painting, european

Looks to Christian iconography, Greek and Roman mythology, and folklore to provide insights into the meaning of the symbols, themes, and motifs depicted in over one hundred paintings by Italian, Netherlandish, German, and Spanish masters.

Sister Wendy Beckett has transformed public appreciation of art through her astonishing knowledge, insight and passion for painting and painters.Witness the awakening that would transform the Western world - the Renaissance, where Fra Angelico and Botticelli redefined art. See the genius of Leonardo da Vinci and discuss the sly smile on his Mona Lisa. In Rome, see masterpieces commissioned by the Popes - Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and the works of Raphael - and in Venice, the works of Titian and Giorgione. Then follow the Renaissance north across the Alps, where religious strife brought a new purpose to painting, and where in Nuremberg, Durer redefined the role of the artist in society - even as the Inquisition forced others to flee their countries in search of artistic freedom.

Provides historical context for approximately eighty paintings and other works of art spanning pre-fifteenth century through the mid-twentieth century; includes color reproductions of the works and analysis of several individual sections of each work.

Looks at all 3,022 paintings housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, with full annotations. Art historians Anja Grebe and Vincent Pomar?de discuss four hundred paintings and the key attributes of the work.

Examines the history of Americans bringing famous works of European art over to the galleries in the United States, which includes the transportation of pieces from Raphaels, Rembrandts, and Vermeers; and describes the lives of the wealthy buyers who bought them.