Without the intimate knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology, folklore and Christian theology so vivid in the minds of the artists and familiar to their public, we often miss the visual hints that gave contemporary meaning to a painting. How to Read a Painting draws our attention to the imagery and the wonderful, apparently inconsequential details in paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, El Greco, Michelangelo, Rubens, Vermeer, Hogarth, Gainsborough and many more. Brief yet illuminating explanations accompany over 900 colour illustrations, providing the means to interpret and enjoy these and many other works.
