Catalogue exploring the five spectacular views of the Fortress of Koenigstein in Dresden by Venetian painter Bernardo Bellotto, nephew and pupil of Canaletto Bernardo Bellotto (1722-1780) ranks amongst the very greatest view painters of eighteenth-century Europe. Today, he is best known for his views of northern European cities: large-scale works characterised by panoramic compositions, a strongly contrasted use of light and shadow, and meticulous attention to architectural detail. This book provides an overview of Bellotto's life and career, as well as a record of the historic reuniting of his five spectacular views of the fortress of Koenigstein, displayed together for the first time in over 250 years, following the National Gallery's recent acquisition of The Fortress of Koenigstein from the North in 2017. Commissioned by August III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, these works depicting the fortress from different viewpoints are undoubtedly Bellotto's finest non-urban paintings. These remarkable pictures are imbued with a monumentality rarely seen at this time and the series dramatically illustrates the very different direction in which Bellotto took the tradition of European view painting. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The National Gallery, London (July 22-October 31, 2021) Manchester Art Gallery (November 20, 2021-February 27, 2022)

Painted in 1468, Saint Michael Triumphant over the Devil is the first documented work by Bartolome Bermejo (c. 1440-c. 1501), a 15th-century Spanish artist by whom only about 20 paintings are known. Acquired by the National Gallery in 1995, the painting depicts the Archangel Michael defeating Satan, in the form of a hybrid monster, with Antoni Joan, feudal lord of Tous, kneeling nearby. The work is remarkable for its mastery of the oil-painting technique, influenced by Netherlandish painting and unrivaled by Bermejo's contemporaries in Spain. Following the painting's detailed technical examination and restoration, the authors provide a fascinating account of this rare work, accompanied by high quality new photography and placing the painting in the broader context of Bermejo's career in 15th-century Aragon.