Mirror of the World: A New History of Art [Hardcover]

'Dazzling... daring... Bell is one of the best art writers... a beautifully crafted journey through the millennia and across the oceans'

'...a highly original style - arresting and sonorous, yet intimate and confiding... An achievement to applaud and an opportunity to enjoy'

'A tremendous history of world art... writing that tells you more than you can see for yourself...'

'Offers real insight... For understanding the story [of art] so far, and being entertained in the process, Bell has no match'

'I would recommend the book extremely strongly... the perfect introductory text... thought-provoking and cogent, and free of academic jargon'

'A refreshing and ambitious take on our favourite subject'

'...reading Bell's text turns out to be an admirably stimulating, even heady experience... [Bell's] disarming directness gives his book an irresistible appeal'

'An overwhelming, but ultimately rewarding, experience... [Bell] injects even the most tired and over-familiar passages of art history with energy and wit...'

'A truly global picture of culture'

'Written by one of the most eminent art historians alive today... fascinating'

This extraordinary and beautifully written book tells a vivid and compelling new story of art for the 21st century. Concise, lucid and original, Julian Bell's account is truly unlike any other. Previous histories have tended to focus only on the masterpieces of Western art, or else consider developments around the world as separate, unrelated phenomena. Bell's remarkable achievement is to take a global perspective and to bring the distinct stories together in one convincing narrative. He sees the whole of visual creativity as a piece and draws insightful and inspired connections between different continents and cultures and across the millennia. The result is a rich and seamless tapestry that provides the perfect introduction to the subject.

Julian Bell is a well-known painter and author. His books include Bonnard and What is Painting, which Thames & Hudson published to enormous acclaim in 1999.