What does it mean to be visually literate? Does it mean different things in the arts and the sciences? Or in the developed West and in Asia or in developing nations? If we all need to become 'visually literate,' what does that mean in practical terms? This groundbreaking collection brings together the work of major visual studies critics including W. J. T. Mitchell, Barbara Stafford, Jonathan Crary, and James Elkins to explore what impact the new concept of 'visual literacy' will have on the traditional field of art history.