One Hundred Great Paintings

The National Gallery houses one of the richest collections of Western European paintings in the world, ranging from the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries. In this beautiful book, one hundred of the greatest works from the collection, each by a different artist, are presented in chronological order, and accompanied by a lively informative text and full-page colour reproductions.

From the earliest – a remnant of an Italian altarpiece dating from around 1265 – to the most recent – Paul Cézanne’s great Bathers, of about 1894–1905 – each painting has been carefully chosen for the unique significance it holds; whether representing a particular artist, place or time, or simply for its beauty and the pleasure it provides to the viewer. The painters featured here include some of the most famous names in European art – Duccio, van Eyck, Dürer, Holbein, Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, El Greco, Caravaggio, Rubens, Zurbarán, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Poussin, Claude, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Goya, Constable, Turner, Courbet, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Rousseau and van Gogh – along with some of the most iconic paintings in the world, such as The Wilton Diptych, The Arnolfini Portrait, The Ambassadors and Sunflowers.

These selected highlights introduce some of the most inspiring paintings ever made. The reader can dip in to explore individual paintings, or read from cover to cover for a full survey.