---
product_id: 664056274
title: "Ways of Seeing"
price: "£19.90"
currency: GBP
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/664056274-ways-of-seeing
store_origin: GB
region: United Kingdom
---

# New mint condition Same-day dispatch before noon No quibbles returns Ways of Seeing

**Price:** £19.90
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 👁️ Unlock the art of seeing before everyone else does.

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Ways of Seeing
- **How much does it cost?** £19.90 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/664056274-ways-of-seeing)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Risk-Free Reading:** No quibbles returns ensure you can explore new perspectives with zero hesitation.
- • **Top-Ranked Insight:** Join thousands of readers who rated this #9 in Arts & Photography Criticism—don’t miss out.
- • **Cultural Game-Changer:** Dive into a timeless classic that reshaped how millions see art and visual culture.
- • **Instant Gratification:** Order before noon, get it shipped the same day—because your curiosity can't wait.
- • **Pristine Presentation:** New mint condition copies, guaranteed to impress on your bookshelf and in your hands.

## Overview

John Berger's 'Ways of Seeing' is a seminal art criticism book based on the influential BBC series, offering groundbreaking insights into visual culture. This Penguin Modern Classics edition ships same day if ordered before noon, arrives in new mint condition, and comes with hassle-free returns. A must-have for professionals eager to deepen their understanding of art’s impact on society and culture.

## Description

Based on the BBC television series, John Berger's Ways of Seeing is a unique look at the way we view art, published as part of the Penguin on Design series in Penguin Modern Classics. 'Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak.' 'But there is also another sense in which seeing comes before words. It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world; we explain that world with words, but word can never undo the fact that we are surrounded by it. The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled.' John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC television series about which the Sunday Times critic commented: 'This is an eye-opener in more ways than one: by concentrating on how we look at paintings . . . he will almost certainly change the way you look at pictures.' By now he has. John Berger (b. 1926) is an art critic, painter and novelist.born in Hackney, London. His novel G. (1972) won both the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Booker Prize. If you enjoyed Ways of Seeing, you might like Susan Sontag's On Photography, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. 'Berger has the ability to cut right through the mystification of professional art critics ... he is a liberator of images: and once we have allowed the paintings to work on us directly, we are in a much better position to make a meaningful evaluation' Peter Fuller, Arts Review 'The influence of the series and the book ... was enormous ... It opened up for general attention areas of cultural study that are now commonplace' Geoff Dyer in Ways of Telling 'One of the most influential intellectuals of our time' Observer

Review: Visual Culture! - I had been on the lookout for a good book on visual culture, and after a long search , I decided to buy this one, as it is a classic. A classic in the non-fiction genre means that latest books on the subject have stolen the main themes from the classic text-which may be very short-and then added verbosity and lots of pictures to make thick and expensive books. This book may seem like a small book full of pictures, but it propounds big ideas. For me it was a quick read, I finished it in a few hours, possibly more so due to the fact that the main ideas were thoughts already scattered in my head; Berger compiled them, stated them way more eloquently, and then some. As is often the case, this book took me back to Qur'anic verses, as it seemed to be tied to the main themes of the Islamic scripture. The section on the female nude, could very well have been a summary of a dissertation on the veil in Islam. A detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this review. Having just read Chomsky's "How the world works," it was quite intriguing to read Berger making the same connections of capitalism with envy, covetousness and social apathy. Just like Chomsky, his identification of capitalism as a roadblock to democracy was also equally intriguing. It was almost the same points being stated, except that this time the thesis was based on marketing and the visual arts. (less)
Review: Must read. - You have to read this. Do it.

## Features

- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #114,139 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #9 in Arts & Photography Criticism #19 in Art Antiques & Collectibles #22 in Art History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,310 Reviews |

## Images

![Ways of Seeing - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61rbO4IAa4L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Visual Culture!
*by Q***M on May 29, 2016*

I had been on the lookout for a good book on visual culture, and after a long search , I decided to buy this one, as it is a classic. A classic in the non-fiction genre means that latest books on the subject have stolen the main themes from the classic text-which may be very short-and then added verbosity and lots of pictures to make thick and expensive books. This book may seem like a small book full of pictures, but it propounds big ideas. For me it was a quick read, I finished it in a few hours, possibly more so due to the fact that the main ideas were thoughts already scattered in my head; Berger compiled them, stated them way more eloquently, and then some. As is often the case, this book took me back to Qur'anic verses, as it seemed to be tied to the main themes of the Islamic scripture. The section on the female nude, could very well have been a summary of a dissertation on the veil in Islam. A detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this review. Having just read Chomsky's "How the world works," it was quite intriguing to read Berger making the same connections of capitalism with envy, covetousness and social apathy. Just like Chomsky, his identification of capitalism as a roadblock to democracy was also equally intriguing. It was almost the same points being stated, except that this time the thesis was based on marketing and the visual arts. (less)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Must read.
*by S***R on August 15, 2025*

You have to read this. Do it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Required Reading for a class I am taking
*by P***N on June 10, 2024*

This book in Essay One stumbles to get off the ground at first - but as you go through each of the essay's things start to make sense. There is a method to the author's madness. Berger forces you to question how you have viewed early oil paintings traditionally. He forces you to understand and try to accept just because it is an old painting doesn't mean it is great. Also, he deepens the argument that art has always been for the elite - the wealthy to show off their wealth. He brings out many parallels to how we view photography today and the relationships of the artist/viewer to the subject. I learned more than I expected. As an artist this reading challenges me to not prostitute my art, but to be sincere.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Ways of Seeing
- On Photography

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/664056274-ways-of-seeing](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/664056274-ways-of-seeing)

---

*Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom*
*Store origin: GB*
*Last updated: 2026-07-01*