Brad Finger

This survey of great contemporary artists is the perfect introduction to the exciting world of art today.

Chronologically arranged, each chapter focuses on a particular work or idea that changed modern art as we know it. Presented in beautiful spreads and with informative text, readers will discover how a painting such as Edouard Manet's Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe shocked the art establishment with its depiction of nude women alongside fully clothed men. The author explains how the work's striking visual quality and easy brush strokes helped give birth to the Impressionist movement. This book features a number of similarly pioneering works such as Monet's Impression Sunrise, Cezanne's Mon Sainte-Victoire, van Gogh's Wheatfield with Crows, Rodin's Monument to Balzac, Matisse's Woman with a Hat, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel, Ernst's Aquis Submersus, Rivera's La Creacion, Calder's Lobster Trap and Fish Tail, Pollock's Full Fathom Five, Nam June Paik's TV Cello, Smithson's Spiral Jetty, and Chuck Close's Bob. Perfect for perusing or reading from cover to cover, this book illustrates how the world's greatest artists are geniuses at synthesizing the accomplishments of those before them in order to create groundbreaking works for others to follow.

Throughout the history of art most of the world's greatest artists have produced portraits at some point in their careers, whether commissioned by rulers or magnates; created to preserve a cherished friend or relation; or even to capture the artist's own likeness. Arranged chronologically, each of the 50 masterworks in this book exemplifies a moment in history, or a turning point in the artist's career. Van Eyck's A Man in a Turban, Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Sargent's Madame X, Kahlo's Self-Portrait with Necklace, Warhol's Marilyn and many more world-famous paintings are featured in exquisite full-page reproductions accompanied by engaging and enlightening texts. An introductory essay on the history and importance of the portrait in art history and brief biographies of each artist round out this survey that provides valuable information in an attractive and affordable package.

This survey of great contemporary artists is the perfect introduction to the exciting world of art today.