First published in 1951, Arnold Hauser's commanding work presents an account of the development and meaning of art from its origins in the Stone Age through to the 'Film Age'. Exploring the interaction between art and society, Hauser effectively details social and historical movements and sketches the frameworks in which visual art is produced. This new edition of a classic work provides an excellent introduction to the work of Arnold Hauser. In his introduction to the four volumes of The Social History of Art , Jonathan Harris demonstrates the importance of the work for contemporary art history and visual culture and suggests reasons and strategies for reading. In addition, an introduction to each individual volume provides a synopsis of Hauser's narrative and serves as a critical guide to the text and signposts major themes, trends and arguments.