Kings and Connoisseurs: Collecting Art in Seventeenth-Century Europe

Rating:
Summary: A fine addition to any European history collection
Review: I first saw this book in a store display and was captivated by it's breathtaking and sweeping art work from talents ranging from Bosch to da Vinci. It captures 17th century European art with style and grace rarely found in other books. Being a big Anne Rice fan, I was most captivated by the painting Crucifixion Altar, by Roger van de Weyden, which depicts Veronica holding her famous veil, which plays a key role in Rice's book Memnoch the Devil. Other highlights include Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights and Raphael's Archangel Michael. The color of the paintings are superb, and the text is a perfect match. Bearing in mind that 17th European paintings depict many religious icons, it's a wonderful book to posses, whether you're religious or not. A magnificent find.