The Essential Gombrich: Selected Writings on and similar items

cover hinge crease. light cover rub marks. edge dents and minor wear. minor cover and page corner wear. no marks on text. 1996 Phaidon Press paperback. 624 pages. 9 3/4" x 6 3/4". Famous internationally as the author of The Story of Art, E. H. Gombrich is also widely known for his contributions to the ideas and debates of our age. This volume presents an accessible selection of his best and most characteristic writing, and introduces the general reader to his thoughts and arguments on many fundamental questions, including the nature of representation, the psychology of perception, the interpretation of images, problems of theory and method, the idea of progress, and symbolism and meaning in art. Professor Gombrich's writings include three major narrative works - The Story of Art, Art and Illusion, and The Sense of Order - and ten volumes of collected essays and reviews. This anthology brings together a selection from all these books and in addition six pieces that have not previously been published by Phaidon. It thus introduces the reader to the whole range of Gombrich's thought. Richard Woodfield writes a general introduction, and provides notes and guides to further reading. With his commitment to reason and tolerance, Professor Gombrich is a true humanist, whose abiding concern is to understand and interpret our cultural heritage and its values. In this rich and illuminating collection, a wide range of fundamental issues are presented with force and clarity.