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James Payne takes familiar masterpieces out of the museum hush and into lively conversation. A welcoming place to start asking what makes a work of art matter.
Readers exploring art history, with an interest in images, ideas and artistic practice.
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Publisher edition ISBN: 9780500025956
“James Payne’s YouTube Channel “Great Art Explained” gained a huge and appreciative worldwide audience. This …”
Stephen FryPress excerpt quoted by Thames & Hudson ↗
Source checked 2026-10-07. Our descriptions are editorial recommendations, not customer reviews.
A short book that asks you to look again. Berger considers how images, reproduction and context shape what we see, making it an inviting starting point for a curious art bookshelf.
Take a closer look ↗A broad illustrated survey for readers who want to connect individual artworks with the bigger picture. Follow movements, contexts and ideas across the history of art.
Take a closer look ↗Explore Aboriginal art through Wally Caruana’s account of its forms and cultural contexts. A starting point for looking beyond a narrow Western art-history bookshelf.
Take a closer look ↗A wider frame for Australian art history, bringing a long Indigenous artistic heritage into view. Read it when you want to rethink where a national art story begins.
Take a closer look ↗