THE STORY OF PAINTING

Good merchandise this, as well as a sound and well-written background book on the history of painting from pre-Renaissance to the present. There is even an introductory section on prehistoric art, the paintings of the cave man, the beginnings of architecture in Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Greece and Rome. Then a period when art was submerged -- and then the pre-Renaissance and Renaissance days when painting came into its own. He has divided his subject from this point on along the lines of the schools of painting:- the Italian, the Flemish, the German, the Dutch, the Spanish, the British, the French, the Mexican and the American schools. There is no effort to make this an exhaustive coverage; he has selected the outstanding and characteristic painters of each school and of the periods of their prime. With the French, the Mexican and the American schools, he comes down to the present. He refutes the theory that art is a peaceful expression, and says that the most important movements gained momentum in times of stress. A book for those who want one basic book; and for teen age and up.