such as the Egyptian Serapis

Alexandre Maral

allowing us to see how each prop and pose contribute to the larger theme―the art of painting and the education of the artist

William Blake (1757–1827) created some of the most striking and distinctive imagery in art

While the authors for the most part acknowledge his brilliance

The Art of Reading: An Illustrated History of Books in Paint ornament such as the Egyptian SerapisJamie Camplin and Maria Ranauro Why do artists love books? This volume takes this tantalizingly simple question as a starting point to reveal centuries of symbiosis between the visual and literary arts. First looking at the development of printed books and the simultaneous emergence of the modern figure of the artist, The Art of Reading appraises works by the many great masters who took inspiration from the printed word. Authors Jamie Camplin and