The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg houses a relatively small but choice collection of 16th- to 19th-century British paintings, among them Thomas Gainsborough's vibrant Portrait of "A Lady in Blue" (c. 1770) and his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds...

This title is a superbly illustrated and insightful guide to the symbols of power in Western art. This latest volume in the acclaimed "Guide to Imagery series" examines the way that sovereign rulers have employed well-defined symbols, attributes and...

This is a brief history of and investigation into the collecting of sacred art. When works of art created for religious purposes outlive their original function, they often take on new meanings as they move from sacred spaces to secular collections....

The art of Spain and Spanish America during the seventeenth century is overwhelmingly religious – it was intended to arouse wonder, devotion, and identification. Its forms and meanings are inextricably linked to the beliefs and religious practices of...

This title presents a lavishly illustrated and fascinating exploration of the art, architecture, and archaeology of one of the world's best preserved Roman cities. The remains of the ancient city of Pompeii, frozen in time following the tragic erupti...

As a young man the American painter John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was passionate about the sea and deeply knowledgeable about ships and seafaring. Between the ages of 18 and 23, he started his career as a professional painter with a remarkable rang...

This is a unique volume that explores the ways in which the aesthetics of public art were affected by the social, political, and cultural changes of the Enlightenment. This pioneering book chronicles the transformation of public art in eighteenth-cen...

This is a delightfully illustrated volume that offers readers an entertaining and informative virtual tour through the magnificent art of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Featuring works of art from the legendary collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, thi...

This is a superbly illustrated exploration of the finest ancient frescos found in Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Rome. Visitors to the residences of ancient Rome cannot help but be astonished by their grand architecture and enchanting wall paint...

The dictionary. The ubiquitous high-gloss fashion ad. The fraught relationship between artist and critic".Sleeping Beauty" ties these disparate strands of our everyday lives together only to strip away everything we thought we knew about each of them...