Art: The World's Greatest Paintings Explored and Explained

Rating:
Summary: This is an excellent work for the curious novice to art
Review: I am a student at Duke University and I discovered this book while in a classical studies course at Duke. Cumming's insight into Raphael's "The School of Athens" was very helpful. I soon bought this book and his one on Great Artists and have enjoyed learning from both of them. I love to learn but I am not that experienced in art history. This book was the perfect tool for a novice, such as myself.

Rating:
Summary: Book For All Ages and A Great Author
Review: I am only 13 years old and I have this book and I thought it was great. It really did explain art. I saw things that I actually wouldn't notice if I was explaining the picture. It was an interesting book and I enjoyed looking at it. It made me understand the pictures and made art funner and more interestig than it used to be. It was very interesting and I hope you buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: The most informative art guide I know
Review: I first saw this book in one of my classes, and I've loved it ever since. The paintings themselves are amazing, but the little hidden messages the artist included nake them absolutely fascinating. I had to write a report on a piece of art, and I got at least 75% of my information from this book. It is a must for anyone studying art, or anyone who just enjoys it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for starters
Review: I got interested in painting while I was living in Italy for a few months. Wish I had this book with me. Some noteable features:

1. Excellent color plates
2. Tastefully selected paintings, each showing a different nuance.
3. Not overly technical so it doesnt lose a layperson like me.
4. Has my favorite painting - The School of Athens, but thats a personal plus.

Unfortunately the nice large plates mean this book (though quite small in terms of number of pages) is not a size that would fit into a travel hand bag to take with you on a trip to see the paintings.

A good companion volume is the 50 greates painters which has paintings by many of the same painters but they complement each other.
eg: Birth of Venus (this book) and Coming of Spring both by Botticelli or Mona Lisa (this book) and Madonna of the Rocks.

Overall these books are both keepers.

Rating:
Summary: A whole new perspective on art!
Review: I recieved this book as a gift, and since that time, I have become an avid art-lover. The painting selections are very tasteful, and the reproductions are fabulous! But the best part by far are the annotations. I never fail to be interested by them, no matter which painting I am looking at. This book keeps me engaged for hours, just reading the notes about the paintings. A supurb work.

Rating:
Summary: excellent reference as well as a pleasure to browse through
Review: i was hoping to find a new edition of this fabulous series i have spent hours looking at paintings i thought i knew finding fresh information and insights

Rating:
Summary: A new appreciation for art
Review: In all my years in school I never knew annotated art existed. If I had, art would have become a passion of mine a long time ago. Cummings's book provides such a detailed analytical look at art and explains why these paintings were so extraordinary for their time and teaches you to look beyond your first impression to what the artist had in mind, as well as what you yourself get out of it. Not only does he do this with words, but more importantly, he does it with highlighted areas of the painting and gives historical insight to it. I love art and appreciate it so much more now.

Rating:
Summary: Lectures and books
Review: Many thanks for purchasing the book. I hope you gain as much pleasure from studying it as I had writing it. As well as writing I do a lot of lecturing worldwide, bringing works of art alive in a way that is informative and entertaining, like the book.

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: My Mother is really into art and I bought this for her b-day. When I got it I looked through it and it was very informational and had some really cool facts and pictures about art.

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: This book is a great introduction or review for adults or teens. Using famous works of art, in color sure beats the first art appreciation book I read in college which had drawings and black and white grainy photos. Even with a degree in art history, I found this book a great refresher.