IT is a pity that the word «art» carries with it, to a person not interested in the subject or not versed in its history, a suggestion of luxury and of superfluity, as contrasted with the utilitarian or the practical. Where this possibly derogatory tinge of meaning is not suggested,there is generally at least a feeling that the matters which the word calls up are those of interest to the specialist in design rather than to the world at large. People who are supposed to be interested in «art» might, according to this view, possibly not be interested in literature or in history. Contrary-wise, people interested in history or in literature might possibly not be interested in «art.»I. THE PREHISTORIC AGEII. EARLY ITALIAN ARTIII. THE EARLY ROMAN ARTIV. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EMPIREV. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE ROMAN ARTVI. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND PAINTINGVII. ROMAN DECORATIVE ART AND SCULPTUREVIII. ANCIENT ROME AS SEEN BY MODERNSIX. THE ROMAN DECADENCEX. SUMMARYPART II. MEDIEVAL ART.I. THE PERIOD OF THE GERMAN INVASIONSII. THE BYZANTINE ARTIII. EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTUREIV. THE DOME CHURCHESV. BYZANTINE DETAILS AND ORNAMENTAL SYSTEMVI. MOHAMMEDAN ARTVII. THE ROMANESQUE PERIODVIII. ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTUREIX. THE GOTHIC PERIODX. GOTHIC ARCHITECTUREXI. NORTHERN GOTHIC SCULPTURE AND PAINTINGXII. THE SECULAR AND ITALIAN GOTHICXIII. ITALIAN GOTHIC PAINTINGXIV. ITALIAN GOTHIC SCULPTURE