Great Encyclopedia. Masterpieces of Art

Art is multifaceted: it is a diverse and rich world of beautiful images, it is a flight of imagination and at the same time a desire to grasp the meaning of life and existence, it is an incredible concentration of human creative energy. Art is the beautiful and sad faces of Madonnas gazing at us from the canvases of Renaissance artists, the stern beauty of ancient statues, the aspiration upwards of Gothic cathedrals, the airiness and shimmering colors on the canvases of Impressionists… What we now call art has been present in human life since time immemorial. The painted images, sculptures, architectural structures, even household items that have survived for thousands of years now constitute a vast artistic heritage of humanity. Navigating through these numerous monuments can sometimes be quite challenging, especially since various stylistic directions could coexist in art at the same time, and some masters sought to imitate their great predecessors who lived in the distant past. This book will serve as your guide in the complex and tangled world of art, through which you will get acquainted with the specific features of some of its types, learn to understand various artistic styles, and learn about the most famous works created by renowned painters, architects, and sculptors.