The period between 1750 and the end of the 19th century was a time of upheaval. Industrialization in England, the French Revolution, Napoleon and the formation of states in Germany and Italy are just a few historical events that define this period. All these developments were also reflected in European painting: from the rediscovery of antiquity in classicism, through Romanticism with its various national forms, to realism, which discovered completely new themes for art. Containing more than 500 works, this volume is an overview of the most important paintings of these and other styles of this exciting epoch.

A divine painter and universal genius, Leonardo da Vinci continues to fascinate us almost 500 years after his death. The works reproduced here allow readers to rediscover the entire spectrum of da Vinci's prodigious artistic and scientific oeuvre.

Human beings have always been fascinated by the sea and have been navigating the seas, whether for trade or discovery, since the beginning of civilization. As a result, boats and the sea have been depicted from an early age in the visual arts. This volume offers numerous high-quality illustrations that trace the development of maritime art: from the beginnings as a backdrop to other themes, to the time when the Dutch were unrivalled masters of the seas, from the events on the sea depicted by the English, to the great studies of nature of the Impressionists.