For those who've enjoyed the original, the good news is that the new edition of The Story of Painting has grown by more than 300 pages of photographs--magnified close-ups of details from nearly half the 450 paintings in the book. Fauvist paint strokes become mighty slabs; sparkling light on a Dutch still life is revealed as a series of tiny dots; the cheeks of a young man in an Italian Renaissance portrait betray a touch of five o'clock shadow. This kind of close looking is seductive, and it's an important part of Sister Wendy's direct, unpretentious approach to art.

As a history of painting, Sister Wendy's book has its strong points (works with religious or spiritual themes and those that lend themselves to psychological interpretation) as well as its lapses (a very skimpy discussion of Cubism and inadequate treatment of works from the late 20th century). Even the title is a bit of a misnomer. The painting in question is purely Western; there is nothing here about Indian or Persian miniatures, or the great tradition of Chinese landscapes.

But what Sister Wendy alone offers are vivid, personal interpretations that come from a deep well of emotional sympathy with works of art. Who else would notice the way the bagpiper in The Wedding Feast by Pieter Breughel "stares at the porridge with the longing of the truly hungry"? Who else would point out how Venus--the "older woman" pleading with "virile" Adonis not to go off to war in Titian's "Venus and Adonis"--shows us "her superb back and buttocks, beguilingly rounded, full of promise." Rather than portraying Western art as the dutiful production of "masterpieces," she revels in the physicality of paint and the variety of human experience these works represent. --Cathy Curtis


From School Library Journal
YA-Sister Wendy, well known in Britain for her BBC series on art history, has produced this exhaustive overview of Western painting. Nearly every development from the Lascaux Cave painters up to the "maze of contemporary artistic experience" is represented, although the main emphasis is placed on the last 800 years. The material is presented in chronological order, and grouped into chapters by trends or movements. A typical chapter includes several of the period's leaders, a few of their most famous works, and supporting material arranged in attractive, eye-catching displays. Over 400 beautiful, full-color reproductions appear; they are often augmented with closeups of particular sections and highlighted portions. Vignettes about the artists' lives, their favorite subjects, and their patrons enliven each selection. Politics, religious beliefs, and other factors that influence the painters are briefly summarized. Insights into art production, special techniques, symbolism, and samples of parallel trends in sculpture, architecture, and in later years, photography, broaden the scope of the book. The writing style is straightforward but lively, neither talking down to readers nor resorting to arcane art-speak. YAs interested in a beginner's course on art history will find this book satisfying.Carolyn E. Gecan, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
There is no denying that this book will receive a certain amount of attention, some of it humorous, because of its author. There is also no denying that she is doing wonderful, intelligent, and witty things for the appreciation of art. Sister Wendy has become something of a celebrity with her television series, Sister Wendy's Odyssey and Sister Wendy's Grand Tour. Her book is an ambitious overview of painting through the ages. Major movements in painting of the last 800 years are introduced with time lines and sumptuous illustrations. The author features 30 of what she considers to be the world's most famous paintings for in-depth analysis, using short essays and innovative layouts of enlarged details. While her work doesn't attempt the high seriousness of H.W. Janson's History of Art (Abrams, 1991. 4th ed.), it is an irresistible volume. Highly recommended for public libraries.Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Amherst, Mass.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
It is unusual, to say the least, to come across an art-history book written by a nun, but nothing concerning Sister Wendy Beckett conforms to expectations. A member of the Notre Dame order in England, Beckett has devoted the last 14 years to the study of art and has developed a unique, nourishingly philosophical perspective. Some readers will recognize Beckett from the television series Sister Wendy's Grand Tour. Here, in this thoughtfully designed and welcoming volume, she focuses strictly on painting and seeks to defuse any fear or reluctance readers might have about looking at fine art. Notice that the title eschews the word history for the much more appealing story. This choice is indicative of Beckett's approach to the evolution of painting; for her, paintings are as much about the artist's life and times as about style and aesthetics. As she discusses various schools and movements as well as the work of dozens of individuals artists, Beckett not only tackles such painterly concerns as perspective, color, and symbolism, she delves into the spiritual, political, and personal aspects of each painting. Her ardent analyses of everything from cave paintings to Piero di Cosimo, J. M. W. Turner, and Jasper Johns are beautifully illustrated and supported by topical sidebars and time lines. Enlightening and deeply satisfying, this book is the perfect embodiment of Beckett's observation that "love and knowledge go hand in hand." Donna Seaman


From Book News, Inc.
Chronicles the history of Western painting over the past 800 years, covering periods and styles such as Gothic, Renaissance, Romanticism Impressionism, and Modernism. Includes color reproductions of some 450 masterpieces, plus 200 supporting photos, drawings, and documents. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.


Library Journal
...an ambitious overview of painting through the ages...with timelines and sumptuous illustrations...irresistible.


Book Description
New revised and expanded edition! "The story of painting is one that is immensely rich in meaning, yet its value is all too often hidden from us by the complexities of its historians. We must forget the densities of 'history' and simply surrender to the wonder of the story." -Sister Wendy Beckett Internationally renowned art historian Sister Wendy Beckett brings her knowledge, her deep love of art, and her luminous insights to The Story of Painting- making a difficult subject accessible and stimulating to all. The Story of Painting features more than 450 masterpieces- all faithfully reproduced in rich, full color- chronicling the developments and movements in the history of painting over the past 800 years, from Gothic to Renaissance, Romanticism to Impressionism, Post-Impressionism to Modernism. Each movement is introduced by visual timelines to provide an instant overview of the significant artists and paintings of the era. This enhanced and expanded edition of The Story of Painting has almost doubled in size. It expands the existing 400 pages to 736, focusing on the approximately 450 paintings with facing pages of details for almost 200 of them. This classic art book presents the masterpieces in two ways: as the original painting appeared and, on double spread pages, as enlarged close-ups of the paintings' most pertinent details. Now the reader can study a painting as though standing in front of it in a museum, seeing the powerful effect of the whole and then studying the minutest details of brushstrokes, textures, quality of lines, and overlays of color.


About the Author
Sister Wendy Beckett, a member of the teaching order of nuns, the Order of Notre Dame, is well known for her insight into the history of art. Her BBC television series has been shown on PBS, and she is the author of several best-selling books published by DK. Along with her disciplined life as a nun, she devotes her contemplative life to the careful study of art.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Sister Wendy Beckett, the art historian for the rest of us, presents in this, the expanded second edition of her magnum opus, a perspective of painting completely singular in its accessibility and breadth. The Story of Painting focuses on telling the "story," rather than the multilayered and complex "history" of great art, with an aim of revealing the oft-hidden value of the individual works. This discussion of the major art movements of the last 800 years includes Sister Wendy's thoughts on the spiritual, political, and technical aspects of more than 450 masterpieces, all reproduced in full color.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"The Story of Painting features more than 450 masterpieces - all faithfully reproduced in rich, full color - chronicling the developments and movements in the history of painting over the past 800 years, from Gothic to Renaissance, Romanticism to Impressionism, Post-Impressionism to Modernism. Each movement is introduced by visual timelines to provide an instant overview of the significant artists and paintings of that era." "This enhanced and expanded edition of The Story of Painting has almost doubled in size. It expands the existing 400 pages to 736, focusing on the approximately 450 paintings with facing pages of details for almost 200 of them." "This classic art book presents the masterpieces in two ways: as the original painting appeared and, on double spread pages, as enlarged close-ups of the paintings' most pertinent details. Now the reader can study a painting as though standing in front of it in a museum, seeing the powerful effect of the whole and then studying the minutest details of brushstrokes, textures, quality of lines, and overlays of color."--BOOK JACKET.

FROM THE CRITICS

Knoxville News-Sentinel

The best descriptive word for this books is 'sumptuous'.

Long Beach Press