What Makes a Masterpiece explores the most important works of art ever created, from the Chauvet Cave to Cezanne. It covers art from Africa to China, Japan to South and Central America, Persia to Sri Lanka, as well as a large selection of European works from Ancient Greece to Impressionism. Little-known treasures such as the Iberian Lady of Elche or a Maya relief from Palenque appear alongside well-loved classics such as Masaccio's Expulsion of Adam and Eve or Degas's Little Dancer, creating a fascinating and unique collection of groundbreaking and...

From the ancient Norse characters to Homer's epics to Gilgamesh, from the Hindu deities to the Old Testament and King Arthur, this is the perfect introduction to mythology. Brought to life through hundreds of colorful, beautiful, and sometimes bizarre illustrations, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the tales we tell to make sense of the world around us.

Monsters have preoccupied mankind from the earliest times: even cave art includes animal-human monsters. This book explores monsters down the ages and throughout the world. It provides a dark yet engrossing visual history of the human mind, lit up by flashes of wild and unearthly inspiration.