Five years ago, I sat in my back garden with Caroline Osborne, former Chair of the Association of Art Historians Schools' Group, and together we decided that an A-level textbook must be written to support art history in further edu- cation. We decided upon its plain-speaking tone and easy-to-follow form.
I devised a 10,000-word outline; over the next couple of years this contribution would grow more than ten-fold and, before I knew it, I had an entire manuscript. In order to satisfy the current A-level demands, it was decided that, alongside the thematic chapters, an additional section would be provided as a stand-alone or complementary ‘Toolbox’. This is essentially a list of questions or prompts which aids the reading of any given work of art or architecture. I am particularly indebted to Caroline Osborne for having a list of questions far more exhaustive and well-structured than mine. I give her thanks for sharing these invaluable points, for collating all of the many school reviews and for proof-reading the manuscript with an expert eye.
I also owe thanks to Tamara Trodd, a former AAH trustee at the start of the project, who really helped me to refine my initial ideas, and to my friend and a highly respected English teacher, Jane Lewis, who spent many an hour in my study proof-reading and offering constructive grammatical criticism. As the manuscript began the long process to publication, the staff at Wiley Blackwell offered invaluable support. The staff over in Boston provided technical assistance and emotional strength when the pedagogy of the book became the focus. Towards the end of a long process, I called upon the help of Graham Whitham. I have held Graham in very high regard for many years; indeed, I wrote the book in response to the dynamism of the AS Specification that he wrote. Graham provided indispensable expert knowledge and tidied many a loose end that I simply did not have the energy to face. Graham, along with Caroline Osborne and current AAH trustee Chrissie Bradstreet, reviewed the entire manuscript; I thank them all individually for such a protracted undertaking.
I did not set out to write a book; the book found me in many ways. For that reason, especial heartfelt thanks go to the headmistress, Louise Higson, and her leadership team, Alison Binns and Mandy Higgs, at Farlington School for their constant support and enthusiasm. Most importantly, I must thank my husband, Mark, and my children, Hannah, Laurence and William, for the thousands of hours I shut myself away to bring the manuscript to completion. I could not have completed the task without their support.
This book was written with heart and with a desire to facilitate art teachers - indeed, any teachers - to pick this subject up and introduce it into their schools and colleges - something less likely to occur without a textbook of sorts to guide them. In terms of the support they offered, a couple of individuals meant more to me than they could have imagined at the time: Tom Christopherson, Head of Art and Law Studies at Sotheby's Institute of Art, London, and Michael Casartelli, then Procurement Manager at the V&A (now Head of Procurement, Tate), both of whom offered me very timely support and encouragement. I first met Michael on the staircase at the V&A where I singled him out as a member of staff to berate about the fact that the V&A's wonderful ‘lost-wax process‘ clip was not available to those students who could not make it to London. The next time we spoke, he told me the DVD had been uploaded onto YouTube for everyone to enjoy - that single gesture reminded me that even busy people care about making art history more inclusive. Both of these individuals actively support the inclusivity of the subject, and make time to listen to voices as unimportant as mine.
I would like to thank the following for allowing me private tours and detailed information on their respective buildings: MCC (Lord's Cricket Ground) London; James Breslin, former keeper of William Morris' Red House, Bexleyheath; and David Beever, keeper of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton.
Of course, this book would not have been possible without the AAH. Under the aegis of former Chair Evelyn Welch, the organisation supported a brave new schools-based project which relentlessly pursued a plain-speaking approach to the subject in order to make its scholasticism accessible to all. At a time when visual literacy has never been more important, the AAH has advo- cated the inclusivity of the subject and enabled non-specialists to introduce it into the Maintained Sector. Personal thanks must go to the current Chair, Christine Riding, for making the project a priority upon her arrival and for the forward-thinking approach she has taken towards the project ever since. Pontus Rosén, Chief Executive Officer at the AAH, has endured rather than enjoyed my highs and lows, and I thank him for the perpetual optimism and forbearance he has shown throughout the process. The AAH has taken the boldest of steps in championing such a long-awaited guidebook to the A-level and in acknowledging the mainstream audience to whom this book is really dedicated.
Penny Huntsman, June 2015
In the interest of space I will refrain from listing the individuals Penny has mentioned in her acknowledgements, but I wholeheartedly add my thanks, on behalf of the Association, to hers. There are, however, a few people I would like to add.
First and foremost I would like to thank AAH members for supporting and encouraging publication of this textbook as part of our mission to promote the professional practice and public understanding of art history.
Given the size of this project compared to the size of our office, all AAH staff have been involved and I thank them all for their professionalism and good sense. Rose Aidin, Education Officer, has gone beyond the call of duty in project managing the last 11 months of the book's gestation period, skilfully coordinating the design, production and publication process.
I want to thank Alison Yarrington, AAH Chair between the project's initiation under Evelyn Welch and its conclusion under Christine Riding, for her trust in and encouragement of Penny and others involved in the project during this time.
AAH trustee Grischka Petri was part of all legal negotiations with our publishers - negotiations that were greatly aided by solicitor Bunmi Durowoju, who gave generously of her time to find the best legal structures for a publication with so many stakeholders and interested parties.
Jacky Klein, AAH trustee and noted professional art editor, gave freely of her time and advice. Her knowledge of the Association and publishing allowed her to see practical solutions that suited both us and our publishing partners, benefiting the project immensely.
Designers Quentin Newark and Matt Hannah of Atelier Works worked with limitless patience and skill. They never failed to turn divergent stakeholder opinions into strong and beautiful designs.
There were many other professionals involved, working for the AAH and/ or Wiley, and I wish I could mention them all.
Special thanks go to Jayne Fargnoli, Executive Editor at Wiley, whose business sense and enthusiasm for this project have kept us all focused and motivated, and Julia Kirk, Project Editor at Wiley, who cheerfully helped us at every corner while coordinating the project from the publisher's side.
Last but not least, on behalf of the whole Association, I would like to thank all students and teachers of history of art for disseminating this important discipline far and wide into the twenty-first century and beyond.
Pontus Rosén, Association of Art Historians, June 2015