This pioneering art series combines stunning high-quality color reproductions with expert commentary on the most popular artists of all time at an extremely accessible price. Giotto, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Vermeer are names well known to any student of art history, museumgoer, or culturally engaged individual. Rizzoli is pleased to launch its Classics of Art series with monographs on these six world-renowned painters, whose signature styles and sheer genius continue to inspire both scholars and lay people to this day.

Often regarded as the founder of traditional European painting, Giotto revolutionized the way artists interpreted the human condition at the turn of the fourteenth century. Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo each brought Renaissance notions of humanism to unparalleled heights. Botticelli's poetic delicacy created a magical world in which allegory and idealism are reflected. Vermeer's light-infused elegies on the everyday are some of the most exquisite paintings in the history of Western art.

Each book in this series features a literary introduction and thoroughly researched essay followed by a section devoted to a detailed description of a selection of the artist's masterpieces. An extensive chronology of the artist's life and important historical events of his era as well as a compilation of remarks by famous historians, modern and old, add cultural perspective and insight into each painter's stylistic development. A visual chart with captions as to the whereabouts of every painting and a concise bibliography with suggested further reading provide invaluable research tools.

With authoritative text by leading art historians from around the globe, these lavishly illustrated editions provide fresh insights into the art and lives of the most brilliant artists in the history of painting. No matter what your knowledge of art history, this series will compel you to explore a world of art beyond the canvas.