Portraits

“Among the greatest books on art I've ever read.” —Zadie Smith
“John Berger . . . is a master.” —Arundhati Roy
“Ingenious, jargon-free and direct.” —New York Times

A groundbreaking study of art history through portraits, from “perhaps the greatest . . . writer on art” (Spectator).

One of the world’s most celebrated art writers takes us through centuries of drawing and painting, revealing his lifelong fascination with a diverse cast of artists. Berger grounds the artists in their historical milieu in revolutionary ways, whether enlarging on the prehistoric paintings of the Chauvet caves or Cy Twombly’s linguistic and pictorial play.

In penetrating and singular prose, Berger presents entirely new ways of thinking about artists both canonized and obscure, from Rembrandt to Henry Moore, Jackson Pollock to Picasso. Throughout, Berger maintains the essential connection between politics, art and the wider study of culture. The result is an illuminating walk through many centuries of visual culture, from one of the contemporary world’s most incisive critical voices.