Please recommend a History of Art book that ticks these boxes!

[TwelveKeys]

It's for a gift for an adult but shouldn't be insanely dense full of text (they are dyslexic), and plenty of pictures would be good.

Most importantly it would show /talk about the evolution of techniques, rather than just being a collection of famous paintings.

Can anyone help?! The Story of Art by EH Gombrich seems interesting but I can't 'see inside' to what it's like.

I used this one recently, I appreciate it's a 8-12 year book, but it seemed more global and interesting than some I had seen

A Whole World of Art: A time-travelling trip through a whole world of art amzn.eu/d/5xZyYo7

Gombrich was the standard intro when I took my undergrad History of Art thirty years ago, and I think it stands up.

There are also some small volumes published by the National Gallery, I think, which look at aspects of technique - I remember picking one up on Colour in an exhibition gift shop a few years ago. That looks at pigments, and I am sure there are others in similar vein.

Thank you so much!

Art: the whole story. Published by Thames and Hudson

Sorry I posted too soon. I've bought the above for lots of people. Agree that the Gombrich is standard text (I've a masters in history of art) but would recommend the above.

That looks like it fits the bill - thanks so much! I've actually bought both now and a Closer Look - Colour , some of them 2nd hand on WOB... so hopefully not too much to read and i think it will be appreciated!

I have Sister Wendy Beckett’s Story of Painting which might also fit the bill and is readily available second-hand.

Art School by Colin Saxton, might fit the bill. I don’t know if it’s still in print, but there are a few second hand. The text is quite wordy, but there’s lots of illustrations and explanations of how works of art were cinstructed.

Another more accessible readability is Great Painters by Piero Ventura. It is out of print, but available second hand.
I’ve used it with secondary age students.

Ways of Seeing by John Berger is a good one for a different perspective on art history. Maybe in conjunction with the Gombrich.

www.amazon.co.uk/1001-Paintings-You-Must-Before/dp/1788400917

I'm really enjoying this. Ignore the facile title, it details technique, where the paintings are located, the history ofc and the photography is great quality.