Masterpieces under the microscope: Paintings' hidden secrets revealed This important addition to our understanding of art history's masterworks puts some of the world's most famous paintings under a magnifying glass, to help us look much, much closer at images we might have thought we knew well. Guiding our eye to the minutiae of subject and symbolism, Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen help us become detectives of details, solving the mysteries of a masterpiece through its most small and subtle elements. Is the bride pregnant? Why is just one candle burning in the chandelier? And what does the mirror in the background reveal? As they address these and many more intricacies in some of art's most celebrated scenes, the authors not only offer us a vastly enriched appreciation of these paintings, but also shed light on the fashions and lifestyles, loves and intrigues, politics and people that first informed and inspired these works. Delve in and be dazzled, as even the most familiar panels and canvases come alive anew in all the intricacies of their composition and in a very real sense of context of time and place.

These are the kinds of question Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen ask when faced with world-famous masterpieces. In the language of today they comment on the fashions and attitudes, trends and intrigues, love, vice and lifestyles of past times. Book jacket.

Forty works by early Netherlandish masters from van Eyck to Bosch—reproduced in exquisite detail—are the subject of this breathtaking book that leads readers deep into the paintings to reveal each artist’s astonishing technique and brilliant application of color. The longer we gaze at the paintings of the old masters, the more we appreciate the subtlety and artistry of the painters who created them. This beautiful book offers readers an opportunity to learn and study the art of Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and many other masters of this period and region. It also explores their influence on later artists from the Baroque period. Each of the works is briefly presented along with its historical and contextual background and importance. Then in a series of full-page illustrations, specific details are enlarged to guide the reader carefully and thoughtfully through the piece’s nuances and often overlooked features. The result is the next best thing to a private viewing at a museum—a truly sensuous and emotional experience that will engage both the novice and the expert. Till-Holger Borchert’s texts are informative and engaging as he shares his singular passion for these great works in a magnificent book that will inspire viewers to form their own opinions and exercise their own powers of observation within the context of this important period in art history.

Great paintings cannot be fully understood in a single encounter; there is always more to be derived from them. Art lovers may revisit and reconsider the masterpieces throughout their lives, but a deeper understanding can only be gained by analysing the painting in detail, be it the placement of the subject, the lighting, the style of brushstrokes or the themes. Art in Detail examines 100 iconic paintings from the Western canon and spotlights the finer points a quick glance will almost certainly fail to reveal. These include subtle internal details, such as hidden symbols and artistic tricks employed by the painter to achieve particular effects. In addition, Susie Hodge writes intelligently about external influences on the artist - everything from the socioeconomic context in which he or she flourished, to smaller local difficulties, such as the level of air pollution at the time the painting was created. And she treats each of her subjects not only, to quote Matthew Arnold, 'as in itself it really is', but also as part of a tradition that links the oldest painting to the most recent, as artists pass a metaphorical baton down through the ages. With 700 illustrations

From works by Botticelli and Raphael to Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo, discover the paintings that have shaken the art world through the centuries and across continents. Great Paintings presents over 60 amazing paintings - both familiar and new. It not only lists some of the greatest works of art but brings them to life with the help of more than 700 photographs and descriptive text. Understand the key features, composition, and techniques that have made these paintings stand out. The book also includes brief biographies of the artists, which provides the background to each artwork and helps readers paint their own picture of the historical and social context behind each masterpiece. Whether you are young or old, an art student or a fan, simply turn the pages of Great Paintings to go on your personal gallery tour of some of the world's best-loved paintings.

From ancient Sumerian pottery to Tiffany stained glass, decorative art has been a fundamental part of the human experience for generations. While fine art is confined to galleries and museums, decorative art is the art of the every day, combining beauty with functionality in objects ranging from the prosaic to the fantastical. In this work, Albert Jacquemart celebrates the beauty and artistic potential behind even the most quotidian object. Readers will walk away from this text with a newfound appreciation for the subtle artistry of the manufactured world.

This volume traces the history of painting from medieval times to modern times with a focus on each era and its major artists. This volume traces the history of painting from medieval times to modern times with a focus on each era and its major artists.