Art and Society

British art critic Sir Herbert Read’s Art and Society, first published in 1937—approximately 80 years ago—stands among the first scholarly works in this field. Arguing that the art-society relationship can only be revealed through a nuanced investigation encompassing the entire historical process, this book, which Read penned as the first step of a long-term research project, still retains its value as a historical reference point. As a pioneering work in its field, Art and Society is based on the lectures Read delivered at the University of Liverpool between 1935 and 1936. It invites the reader to think not only about the relationship between art and society, but also about the reflections of human activities—ranging from prehistoric concepts of religion to psychoanalysis and art education—within art. Published in Turkey 37 years ago and now meeting readers once again with a new translation, this text provides a solid foundation for readers wishing to evaluate the relationship between art and society under today’s conditions.