Provides the art critic's commentary on more than fifty Impressionist paintings, including Manet's "Olympia", Whistler's "Nocturne", and "The Harbor at Lorient" by Morisot.

Contains over 400 masterpieces of Western painting from the very beginnings of art to the present day. The book includes nearly 200 close-ups to allow the reader to gain knowledge of each work and artist and Sister Wendy Beckett shares her love of painting.

The nun who is well-known for her art programs on PBS applies her intensity to what most inspires her in artists' work.

Sister Wendy Beckett's brilliant insight and quirky delivery have made her both a respected art critic and a beloved personality. Now she focuses her attention on American art in this volume that contains more than 50 high-quality, large-scale reproductions. Full color.

Through more than 450 masterpieces, the author unfolds the story of 800 years of Western painting from Giotto, the Renaissance and Impressionism, to Pop Art and the present day.

Attention Sister Wendy fans! Available together for the first time, here are Sister Wendy Beckett's two most definitive books on the power and beauty of great art. In Sister Wendy's Story of Painting, the renowned art historian and television personality presents 450 masterpieces - reproduced in full color - and chronicles the developments and movements in painting over the past 800 years. Each movement - from Gothic to Renaissance, Romanticism to Impressionism, Post-Impressionism to Modernism - is introduced by visual timelines that provide an instant overview of the important artists and paintings of that era. As she discusses various schools and movements as well as the work of dozens of individuals artists, Sister Wendy not only tackles the technical topics of perspective, color, and symbolism, she delves into the spiritual, political, and personal aspects of each painting, making art come alive for even the most novice admirer. Sister Wendy analyzes more than 30 of the world's most famous paintings, using enlarged details to explain techniques and reveal symbolism in works that include Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Rembrandt's The Jewish Bride, Monet's The Waterlily Pond, and Van Gogh's Self-Portrait. Sister Wendy's Story of Painting is an accessible overview of a subject often thought to be overwhelming and complex. A more personal, though equally expansive tome, Sister Wendy's 1000 Masterpieces looks at the thousand artworks she has found to intrigue her most. In this volume, Sister Wendy applies her unique intensity to what most inspires her in the artist's work as well as to the essential life events that shaped the work. Arranged alphabetically by artist, each work receives a full page of attention. The text contains information, annotated where necessary on materials and techniques, on the artist's symbolism, and on the location where the original work is displayed.

'Sister Wendy’s deep and insightful commentaries are utterly unique. You will want this splendid book for yourself but also to give to others.' Delia Smith Hailed by The New York Times in 1997 as 'the most unlikely and famous art critic in the history of television', Sister Wendy Beckett went on to present numerous TV documentaries and published over thirty popular books on art history and appreciation. Shortly before she died in December 2018, and nearly thirty years on from her first book, Sister Wendy was working with SPCK on an anthology of her all-time favourite paintings. The result is this enthralling collection, which will delight her many fans all over the world while also inspiring a new generation of art lovers as they develop their understanding of the depths and subtleties of some of the world's greatest works of art.