How to Read a Painting: Lessons from the Old MastersClues to the meaning of many of the masterpieces of art history lie in a rich system of symbols, themes, and motifs that often eludes modern museum-goers. The intimate knowledge of Christian theology, Greek and Roman mythology, and folklore that was so vivid in the minds of viewers during the Renaissance is rarely part of the preparation the contemporary viewer brings to a painting. This insightful, anecdotal, portable book, with 1,000 gorgeous color illustrations, helps to fill in those gaps by decoding th imagery of more than 150 of the most influential and admired artworks of all time. Covering the works of the Italian, Netherlandish, German, and Spanish Old Masters, from 1450 to 1750, paintings by artists such as Giotto, Botticelli, El Greco, Bruegel, Holbein, Rubens, and Vermeer, all held in public collections, How to Read a Painting" not only helps the viewer to understand the significant details of a picture but also explains the relationship with similar imagery in other works. The guide to Old Master paintings that every art lover has always wanted, this indispensable museum companion will open the reader to a whole new experience of Western art's most praised and visited paintings. |
Common terms and phrases
17th century altarpiece angels Antwerp Apostles appears artist background body Bruegel's Canvas Caravaggio central panel chapel Christian Church Classical Classical Antiquity clothes cm Galleria cm Musée cm National Gallery cm Rijksmuseum colour commissioned composition contemporary cross Crucifixion Cupid death decorated depicted dressed Dutch Dyck El Greco episode Eyck eyes Father figures Florence foreground fresco Gabriel Metsu Galleria degli Uffizi garden genre Giorgione goddess golden Gospel Greek hand heaven holding Holy human interior Italian Jesus JOHANNES VERMEER John the Baptist King kneeling landscape Last Judgement light looks Luke Mary's medieval mother motif Museum mythology nude Ovid painter painting patron saint Peter PETER PAUL RUBENS popular portrait pose Rembrandt Renaissance Rijksmuseum Roman Rubens scene Sebastian shown shows sits souls St John stands story symbol theme Titian traditional triptych unto Velázquez Venus Vermeer viewer Virgin and Child Virgin Mary wedding wings woman young