This work is an introduction to an ingeniously designed collection of accordion-style books, each focusing on a thematic series of paintings by one of the world's greatest masters - and illuminating the artist's true intentions when creating that special body of work. Each volume folds out: one side showcases eight panels of large colour reproductions, while the other features an essay by a noted art historian that provides expert background on the paintings, along with reproductions of additional works in the series. Claude Monet's thematic cycle of paintings of the Rouen Cathedral is one of the most famous art series of all time. Here they are, side by side, so that the brilliance of Monet's achievement, with its beautiful palette and exquisite framing, shines through.