This reference is a must for any bookshelf. It provides essential data, facts and background information regarding the most important artists of European painting in a handy format. It includes high-quality reproductions of more than 1,000 masterpieces, life and work of the most important artists of European painting, detailed captions for all depicted works, 20 thematic insets for an overall understanding of European painting, and a comprehensive art history glossary. Useful for pathfinders, outsiders, reviewers and traditionalists, this comprehensive illustrated guide presents the most important personalities of European art in alphabetical order. More than 1,000 pictures serve as an invitation to discover the major works of Western painting traditions of the 13th to 19th centuries. The artists' biographies, their most important works, and their relevance to the development of European painting are presented in compact texts. This allows the reader to quickly obtain an overview of the history of painting. In addition, 20 insets discuss all-encompassing topics. Contributions covering painting techniques, the history of fine-arts trading as well as art theory and classic image analysis provide this history of painting with depth. The volume is complemented by a comprehensive art history glossary.