This book is intended for all who feel in need of some first orientation in a strange and fascinating field.

Preface [first ed., 1950].

This book was planned from the outset to tell the story of art in both words and pictures by enabling readers as far as possible to have the illustration discussed in the text in front of them, without having to turn the page.

Preface to the twelfth edition, November 1971.

There are many more illustrations in colour in this than in the twelfth edition, but the text (except for the bibliography) remains unchanged.

Preface to the thirteenth edition, July 1977.

'Books have a life of their own.' The Roman poet who made this remark could not have imagined that his lines would be copied out of hand for many centuries and would be available on the shelves of our libraries some two thousand years later.

Preface to the fourteenth edition, March 1984.

Pessimists sometimes tell us that in this age of television and videos people have lost the habit of reading and that students, in particular, tend to lack the patience to derive pleasure from reading any book from cover to cover.

Preface to the fifteenth edition, March 1989.