Required Reading: "What are you looking at?"

Will Gompertz is pure genius. He not only managed to squeeze the incredible story of modern art into less than five hundred pages, but he also managed to tell it in such a way that art history becomes somewhat like chatting over coffee with your best friend.

“What Are You Looking At? 150 Years of Modern Art” doesn’t go into much detail about every artist and every painting. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for an overview of modern art and a comprehensible explanation to why it matters today, Gompertz will do the trick.

Shortly after I began reading Gompertz, I travelled to New York for a month. I was taking a course at Sotheby's Institute of Art and since I had class every afternoon, I decided that every morning I would go to a museum or gallery. I was determined to nourish my mind and eyes with all the art the city had to offer. I found myself taking Gompertz with me every morning and soon I discovered that the book was reminding me of the details I had forgotten from my introductory courses to art history.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "What are you looking at?" It was refreshing and easy to follow, specially when you need a fun museum buddy when all your friends are busy.

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