The History of the Illustrated Book: The Western Tradition

Pomp and circumstance, epic fantasy, travel, romance, meditation, history, satire, erotic intrigue: books throughout history, from papyrus to paperback, have used images to reinforce words. This work stresses both the artist's response to his text and to the visual quality of the page, representing works from ancient Egypt to modern Manhattan, from the Master of the Leaping Figures to Henri Matisse, from the fiery manuscript Apocalypses of the early Middle Ages, to fable books, songbooks, and the ornate records of baroque court life.