Clues to the meaning of many of the masterpieces of art history lie in a rich system of symbols, themes, and motifs that often eludes modern museum-goers. The intimate knowledge of Christian theology, Greek and Roman mythology, and folklore that was so vivid in the minds of viewers during the Renaissance is rarely part of the preparation the contemporary viewer brings to a painting. This insightful, anecdotal, portable book, with 1,000 gorgeous color illustrations, helps to fill in those gaps by decoding th imagery of more than 150 of the most influential and admired artworks of all time. Covering the works of the Italian, Netherlandish, German, and Spanish Old Masters, from 1450 to 1750, paintings by artists such as Giotto, Botticelli, El Greco, Bruegel, Holbein, Rubens, and Vermeer, all held in public collections, "How to Read a Painting/I not only helps the viewer to understand the significant details of a picture but also explains the relationship with similar imagery in other works. The guide to Old Master paintings that every art lover has always wanted, this indispensable museum companion will open the reader to a whole new experience of Western art's most praised and visited paintings.

帕特里克·德·莱克(Patrick de Rynck)， 1963年出生，古典学者和翻译家

丁宁，北京大学艺术学院教授，著有《接受之维》、《美术心理学》、《绵延之维——走向艺术史哲学》、《艺术的深度》、》、《西方美术史十五讲》、《图像缤纷——视觉艺术的文化维度》、《美术鉴赏》和《感动心灵的西方美术》；译有《传统与欲望——从大卫到德拉克罗瓦》、《毕沙罗传》、《注视被忽视的事物——静物画四论》、《媒体文化》、《视觉品位》和《博物馆怀疑论》等