Medieval Art: Romanesque Art - Gothic Art (987-1489) (The Must Collection) Hardcover – Illustrated, 30 April 2012

Very informative book, although some of the pictures could have better quality. Good price.

I actually have a 2-volume set. This is a wonderful two volume set for anyone interested in medieval art. Both styles of medieval art, Romanesque and Gothic are adequately covered in these books, beautifully illustrated with examples of art and architecture. These books set the art in its time, telling us why the movement occurred. Both styles were dominated by architecture; distinct, dramatic and devotional. The books are illustrated with line drawings of some of the buildings plus an appropriate array of full colour, often full page colour photographs. This really gives you a feel for the style, its features and characteristics. With Romanesque architecture, there is no one example that featured all the characteristics of the style. The vaulted ceiling is typical along with arched windows. This book looks at Romanesque architecture throughout Europe as well as sculpture and painting. The second volume on Gothic Art broadly follows the same format as the first volume. French Gothic art slowly supplanted German Romanesque art in Europe, particularly in several German cathedrals. The text is very readable. This is a fabulous two volume set in which the books complement one another. This review first appeared on yarnsandfabrics website.