In viewing the great works of sacred Western art, many people find difficulty in understanding the stories and identifying the Gospel figures portrayed in them.

This informative christian art book decodes these often-mysterious scenes and reveals a vibrant world of images from the Christian tradition for museum visitors, students and art enthusiasts alike.

This art history book examines depictions of stories and figures from both the New Testament's canonical gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the apocryphal gospels (early Christian books excluded from the New Testament because of their unsubstantiated authorship).

Both groups of texts served as rich sources of inspiration for medieval and Renaissance artists.

Illustrated with religious masterpieces from many of the world's premier museums, the art works in this art history book are carefully analysed.

Sections of this Christian art book are devoted to the principal Gospel figures in the life of Jesus Christ - his family and the evangelists - and to the major biographical turning points: his birth and baptism, his public life, the miracles and good deeds he performed, his crucifixion, resurrection and the events that followed.

This art history book is one of many art books available from the National Gallery.