From the cave paintings of Lascaux to the graffiti art of Jean-Michael Basquiat, from the iconic works of the Italian Renaissance to the calligraphy of Asia, from Taipei to New York, Oslo to Cairo, and museums all over the world, Michael Nurisdany, tireless traveller and art world familiar, proposes an exceptionally dynamic history of painting. Precise, acute, and clear, his writing serves as a road map, signposting how to appreciate the uniqueness of each artist and to understand the themes at play in each work.