This concise guide explains world art from paleolithic cave paintings to ancient Greek temples, Byzantine icons, Japanese architecture, Oceanic sculpture, African masks, and the 20th-century avant-garde. The book is organized into sections on painting, sculpture, and architecture which include illustrated descriptions of techniques, definitions of styles, and discussions of the great cultures of history. Also included is a biographical dictionary of the major figures who have shaped Western art, together with colour illustrations of their work.