the minds of his subjects. His canter through art history is a sustained exercise in creative empathy as he asks us to imagine the aesthetic and technical problems facing the artists of different periods, before explaining how they went about solving them.
The book's clarity and purpose stem in part from an artful exclusion: Gombrich confines his discussion to a relatively small number of great works, all reproduced in the plate section, and avoids mentioning any others. This means that much is left out ("I have found no room for Hindu or Etruscan art") but it gives his narrative an appealing unity. For example, he suggests that the problems Cézanne attempted to solve in the late 19th century weren't so very different from those that Raphael and his contemporaries grappled with in the early 16th; in any case, both sets of difficulties went back to the ancient Egyptians. Art history, in Gombrich's hands, is thus ingeniously telescoped, although he does seem less sure-footed when it comes to the more outré experiments of the 20th century.
Phaidon's new soft cover edition is small enough to slip into a handbag or pocket, to be discreetly consulted while doing what Gombrich encourages - spending time among the works of art themselves. |
| Markdown | 
[Skip to main content](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/17/story-of-art-eh-gombrich#maincontent)[Skip to navigation](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/17/story-of-art-eh-gombrich#navigation)
[Skip to navigation](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/17/story-of-art-eh-gombrich#navigation)
[Print subscriptions](https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe?REFPVID=mngp8e1tm9s1vdvdqd40&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerPageviewId%22%3A%22mngp8e1tm9s1vdvdqd40%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbooks%2F2009%2Fmay%2F17%2Fstory-of-art-eh-gombrich%22%7D)
[Search jobs](https://jobs.theguardian.com/)
[Sign in](https://profile.theguardian.com/signin?INTCMP=DOTCOM_NEWHEADER_SIGNIN&ABCMP=ab-sign-in&componentEventParams=componentType%3Didentityauthentication%26componentId%3Dguardian_signin_header)
UK
- [UK edition](https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/uk)
- [US edition](https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/us)
- [Australia edition](https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/au)
- [Europe edition](https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/eur)
- [International edition](https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/int)
[The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/)
- [News](https://www.theguardian.com/)
- [Opinion](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree)
- [Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport)
- [Culture](https://www.theguardian.com/culture)
- [Lifestyle](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle)
Show more
Hide expanded menu
- News
- [View all News](https://www.theguardian.com/)
- [UK news](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news)
- [US politics](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics)
- [World news](https://www.theguardian.com/world)
- [Climate crisis](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis)
- [Middle East](https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast)
- [Ukraine](https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine)
- [Football](https://www.theguardian.com/football)
- [Newsletters](https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters)
- [Business](https://www.theguardian.com/business)
- [Environment](https://www.theguardian.com/environment)
- [UK politics](https://www.theguardian.com/politics)
- [Science](https://www.theguardian.com/science)
- [Tech](https://www.theguardian.com/technology)
- [Global development](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development)
- [Obituaries](https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries)
- Opinion
- [View all Opinion](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree)
- [The Guardian view](https://www.theguardian.com/profile/editorial)
- [Columnists](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/columnists)
- [Cartoons](https://www.theguardian.com/tone/cartoons)
- [Opinion videos](https://www.theguardian.com/type/video+tone/comment)
- [Letters](https://www.theguardian.com/tone/letters)
- Sport
- [View all Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport)
- [Football](https://www.theguardian.com/football)
- [Cricket](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/cricket)
- [Rugby union](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/rugby-union)
- [Tennis](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/tennis)
- [Cycling](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/cycling)
- [F1](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/formulaone)
- [Golf](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/golf)
- [Boxing](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/boxing)
- [Rugby league](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/rugbyleague)
- [Racing](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/horse-racing)
- [US sports](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/us-sport)
- Culture
- [View all Culture](https://www.theguardian.com/culture)
- [Film](https://www.theguardian.com/film)
- [Music](https://www.theguardian.com/music)
- [TV & radio](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio)
- [Books](https://www.theguardian.com/books)
- [Art & design](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign)
- [Stage](https://www.theguardian.com/stage)
- [Games](https://www.theguardian.com/games)
- [Classical](https://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera)
- Lifestyle
- [View all Lifestyle](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle)
- [The Filter](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/thefilter)
- [Fashion](https://www.theguardian.com/fashion)
- [Food](https://www.theguardian.com/food)
- [Recipes](https://www.theguardian.com/tone/recipes)
- [Travel](https://www.theguardian.com/travel)
- [Health & fitness](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/health-and-wellbeing)
- [Women](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/women)
- [Men](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/men)
- [Love & sex](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/love-and-sex)
- [Beauty](https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/beauty)
- [Home & garden](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/home-and-garden)
- [Money](https://www.theguardian.com/money)
- [Cars](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/motoring)
- [Support us](https://support.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=side_menu_support&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22:%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22,%22componentType%22:%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22,%22componentId%22:%22side_menu_support%22%7D)
- [Print subscriptions](https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe?REFPVID=mngp8e1tm9s1vdvdqd40&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerPageviewId%22%3A%22mngp8e1tm9s1vdvdqd40%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbooks%2F2009%2Fmay%2F17%2Fstory-of-art-eh-gombrich%22%7D)
- - [Search jobs](https://jobs.theguardian.com/)
- [Hire with Guardian Jobs](https://recruiters.theguardian.com/?utm_source=gdnwb&utm_medium=navbar&utm_campaign=Guardian_Navbar_Recruiters&CMP_TU=trdmkt&CMP_BUNIT=jobs)
- [Holidays](https://holidays.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=holidays_uk_web_newheader)
- [Live events](https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_uk_header_dropdown)
- [About Us](https://www.theguardian.com/about)
- [Digital Archive](https://theguardian.newspapers.com/)
- [Guardian Print Shop](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/series/gnm-print-sales)
- [Patrons](https://patrons.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=header_patrons)
- [Guardian Licensing](https://licensing.theguardian.com/)
- [The Guardian app](https://app.adjust.com/16xt6hai)
- [Video](https://www.theguardian.com/video)
- [Podcasts](https://www.theguardian.com/podcasts)
- [Pictures](https://www.theguardian.com/inpictures)
- [Newsletters](https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters)
- [Today's paper](https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian)
- [Inside the Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/insidetheguardian)
- [Guardian Weekly](https://www.theguardian.com/weekly?INTCMP=gdnwb_mawns_editorial_gweekly_GW_TopNav_UK)
- [Crosswords](https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords)
- [Wordiply](https://www.wordiply.com/)
- [Corrections](https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/series/corrections-and-clarifications)
- [Tips](https://www.theguardian.com/tips)
- - [Search jobs](https://jobs.theguardian.com/)
- [Hire with Guardian Jobs](https://recruiters.theguardian.com/?utm_source=gdnwb&utm_medium=navbar&utm_campaign=Guardian_Navbar_Recruiters&CMP_TU=trdmkt&CMP_BUNIT=jobs)
- [Holidays](https://holidays.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=holidays_uk_web_newheader)
- [Live events](https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_uk_header_dropdown)
- [About Us](https://www.theguardian.com/about)
- [Digital Archive](https://theguardian.newspapers.com/)
- [Guardian Print Shop](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/series/gnm-print-sales)
- [Patrons](https://patrons.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=header_patrons)
- [Guardian Licensing](https://licensing.theguardian.com/)
- [Film](https://www.theguardian.com/film)
- [Music](https://www.theguardian.com/music)
- [TV & radio](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio)
- [Books](https://www.theguardian.com/books)
- [Art & design](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign)
- [Stage](https://www.theguardian.com/stage)
- [Games](https://www.theguardian.com/games)
- [Classical](https://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera)
[Classics corner](https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/classics-corner)[Art and design books](https://www.theguardian.com/books/art)
This article is more than **16 years old**
[Review](https://www.theguardian.com/tone/reviews)
# Picture perfect
This article is more than 16 years old
[William Skidelsky](https://www.theguardian.com/profile/williamskidelsky)
Sun 17 May 2009 00.01 BST
Share
[Prefer the Guardian on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com)
EH Gombrich's The Story of Art is the most popular art book of all time, having sold more than 7 million copies since it was first published in 1950. Reading it today, its success is not hard to fathom. Gombrich, an Austrian-born scholar who spent most of his working life in London after fleeing the Nazis, has a wonderfully plain, jargon-free style and the confidence to enter the minds of his subjects. His canter through art history is a sustained exercise in creative empathy as he asks us to imagine the aesthetic and technical problems facing the artists of different periods, before explaining how they went about solving them.
The book's clarity and purpose stem in part from an artful exclusion: Gombrich confines his discussion to a relatively small number of great works, all reproduced in the plate section, and avoids mentioning any others. This means that much is left out ("I have found no room for Hindu or Etruscan art") but it gives his narrative an appealing unity. For example, he suggests that the problems Cézanne attempted to solve in the late 19th century weren't so very different from those that Raphael and his contemporaries grappled with in the early 16th; in any case, both sets of difficulties went back to the ancient Egyptians. Art history, in Gombrich's hands, is thus ingeniously telescoped, although he does seem less sure-footed when it comes to the more outré experiments of the 20th century.
Phaidon's new soft cover edition is small enough to slip into a handbag or pocket, to be discreetly consulted while doing what Gombrich encourages - spending time among the works of art themselves.
- This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025. The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media.
Explore more on these topics
- [Art and design books](https://www.theguardian.com/books/art)
- [Classics corner](https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/classics-corner)
- [History books](https://www.theguardian.com/books/history)
- [reviews](https://www.theguardian.com/tone/reviews)
Share
[Reuse this content](https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbooks%2F2009%2Fmay%2F17%2Fstory-of-art-eh-gombrich&type=article&internalpagecode=books/2009/may/17/story-of-art-eh-gombrich "Reuse this content")
## Classics corner
## Classics corner
- 
### My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin â review
15 Sept 2013
[0 0 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/15/brilliant-career-miles-franklin-review#comments)
- 
### The Mad Toy by Roberto Arlt â review
8 Sept 2013
[0 0 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/08/mad-toy-roberto-arlt-review#comments)
- 
### The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
31 Aug 2013
[0 0 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/01/the-moonstone-wilkie-collins-review#comments)
- 
### The Life and Death of the Spanish Republic by Henry Buckley â review
25 Aug 2013
[2 2 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/25/life-death-spanish-republic-review#comments)
- 
### I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou â review
17 Aug 2013
[0 0 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/18/maya-angelou-caged-bird-review#comments)
- 
### A Grief Observed by CS Lewis â review
11 Aug 2013
[0 0 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/11/grief-observed-cs-lewis-review#comments)
- 
### The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch â review
4 Aug 2013
[14 14 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/04/the-sea-iris-murdoch-review#comments)
- 
### Sisters By a River; Our Spoons Came from Woolworths; The Vet's Daughter by Barbara Comyns â review
28 Jul 2013
[0 0 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/28/spoons-vets-daughter-barbara-comyns-review#comments)
## More from culture
## More from culture
- 
### MusicWhy Bach is indestructible, whether on the mandolin, modern piano â or soundtracking murder
11h ago
- 
### GamesWhy is gaming becoming so expensive? The answer is found in AI
10h ago
- 
### MusicâI canât listen without feeling rattledâ: how Fairuzâs anthem of resilience became a harbinger of strife for Lebanon
10h ago
- 
### FilmFuze â Theo James and Aaron Taylor-Johnson face off in head-spinning London heist
14h ago
- 
### BooksWhat weâre reading: writers and readers on the books they enjoyed in March
10h ago
[101 101 comments](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/apr/01/what-were-reading-john-lanchester-patmeena-sabit-and-guardian-readers-discuss-the-titles-they-have-read-over-the-last-month#comments)
- 
### ArtâMoney! Glamour! Yachts! But not for me!â Adrian Searle relives 30 glorious years as our chief art critic
1d ago
## Most viewed
## Most viewed
- [Most viewed Across the Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/17/tabs-popular-0)
- [Most viewed in Books](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/17/tabs-popular-1)
### Most viewed Across the\ Guardian
1. [LiveArtemis II live updates: Nasaâs crewed rocket lifts off to begin 10-day lunar journey](https://www.theguardian.com/science/live/2026/apr/01/artemis-ii-launch-nasa-orion-moon-trip-live-updates)
2. [Starmer calls for âambitiousâ new UK-EU ties as Trump threatens to quit Nato](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/uk-needs-ambitious-new-eu-ties-amid-iran-war-starmer-says)
3. [Parents told to âtake responsibilityâ after two days of TikTok-led London disorder](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/01/police-disorder-arrests-clapham-london)
4. [LiveMiddle East crisis live: Iranâs president says his country has no âenmityâ for American people ahead of Trumpâs address](https://www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/live/2026/apr/01/iran-live-updates-trump-claims-war-will-end-rubio-nato-relationship)
5. [Trump says he is âabsolutelyâ considering withdrawing US from Nato](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/trump-says-he-is-absolutely-considering-withdrawing-us-from-nato)
6. [US jibes at Royal Navy are uncomfortable because they have substance](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/01/us-royal-navy-jibes-are-uncomfortable-because-they-have-substance-pete-hegseth)
7. [Stella McCartney granted permission for ÂŁ5m home in Scottish Highlands](https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026/apr/01/stella-mccartney-granted-permission-for-home-in-scottish-highlands)
8. [Families condemn UK âimpotenceâ over UAE âsocial media misuseâ detentions](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/uk-citizens-detained-uae-frustrated-government-intervention-iran-conflict)
9. [LiveTop Senate Democrat says âHouse Republicans cavedâ as deal to fund DHS moves forward â live](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/apr/01/donald-trump-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-case-us-politics-latest-news-updates)
10. [Can Trump pull the US out of Nato â and why is he considering it?](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/trump-nato-explainer)
### Most viewed in Books
1. [JD Vance announces a new memoir about his conversion to Catholicism](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/apr/01/jd-vance-new-memoir-book-catholicism-communion)
2. [What weâre reading: writers and readers on the books they enjoyed in March](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/apr/01/what-were-reading-john-lanchester-patmeena-sabit-and-guardian-readers-discuss-the-titles-they-have-read-over-the-last-month)
3. [A feud âstraight out of Successionâ, a rental thriller and an âabsolute ripperâ: the best Australian books out in April](https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/apr/01/a-feud-straight-out-of-succession-a-rental-thriller-and-an-absolute-ripper-the-best-australian-books-out-in-april)
4. [The New York Times drops freelance journalist who used AI to write book review](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/31/the-new-york-times-drops-freelance-journalist-who-used-ai-to-write-book-review)
5. [Baldwin by Nicholas Boggs review â the relationships that drove a genius](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/apr/01/baldwin-by-nicholas-boggs-review-the-relationships-that-drove-a-genius)
6. [âServe, smile, procreateâ: Yesteryear author Caro Claire Burke on the rise of the tradwife](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/29/serve-smile-procreate-yesteryear-author-caro-claire-burke-on-the-rise-of-the-tradwife)
7. [My mom, the cult leader: âShe told us what to wear, when to pray, how we would have sex. We were prisonersâ](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/29/daughter-interview-deborah-green-cult-aggresive-christianity-missions-training-corps-free-love-ministries)
8. [âHope, insight and burning humanityâ: 2026 International Booker prize shortlist announced](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/31/2026-international-booker-prize-shortlist-announced-marie-ndiaye-yang-shuang-zi-daniel-kehlmann)
9. [Transcription by Ben Lerner review â a stunning exploration of technology and storytelling](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/31/transcription-by-ben-lerner-review-a-stunning-exploration-of-technology-and-storytelling)
10. [Trump VP contender Kristi Noem writes of killing dog â and goat â in new bookThis article is more than **1 year old**](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/apr/26/trump-kristi-noem-shot-dog-and-goat-book)
- [Film](https://www.theguardian.com/film)
- [Music](https://www.theguardian.com/music)
- [TV & radio](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio)
- [Books](https://www.theguardian.com/books)
- [Art & design](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign)
- [Stage](https://www.theguardian.com/stage)
- [Games](https://www.theguardian.com/games)
- [Classical](https://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera)
- [News](https://www.theguardian.com/)
- [Opinion](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree)
- [Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport)
- [Culture](https://www.theguardian.com/culture)
- [Lifestyle](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle)
Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning
[Sign up for our email](https://www.theguardian.com/global/2022/sep/20/sign-up-for-the-first-edition-newsletter-our-free-news-email)
- [About us](https://www.theguardian.com/about)
- [Help](https://manage.theguardian.com/help-centre)
- [Complaints & corrections](https://www.theguardian.com/info/complaints-and-corrections)
- [Contact us](https://www.theguardian.com/help/contact-us)
- [Tip us off](https://www.theguardian.com/tips)
- [SecureDrop](https://www.theguardian.com/securedrop)
- [Privacy policy](https://www.theguardian.com/info/privacy)
- [Cookie policy](https://www.theguardian.com/info/cookies)
- [Modern Slavery Act](https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2025/09/05/Modern_Slavery_Statement_2025.pdf)
- [Tax strategy](https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2025/09/05/Tax_strategy_for_the_year_ended_31_March_2025.pdf)
- [Terms & conditions](https://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-service)
- [All topics](https://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/a)
- [All writers](https://www.theguardian.com/index/contributors)
- [Newsletters](https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?INTCMP=DOTCOM_FOOTER_NEWSLETTER_UK)
- [Digital newspaper archive](https://theguardian.newspapers.com/)
- [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/theguardian.com)
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/theguardian)
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/guardian)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/theguardian)
- [Threads](https://www.threads.com/@guardian)
- [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGuardian)
- [Advertise with us](https://advertising.theguardian.com/)
- [Guardian Labs](https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs)
- [Search jobs](https://jobs.theguardian.com/)
- [Patrons](https://patrons.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=footer_patrons)
- [Work with us](https://workwithus.theguardian.com/)
- [Accessibility settings](https://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibility-help)
Support the Guardian
Available for everyone, funded by readers
[Support us](https://support.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=footer_support&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22:%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22,%22componentType%22:%22ACQUISITIONS_FOOTER%22,%22componentId%22:%22footer_support%22%7D)
[Back to top](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/17/story-of-art-eh-gombrich#top)
© 2026 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
(dcr) |
| Readable Markdown | EH Gombrich's The Story of Art is the most popular art book of all time, having sold more than 7 million copies since it was first published in 1950. Reading it today, its success is not hard to fathom. Gombrich, an Austrian-born scholar who spent most of his working life in London after fleeing the Nazis, has a wonderfully plain, jargon-free style and the confidence to enter the minds of his subjects. His canter through art history is a sustained exercise in creative empathy as he asks us to imagine the aesthetic and technical problems facing the artists of different periods, before explaining how they went about solving them.
The book's clarity and purpose stem in part from an artful exclusion: Gombrich confines his discussion to a relatively small number of great works, all reproduced in the plate section, and avoids mentioning any others. This means that much is left out ("I have found no room for Hindu or Etruscan art") but it gives his narrative an appealing unity. For example, he suggests that the problems Cézanne attempted to solve in the late 19th century weren't so very different from those that Raphael and his contemporaries grappled with in the early 16th; in any case, both sets of difficulties went back to the ancient Egyptians. Art history, in Gombrich's hands, is thus ingeniously telescoped, although he does seem less sure-footed when it comes to the more outré experiments of the 20th century.
Phaidon's new soft cover edition is small enough to slip into a handbag or pocket, to be discreetly consulted while doing what Gombrich encourages - spending time among the works of art themselves. |
| Shard | 99 (laksa) |
| Root Hash | 4161074618625082499 |
| Unparsed URL | com,theguardian!www,/books/2009/may/17/story-of-art-eh-gombrich s443 |