Masterpieces of World Painting

Everyone tries to understand painting. Why don’t they try to understand the singing of birds? – once said the famous artist Pablo Picasso, hinting that the art of painting is beautiful but resistant to interpretation. In fact, when we often visit a museum and admire the paintings of great masters, we ask ourselves questions: What did the artist mean?, What do certain symbols or details on the painting signify?, Why did the artist depict this particular scene?, In what technique is this painting made?, in what year and genre was the painting created?, and, ultimately, how do artists paint? Without the commentary of an experienced art historian, the viewer cannot do without it. The book, written by an art historian, senior researcher at the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin, curator of the museum’s collection of 19th-20th century sculptures, and curator of several exhibitions at the museum, will help to learn how the forms of painting have changed, why artists turned to certain subjects, what means they used to bring desired images to life, and the well-chosen illustrations create a visual narrative that allows for a deeper and fuller immersion into the magical world of painting. This beautifully illustrated guide: • Introduces the art of Western European painting in all its diversity of genres, techniques, and styles. • Provides the opportunity to embark on an exciting journey through time and trace the entire history of the development of visual art – from prehistoric times to the early 20th century and discover how and why its forms changed, and which great artists played the most significant role in this. • Reveals the secrets of painting techniques and methods of famous masters • Tells how a painting is born