Sensations

Sensations is a riveting story of art and science: thoughtful, provocative and persuasive" - The Times
"Erudite, impassioned, fascinating" - Financial Times
“Sensations brilliantly marshals Jones’s extensive research into engaging narratives of British intellectual history… Compelling.” Times Literary Supplement
“I even loved Jonathan’s writing when he slagged my work off! He is a true thinker, a brilliant art historian who can back up his criticism with more than just opinion.” – Tracey Emin
“Sensations presents a radically new story of British art. It connects the artists of today with British culture more than three hundred years ago as it finds an unexpected thread that links William Hogarth and Tracey Emin, Thomas Gainsborough and Lucian Freud. What they share is an eye for the real world. I hope this book will change how you see Britain, and its art.” – Jonathan Jones
What is the artistic impulse uniting Robert Hooke's drawings of insects, George Stubbs's studies of horses and Damien Hirst's pickled shark? In this new and spirited account of British art, Jonathan Jones argues for empiricism. From the Enlightenment to the present, British artists have shared a passion for looking hard at the world around them. Jones shows how this zeal for precision and careful observation paved the way for Realism, Impressionism and the birth of modern art.
This essential art book is a must-read for fans of Gombrich’s The Story of Art and the perfect introduction to British art history.