The Story of Painting

by Wendy Beckett, Patricia Wright

Chronicles the history of eight hundred years of Western painting, from the Byzantine era to post-modernism, highlighting styles, techniques, media, artists, and themes.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History, Art History, Reference, Christianity, Historical

736 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 1994

About the author

Sister Wendy Beckett was a South African-born British art expert, Roman Catholic nun, and contemplative hermit who became an unlikely celebrity during the 1990s, presenting a series of acclaimed art history documentaries for the BBC.

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Honor Of Sister Wendy Beckett - RSVP DEC 2018

This book hit me before the television portion did...literally. I was at a gallery showing of photos from the brother of the film industry's biggest star in the 1990s, and as usual I was lost, not being the most adept at art or photography. When I wandered into a conversation about paintings and admitted my confusion between Manet and Monet and Millet and Magritte (I am 'M' challenged), an enthusiastic estate agent ran to her car and came flying back with this heavy weapon, which she then tossed at me. She was clearly excited about the book and the author, so I gave it a shot to see if a published nun could help me understand what everyone else was discussing.

Well! I loved it! Sister Wendy Beckett's enthusiasm explodes off the page so that I, too, started believing her explanations of the 450 masterpieces. The book is meant for Art Dumbquats like me, presented with large plates, historical asides, and the Sister's love of art. After this, I was hooked.

Perhaps for those with greater intellectual aptitude, this may not be their cuppa tea. But for the simpletons who can't understand the fuss about a Jackson Pollock thingy (raising my hand), this is the perfect coffee table book. It even makes the coffee table look better. Besides, now when I sit my exhausted self down in one of the innumerable museums of the world, I can actually focus on the pictures and not just my tired tootsies.

Book Season = Year Round (start with crayons)

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love art. I love nuns. I love Sister Wendy. What a fabulous, humble, knowledgable, woman. If you have never seen one of her shows from a PBS series, you must youtube one immediately. I have shown her videos to students, and at first they laugh at her, but then this transformation takes over, and they really listen and enjoy her.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long wanted an overview of Western art on my shelves, and Sister Wendy comes to the rescue once more. Beckett writes engagingly about art, and her true appreciation for the form shines through on every page. Occasionally, she pauses to exegete a single painting, which is always illuminating. The text is driven by the images, unlike some art books I've read where the two don't always align. The Story of Painting is written for the average adult aficionado, rather than for children or students, making it accessible to anyone seeking deeper appreciation while traipsing through art museums.

"Love and knowledge go hand in hand. When we love, we always want to know, and this book will succeed if it starts the reader on the track that leads to more reading, greater knowledge, greater love, and, of course, greater happiness." (foreword)

A brief glossary, index, and list of sources are provided at the end.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look I'll be perfectly honest, I put this down for a long time. They don't make art history books like this now that humans can afford. I wanted something basic. However, I REALLY REALLY HATE being told how to feel about art and that was much of Sister Wendy's mission here.

[Meredith Henning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for all ages of art appreciation and art history.

[Suzanne Conboy-Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book for reading, it's a reference book to keep to hand. Years ago, I saw Sister Wendy's documentary series on TV and this book is an elaborated version of that. At the time I saw her as unexpectedly (for a nun, and that's a judgment I probably wouldn't make now) robust in her approach to the subject matter of many paintings and also the lifestyles of some of the artists. But watching them again as a refresher and I can see that she wasn't entirely innocent of passing judgement herself. Some women in the pictures have 'mean, pinched little faces' for instance, and from this impression she infers character. Once noticed, this is quite hard to ignore.

Nevertheless, this is a sumptuous book full of large and colourful illustrations and insightful text. It is heavy only in its physical weight because of Sister Wendy's knack with light touch language. If you need an instant reference for art from Egyptian times to the mid 20th century (Sister Wendy died in 2018), this is it.

[Ruth]

I know I'm in the minority, but I can't stand silly Sister Wendy and her breathless gushing. The TV program did her in as far as I'm concerned. Not for me.

End of growl.

[Logophile (Heather) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. The internet is awesome for info but I love having Sister Wendy's inimitable introductions and explanations.

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book not only for the comprehensive history of painting it provides, but also for the illustrations, many of which were two-page spread closeups of a small section of a big painting, which gives a better view of style, technique and detail than an ordinary art book provides. Sister Wendy has a clear appreciation of art and her enthusiasm extends to all styles and epochs of painting. The only complaint I have about this book is that she occasionally lapses into a sort of wine-connoisseurish babble about the significance and meaning of a painting leaving me, afterwards, scratching my head. Sadly, re-readings of the offending paragraphs didn't do much to dispel my lack of comprehension of what she was talking about. But then, I'm not much of a wine connoisseur either.

[Eder Mijangos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es interesante y útil. Aunque me parece que esta muy cargado de opiniones personales. Aprendí mucho

[Hjwoodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I do like how enthusiastic Sister Wendy Beckett is about all the paintings. She reminds me of my sister, in that she sees something good and praiseworthy in every single work! And she goes on about how wonderful each painter is. I love that. It's just the same when you've just put down a good novel, you can't help enthusing about the writer, convincing yourself that that writer is one of the best in the world. I particularly like her observations of abstract pieces. I'm finding I am moving more and more into abstract work, because it is the paint and the feel and touch and smell - all coming together to create the LOOK that I am going on about in my work. I read a sentence recently (and now I can't remember where) where the protagonist says the watermarks on the walls would have delighted an artist and worried a contractor. Well, I am so firmly in the first category! And the book is so beautiful too: the huge prints of details are particularly fabulous to look at: I hesitate to breathe on paintings by going so close-up, so it's good to be given a feast of brush strokes!

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Wendy's intuition about the insights of art are mind-bending...I love her series and I agree with her insights. She made me see art different as a story indeed of painting. I now know why the Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world. Sister Wendy taught me that. It's woman's joke on man and the gender gap. Man tries to paint woman to understand her, capture her, control her, whilst all the time, that's impossible. She smiles because the very idea is ridiculous to her...to attempt to understand her by painting her...that's the secret behind the smile. To this day man still tries to understand woman by attempts at control and we still as women have reason to give them this very smile that she does...amazing. Watch Sister Wendy and learn amazing insights and how to develop your own artistic insight.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Story of Painting'. Who doesn't adore Sister Wendy Beckett? Passionate, insightful, articulate, she is a masterful writer and educator. Although perhaps ostensibly written for the neophyte, serious students of art would be mistaken by not giving proper accolades to the "The Story of Painting". I did find one very minute error on a very peripheral subject. The famous Mertin Behaim globe of 1492 is described as 'the first terrestrial globe' when in fact it is not the first, but the oldest in existence. There are several references to the existence of terrestrial globes in antiquity. A very trivial error, but this is a history book?

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, what a wonderful book this is. Wonderful. And what was most wonderful about it is that it's written by the wonderful Sister Wendy Beckett, whose attitude for virtually every painter is, "oh, now THIS painter, oh, he is WONDERFUL!!"

And since I'm in that frame of mind as of late about painting, I greatly appreciated her extraordinary positive and irony-free account of these wonderful artists. I read all 700 plus pages of it, which is to say I read about fifty pages. The rest are filled with wonderful reprints of wonderful paintings.

[Kiersten]

Even the librarians (who know my penchant for thick books by now) gave me double takes when I checked this out. It's one of the biggest books i've ever seen! It was fascinating, though - I actually really enjoyed it, despite that I've never actually read an art history book before or since; this was a fairly random experience - and learned a lot just flipping through and reading pages at random during the three weeks I had it out. (And - to ice the cake - I actually knew the Jeopardy question about Judith and Holofernes because of this book. It was an epic moment of my life right there.)

[Pollopicu · Rating 1 out of 5]

The illustrations on this book weren't the best. Lot's of the detail pictures look like they were accidentally over-sized during the copy process. I think I bought it because it was wrapped in plastic. Had I examined it before-hand, I wouldn't have purchased it.
Good for reading once, but too big to tote around. It's a coffee table book.

[Holly Lindquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic, in-depth overviews of famous paintings by our favorite lisping nun. I also really like the illustrations and lay-out. The publisher, Dorling-Kindersley, can usually be relied upon to produce quality work, especially when it has a strong visual element. Any of their art-related books are worth picking up.

[Robespierre Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a gift, I really enjoyed. I suppose it's just 3 stars because.....I've read so much art history.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pictures in my edition don't show enough detail to support the text, and Sister Wendy generally presents a lot of her interpretation as the interpretation. Not what I was looking for.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book. It took me some time to get through it. After all, it covers painting over the past 800 plus years. Dorling-Kindersley is the publisher. This British publishing house creates the most beautiful volumes. Pictures are represented exquisitely. It is an art gallery at the dining room table. I appreciated her commentary because I merely appreciate art: I don't have the art history background and am pleased I can turn to this late more-knowledgeable-expert. Readers are taken through the art history periods; there are many examples across time and place. Had Sr. Wendy lived, I wonder if she ever explored the art of the Far Eastern world, The Arab/Muslim world and perhaps Latin America....so much to cover as Art History...and sometimes only so much space and time.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this book as I love sister Wendy on television shows talking about art in a none pretentious way. Using language and in a site that everyone can understand. However, I felt that in this book she somehow falls shorts. While she really knows about art and the history of the artist and works for art. Somehow it falls short. Also, some of the same pictures are shown more than once. Still if a start you are looking for in western art then this is a great book. Other then that would give it a miss.

[T D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect primer for artistically inclined curiosity seekers! A retrospective of the continuing features that make up human creatures. Wish we could all possess the power of Picasso and mannerisms of Matisse, or remain as reverent as Rembrandt! Gotta study it to know it! Thanks for the coffee table book, Auntie Anne!

[Tony Wainaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. Have watched the accompanying dvd box set endless times. Sister Wendy’s depth and passion for art makes this compulsory reading & viewing for art lovers.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

just found out i like art guys; still trying to understand the colorists though ngl.

[Jess Kimmet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so. Sr. Wendy’s writing is clear and concise, pointing out with great efficacy the important developments in Western art history.

[翰林院编修]

伟大的绘画：杰作诞生的故事
8.8 (17人评价) [英] DK出版社 / 励放 / 华中科技大学出版社-有书至美 / 2020
《伟大的绘画：杰作诞生的故事》是英国DK出版社精心编著的典藏艺术读物。该书一经出版即受到广大艺术爱好者的追捧，并迅速风靡世界各国

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book in the study of paintings in our Classical Rhetoric homeschool art studies.

[Frida]

It is a good story of painting

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 / 5.0

Nice Tour of Art History. Compact but informative. Choice of Pictures does always sync with general description.

[Evelyn Sánchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love art and I like how everything in the book shows examples from each era of art.