Never touch a painting when it's wet

Art rules the world. But what about the rules of art? In our current day and age, the general consensus seems to be that creativity, divine inspiration and art can never be bound by rules. Artists need to push the envelope, be ahead of the curve, and if there are any rules out there it is the artist's prerogative, if not God-given right, to break them.

But up to the early 20th century, artists did not have the complete artistic freedom that they are believed to enjoy today. They were bound by rules of art, of decency and indeed of taste.

This books contains 51 art rules. From the age-old 'Rule of Thirds' to modern mantras like 'Design isn't art.' Myths, like the one of the struggling artist, are dispelled, while other rules are merely confirmed with the help of quotes by
artists, theorists and art enthusiasts.

For each of the 51 rules covered in each book, Van Gaalen refers to quotes by famous fellow creators, who either think there is something to the rule or have made a personal variation on it.