Offers a tidy lesson in not just getting more from art, but more from life itself . . . lucid and revealing . . . Gompertz is at his best

Art can amaze us into changing our minds. This remarkable book teaches us how

Highly engaging and thought-provoking

By going straight to the essence of each one's work, Will Gompertz provides a fluent and refreshing introduction to the way art can enable us, in the most unexpected ways, to see the world anew

Gompertz insightfully explores the processes and personalities of a remarkable roster of artists . . . effortless prose and laser focus on the communicative potential of art make this a worthwhile read

Thorough and diverse . . . Gompertz's illuminations of artists' lives and minds are accessible and full of valuable information. This is an exhilarating resource for personal growth, a consciousness-raising exploration for artists and art lovers, and an asset for anyone interested in the who, what, and why of great artworks

Gompertz doesn't have it in him to be boring

Will Gompertz is the best teacher you never had

He is a natural communicator whose passion for art is expressed with wit and verve

Hugely accessible . . . writes about difficult things without letting on that they are difficult

The Shock of the New redone à la Bill Bryson . . . richly detailed and highly entertaining

Lively, fresh, energetic . . . He explains movements and "isms" with clarity and humour

The pace of a thriller and the riches of a Renaissance painting

A vivid imagining of the artistic world of Renaissance Venice. There is an incredible charm in its depiction of the great painters of the period with all their flesh-and-blood idiosyncrasies and flaws. The life of the studio and the supreme importance of colour in all the essentials of its make up is rendered absolutely convincingly. The work has all the more emotional power as it focusses on a lesser known artist as he negotiates the precarious life of his city alongside competitors, those whose names have resounded through history.

A great work of historical fiction, which weaves together conspiracy, art and love in a thriller

Praise for Damian Dibben

Bask in the brilliance

Original, ambitious, moving

What a novel! Ambitious and wonderfully achieved

I was captivated from the beginning. Ornate, vivid, deeply coloured, and so precise I could smell and taste the world

An epic tale of love, of courage, of hope

A stunning and captivating tale

A grand sweep of adventure and travel, war and romance, and a rich exploration of love, life and loyalty

[An] opulent tale, with elements of both love story and thriller, featuring some of Venice's most admired High Renaissance artists hunting desperately for a dazzling new pigment that will transform their work and fortunes

Although women have always made art, for far too long, art history has been told as the story of male achievement. Katy Hessel's The Story of Art without Men is a brilliantly readable and lively corrective. Outraged and celebratory, it's chock-full of female trail-blazers - from the Renaissance until the present day - who forged their way, despite facing the kind of hurdles that would stump most mortals

Compiled with zip and wit, even the informed reader will learn something new on every page - we really cannot recommend it enough

A sumptuously illustrated history... at once broad in scope and meticulously researched

This book has blown my mind. Really passionately recommend

An extraordinary eye-opener, and very readable ... we badly need books like Hessel's

Hessel's beautifully written 500-year survey is a welcome, necessary, addition to the bookshelves

Highly readable and lavishly illustrated... a rich storehouse of groundbreaking female art

Astonishing

This book changes everything. As soon as you open it, it's like you've opened a box of lit fireworks - out soars great artist after great artist. Her retake on the canon has changed it forever

Hessel possesses that rare quality of a public intellectual, whereby she can distill vast amounts of knowledge and history into something accessible, relevant and joyful

Extraordinary