The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction

Introducing Benjamin's seminal text, the essay reevaluates its continued relevance and legacy, both in relation to digital technology and in light of more recent writing on politics and aesthetics by writers such as Jacques Ranciere.

Fifty Key Texts in Art History is an anthology of critical commentaries selected from the classical period to the late modern. It explores some of the central and emerging themes, issues and debates within Art History as an increasingly expansive and globalised discipline. It features an international range of contributors , including art historians, artists, curators and gallerists.

Arranged chronologically, each entry includes a bibliography for further reading and a key word index for easy reference. Text selections range across issues including artistic value, cultural identity, modernism, gender, psychoanalysis, photographic theory, poststructuralism and postcolonialism.