What Great Paintings Say. Masterpieces in Detail

So much information about paintings through the ages, both known and more unusual. Very useful and interesting book.

I bought this for my mother. She loves her art and she says that she can dip in and out of this book when she is looking for inspiration. Nice book with great pictures.

Tiny print

I think in hindsight that I would have appreciated the works depicted in this book if I had purchased the larger format version.

I expected to see a usual art history approach in retelling the stories the artists tried to tell and the new techniques they’ve mastered but this book surprised me by focusing its attention not on the history of art but on providing historical details usually omitted when one is discussing pictures. For instance instance, instead of focusing on the innovative design on Velazquez’s Las Meninas, artist’s biography, baroque and the golden age of Spanish Art, the book provides interesting details of deterioration of the Habsburg dynasty, the etiquette at the court etc and ties it all in for the figures we see in the painting. So if you are looking for a book which will teach you more about art history, this is not the one (you need to look at Gombrich’s Story of Art for that). But if you are familiar with art history and would like to know what other stories pictures can tell - this book is for you!

Such a lovely book, full page imagery, tactile and quality. Images are good in colour and style. Cropped sadly on some and yet others are amazing as they take a bite and blow it up. I cant say anything bad about it except i so wish it was just and inch bigger.

Not only this book is analyzing famous paintings, but is creating a historic context that is missing from all the other books, so while you learn about the paintings, you learn about the artistic culture and history . This is the most enthralling book on art history!

a great diving into art across centuries and culture: from the ancient Egypt to Diego Rivera and the most relevant in between