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Ultimate Coffee Table Books

	Paintings in the National Gallery, London Linda Whiteley, Augusto Gentili, National Gallery, William L. Barcham, Neil MacGregor (Preface) The works in the National Gallery, London, includes masterpieces of Renaissance art, the largest collection of Velasquez outside of Spain, early Flemish paintings, Florentine and Sienese paintings at its height, and works by the greatest French painters. Added to this extraordinary heritage are masterpieces of French Impressionism and the British school.
	Paintings in the Uffizi & Pitti Galleries Mina Gregori, Antonio Paolucci (Contributor), Marco Chiarini (Contributor) Reproduces in full color more than eight hundred paintings from Florence's Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, including many of the greatest paintings by such Renaissance masters as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, and Giotto. 20,000 first printing.
	Paintings in the Musee D'orsay Robert Rosenblum, 686 pages, 830 full-color reproductions In the Musee d'Orsay, Paris, open since 1986, masterpieces by Monet, Rousseau, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Seurat, Cassatt and Klimt hang alongside paintings executed by lesser-knowns between 1848 and 1914. A globe-straddling array of artists whose work is reproduced here stretches from Finland to Portugal, Australia to Puerto Rico, to exhilarating effect. Realism looms as an ever-present force, from Eugene Boudin's intensely luminous beach scenes to Alfred Stevens's grim views of starving French workers. The dreamy introspection of Puvis de Chavannes's fantasies reverberates in symbolist canvases. Modernism looks more diverse, more international and more disquieting than ever before. Boasting 830 color plates, this massive sampler frames an inexhaustible store of riches. Commentaries by Rosenblum, professor at New York University, are spirited and enlightening. BOMC bonus selection.
	Paintings in the Louvre Lawrence Gowing, 688 pages, 800+ paintings Though many cities boast impressive art collections, Paris's Louvre is the art museum, and this 1987 title gathers more than 800 of its most famous items spanning 500 years of European art. The hundreds of illustrations are simply stunning.
	The Louvre/the Musee D'Orsay Alexandra Bonfante-Warren Lavishly illustrated, these meticulously researched volumes guide the reader through two of the world's finest art museums.
	Paris, City of Art Jean-Marie Perouse De Montclos, 720 pages, 800+ color photographs Paris, City of Art reveals the myriad treasures its artists and architects have created during the city's long and illustrious history, from the soaring cathedrals and the extravagant royal residences of Versailles and the Louvre (today one of the most important museums in the world) to the paintings of such neoclassical masters as Jacques Louis-David and such modern revolutionaries as Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso. This deluxe, oversize volume is sure to appeal to every art lover, every Francophile, and every Parisian at heart.
	The Art of Florence (2 Volume Set) Glenn Andres, John Hunisak, Richard Turner, 1312 pages, 700+ color photographs, 854 duotones and architectural drawings Florence is the city of Michelangelo, Leonardo, Dante, Masaccio, Botticelli, Giotto, Cellini and Machiavelli. It presents the art of Renaissance Florence in two beautiful, oversized volumes. Along with this visual feast comes a substantial and well-written chronological account of Florentine architecture, sculpture, and painting from 1200 to 1600. Basic historical and political background is incorporated into the text, making it informative and accessible to students and others with no prior knowledge of Italian Renaissance art or history.
	The Art and Spirit of Paris Venceslas Kruta, Alain Brandenburg-Erlande, Christopher Lyon, Claude Mignot, John Goodman, 1654 pages, approximately 1,500 illustrations; 1,157 in full color, 9 gatefold images, and 343 in duotone and black-and-white All the arts -- painting, sculpture, architecture, urban design, interior design, graphic design, photography, film, fashion, the theater, and opera -- have played a role in creating the enduring spirit of Paris. From a primitive village huddled on an island in the middle of the Seine, Paris rose to glory as a medieval and Renaissance center for art, as the cradle of the Enlightenment, and as the crucible of modern art and architecture. It remains a world center of innovation in art, architecture, and design, and one of the most thoroughly pleasurable of all modern cities. Assembled under the editorial direction of Michel Laclotte, former director of the Musée du Louvre, and with the participation of outstanding scholars on both sides of the Atlantic, The Art and Spirit of Paris spans more than 6,000 years of cultural history. In two volumes, comprising nine insightful and wide-ranging chapters, and with approximately 1,500 illustrations, the authors chronicle the history of the visual arts in Paris, tracing their evolution and that of the social systems that supported them. A lavish selection of photographs, most reproduced in color, complements the lively, informative texts with a revealing mixture of much-loved masterpieces and little-known discoveries. Completing these luxurious volumes are nine photographic portfolios, featuring classic black-and-white pictures, reproduced in duotone, by such masters as Brassaï, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, and André Kertesz, which capture the spirit of Paris in visual essays on such subjects as the Seine, Paris by night, shops and cafés, and the city's streets and boulevards.

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	National Gallery of Art : Washington John Walker, 696 pages, over 1000 masterpieces in full color The list of master artists whose work is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, seems endless. This massive volume contains rich color reproductions of works by Pollock, Brancusi, Cezanne, Picasso, and hundreds of other artists. The arrangement of the paintings and sculptures shows a strong curatorial hand, for often the works of two or more artists are mingled to illustrate the impact of one artist on another. To enhance the experience of leafing through this book, John Walker, director emeritus of the museum, places the artists and their work in historical, artistic, and social context with concise, revealing essays. Walker also discusses the inception and evolution of the gallery as well as the collecting habits and tastes of its major benefactors, people such as Andrew Mellon and Chester Dale. This book is an excellent companion to the museum and an wonderful addition to any art lover's collection.