Introduction

Preceded by a preface written by Ernst H. Gombrich himself, the introduction sketches the life of the Viennese art historian, his background and his education under Julius von Schlosser, among others. It shows Gombrich's theoretical purpose in his main writings and assesses the theorists, ancient and contemporary, who most influenced him. It explains his friendship with and the influences of Ernst Kris, as well as his intellectual interests, evaluating the role of his philosophical foundations and his appreciation of systems from the field of other disciplines. It elucidates his work and the materials he studied, and how their formats were conceived.