Anyone studying a Van Gogh painting with its heavily articulated brushstrokes, dazzling color, and hypnotic perspective will wonder about the artist who created such masterpieces. Although some details of the Dutch artist’s brief and tragic life have been mythologized into the popular culture, this book takes a deeper look at Van Gogh’s history and oevre. Drawing on Van Gogh’s correspondence, this book allows readers to experience the artist’s life and work synchronistically, with brilliant reproductions of his most famous and lesser-known works. In addition, it provides valuable information about where readers can view Van Gogh’s work in museums throughout the world. Art lovers will find much to discover in this appealing and accessible overview of one of the world’s most compelling figures.

For centuries artists have been expressing their ideas, faith, passion, and rage in three-dimensional works that reflect historical eras, tell stories, reveal mysteries, and even create scandals. Starting from ancient times and continuing through the Classical, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, and Modern periods, this collection introduces readers to the artists and works that make sculpture such an exciting medium to explore. Among the artists included in the book are Michelangelo, Bernini, Rodin, Duchamp, Giacometti, Calder, Moore, Beuys, de Saint Phalle, and Bourgeois. From the Madonna of Essen, the oldest known sculpture of the Virgin Mary, to the sinuous metal sheets that make up Richard Serra's Matter of Time, each work is presented in spreads that offer beautiful photographs, biographical profiles of the artists, historical context, and anecdotal information. Broader texts describe various eras and styles as the book moves chronologically toward the present day, providing an art history lesson for everyone.