Throughout history, art has been an essential component of every era and civilisation. The relationships between cities, regions, states and continents would not have been as frequent, intense, reciprocal and fertile if art had not served as a powerful factor of communication and exchange. In the ancient religions art gave form to the gods and goddesses; most of Ancient Roman art was created to give visible form to the authority of the state; and all Medieval art aimed at the revelation of religious truths. Art, always and everywhere, is a product of culture.

Featuring more than 1,300 full colour and black and white illustrations, and written for both students and general readers, this set offers a dramatic new perspective on the artistic and architectural expressions of cultures across the world and throughout time. It examines art and its role in history chronologically and between East and West, as it was influenced by religons, conquests, and civilisations. From the cave paintings of Lascaux to the paintings of Picasso, from the pyramids of ancient Egypt to Islamic mosques, Chinese terracotta, and Gothic cathedrals, the set vividly demonstrates how human perceptions of art and space evolved with the ages.