The Essential Gombrich

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.

Library Journal

Gombrich, the author of three of the most influential works of art history written this centuryThe Story of Art (1950), Art and Illusion (1960), and The Sense of Order (1979)is one of a handful of art scholars whose works range across the entire history of art and have had an impact on a number of disciplines. Though the above works are well represented in this collection, editor Woodfield has drawn from the whole of Gombrich's career to include autobiographical sketches, a tribute to the poet and literary scholar I.A. Richards, meditations on Goethe and Schubert, and a delightful essay on the humorous drawings of Saul Steinberg. Gombrich's forays into social history make this work useful for multidisciplinary collections. A comprehensive bibliography of Gombrich's works is included. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries that do not already own his three major works.Martin R. Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Arlington, Va.