The Honest Art Dictionary

The No-Nonsense Art Dictionary is an informative and entertaining dictionary of over 300 art terms - from the peculiar to the pretentious. Authoritative and informative, humorous and informal, the book will act as a valuable primer for those getting to grips with the art world.

This is an ART dictionary like no other... The Art History Babes (the team behind the prolific podcast) bring you their debut book: The No-Nonsense Art Dictionary. Breaking down the elitist world of art, the Babes introduce over 300 art terms - spanning art history, iconic movements, peculiar words and pretentious phrases - so that you can lay down that art jargon with the best of them. Art speak is infamously alienating, strange and confusing as hell. Think stereotypical, stylish art dealers who describe art as derivative and dynamic - or stuffy auction houses filled with portraits of dead white people called Old Masters. What do these words mean? Where did they come from? And how can you actually use them?

From avant-garde to oeuvre, the Harlem Renaissance to New Objectivity, museum fatigue to memento mori - The Art History Babes introduce all the art terms you need to know. With whip-smart humour, on-point knowledge and a heavy dose of candour, The No-Nonsense Art Dictionary is a valuable starter pack for those new to the study of art history, those re-exploring the discipline, or those simply interested in impressing their friends during a trip to the local art museum.

About the Author

The Art History Babes (Corrie, Ginny, Natalie and Jennifer) are the team behind the Art History Babes podcast - who have collaborated with the likes of LA Art Show, SOFA Chicago and Museum Hack. An approachable source for art history, the podcast is informed by academics but shares and critiques aspects of the art world, expanding on them in ways that are often colloquial and entertaining.The podcast reached over 500,000 downloads in 2019 and the collective have also appeared on podcasts such as Art Matters, Art Bros and Art and Cocktails, among others.