Masterpieces of World Painting

“Everyone tries to understand painting. Why don’t they try to understand birdsong?” once said the famous artist Pablo Picasso, implying that while painting is beautiful, it cannot be read. In fact, when we visit museums and admire the works of great masters, we often ask ourselves: “What did the artist mean?”, “What do certain symbols or details in the painting signify?”, “Why did the artist choose this particular subject?”, “What technique was used to create this canvas?”, “In what year and genre was the painting created?”, and, ultimately, “how do artists paint?” Without the commentary of an experienced art historian, it is difficult to make sense of it all. This book, written by an art historian, senior research fellow at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, curator of the museum’s collection of 19th- and 20th-century sculpture, and curator of several exhibitions at the Pushkin State Museum, explores how painting has evolved over time, why artists turned to certain subjects, and the means they used to bring their visions to life. Beautifully selected illustrations create a visual journey that allows readers to immerse themselves more deeply and fully in the magical world of painting. This beautifully illustrated reference book: - Introduces readers to the art of Western European painting in all its diversity of genres, techniques, and styles. - Offers the opportunity to take a fascinating journey through time and trace the entire history of visual art—from prehistoric times to the beginning of the 20th century—and to discover how and why its forms changed, and which great artists played the most significant role in this evolution. - Reveals the secrets of the techniques and methods used by famous masters. - Explains how a painting is created.