Summary

A renowned French art critic has chosen one hundred of the world's greatest paintings from all periods and traditions of art. From Chinese calligraphy to the Mona Lisa, and from Mexican wall murals to Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie, the multicultural and chronological scope of 100 Masterpieces of Painting offers a comprehensive approach to the development of painting. While other volumes offer a repetitive template of photos and text, 100 Masterpieces of Painting presents the paintings in a lively design that reflects the style of the individual artists, mimicking the evolving history of painting on the printed page. The author situates each work in the artist's oeuvre and establishes the role it played in the evolution of painting. Japanese prints, Indian paintings of the grottos of Ajanta, illuminated manuscript from the Book of Kells, Russian icons, and the works of the Great Masters--this is an essential addition to the library of any art lover.