Great Art: Do You See What I See?

I would like to show readers what I saw in some of the great works and to make them feel my own enthusiasm and curiosity. I wrote these articles for a blog called The Best Artists and was surprised and delighted at the enthusiastic comments by my readers. Many were students preparing for some exam but there were also experts on art and the work or the artist that I had written about. With their remarks and their knowledge they instructed us all. I have gratefully incorporated many of their comments into these chapters and so given the readers of this book a chance to see what others saw.

My aim is to give you the opportunity to skip the rigmarole and take a more personal look at some great art. In the past it was for the very few. Now you are one of the privileged. For centuries artists found ingenious ways to represent their world, and how each of them succeeded is there for you to judge. You can read the evaluations of art historians or you can first look with your own eyes and heart.