The Joy of Art is a splendid picture gallery, general art appreciation course and detailed commentary on landmarks of world art all in one. Sir David Piper, one of this country's greatest art experts, vividly communicates his own enthusiasm, showing the reader how to look at paintings again with deeper knowledge -- or how to enjoy them wholeheartedly for the first time. He is, said John Russel in The New York Times, 'continually stimulating'. Interweaving technical, artistic and historical information, The Joy of Art is also a visually dazzling book. It includes hundreds of paintings and original diagrams that show how artists engineer their effects. Examples to illustrate every theme have been taken from all over the world and from prehistory to the present day. Whether the painting discussed is a stupendous Michelangelo or an exquisite Chardin, the aim is to convey the essential flavour of the work and at the same time to enrich the appreciate of it by explaining what underlies its technical master of what makes it so significant in the light of earlier or later paintings. Variations on Twelve Themes -- A selective gallery of paintings that compares and contrasts art from all ages and shows how differently painters have responded to the great continuing themes. The Language of Painting -- An exploration of how artists use colour or light, viewpoint of perspective, pattern of movement to delight the eye and the mind. With diagrams and reconstructions that deepen the reader's understanding of these underlying facts. Materials and Methods of Painting -- A comprehensive description of the nature and distinctive characteristics of every medium of painting. Looking At Paintings -- A detailed analysis of nearly 50 great masterpieces of world art. Sir David Piper backs up his fascinating discussion of these paintings with a wealth of comparative illustrations, setting each work in its historical and artistic context. The book is packed with nearly 500 colour and 250 black
