National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, is renowned for its world-class collection of paintings representing seven centuries of American and European art. Now in the sixth printing since its original publication in 2004, this engaging and broad-ranging volume is a wonderful introduction to the collection and, by extension, to the history of Western painting. The book showcases 400 masterworks, arranged chronologically from a 13th-century Byzantine icon to contemporary works, and provides incisive commentary on each. It features paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Francisco Goya, Winslow Homer, Paul Cezanne, Mary Cassatt, Barnett Newman, and other distinguished artists, all reproduced in gorgeous color.