Art: The World's Greatest Paintings Explored and Explained (Hardcover)

by Robert Cumming (Author) "In judging any outstanding performance, whether by an athlete, a musician, an actor, or an artist, technical ability is one of the prime considerations..." (more)
Key Phrases: hay wain, las meninas, National Gallery, Mona Lisa, Fra Angelico (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA?An exploration of some of the world's great paintings, ranging from the works of 14th-century Giotto through the Renaissance and Baroque periods to Neo-Classicists and Romantics, on to the Impressionists and Cubists up to Picasso. Cumming describes and decodes each of 45 paintings by graphic commentary using six guidelines: the subject, the technique, the symbolism, space and light, historical style, and personal interpretation. Detailed sections of each painting are analyzed to point out symbols or obscure subjects, to locate unusual signings by the artist, and to describe materials used.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Cumming, chair of Christie's Education, London, takes readers on a guided tour of 45 of the Western world's great works of art. In typical Dorling Kindersley style?reflecting the influence of CD-ROMs, perhaps?each work is illustrated in full and surrounded by numerous excerpted details, sidebars, and annotations. Cumming succinctly discusses the subject, technique, symbolism, space and light elements, and historical style of each and adds his personal interpretation. For Hans Holbein's "The Ambassadors," for example, Cumming gives a short biography of the artist, explains the crises in Europe alluded to in the painting, and points out the odd form in the foreground. The latter, he explains, is a distorted death's-head that is meaningless if viewed from the front but from a certain angle takes the shape of a skull. While not as ambitious as Sister Wendy Beckett's The Story of Painting (LJ 11/15/94), this is an exciting introduction to painting for general collections at an attractive price.?Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Amherst, Mass.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 104 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (April 4, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888503245
• ISBN-13: 978-1564588487
• ASIN: 1564588483
• Product Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,603 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only invest in 1 book to learn about art, this is it., December 25, 2001

By	Lover of Mysteries "avatar_of_ares" (Norridge, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This book is a great introduction or review for adults or teens. Using famous works of art, in color sure beats the first art appreciation book I read in college which had drawings and black and white grainy photos. Even with a degree in art history, I found this book a great refresher.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this is a terrific book, August 17, 2001

By A Customer

This is both fun and informative. Though the language may be pitched at a relatively easy level, there is nothing condescending about it. It is deeply informed, and even the professor will learn from it. Buy it without hesitation if you wish to learn about great paintings.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for starters, December 28, 2004

By	R. Kelkar "web junkie" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I got interested in painting while I was living in Italy for a few months. Wish I had this book with me. Some noteable features:

1. Excellent color plates
2. Tastefully selected paintings, each showing a different nuance.
3. Not overly technical so it doesnt lose a layperson like me.
4. Has my favorite painting - The School of Athens, but thats a personal plus.

Unfortunately the nice large plates mean this book (though quite small in terms of number of pages) is not a size that would fit into a travel hand bag to take with you on a trip to see the paintings.

A good companion volume is the 50 greates painters which has paintings by many of the same painters but they complement each other.
eg: Birth of Venus (this book) and Coming of Spring both by Botticelli or Mona Lisa (this book) and Madonna of the Rocks.

Overall these books are both keepers.