This extraordinary and beautifully written book tells a vivid and compelling new story of art for the 21st century. Concise, lucid and original, Julian Bell's account is truly unlike any other. Previous histories have tended to focus only on the masterpieces of Western art, or else consider developments around the world as separate, unrelated phenomena. Bell's remarkable achievement is to take a global perspective and to bring the distinct stories together in one convincing narrative. He sees the whole of visual creativity as a piece and draws insightful and inspired connections between different continents and cultures and across the millennia. The result is a rich and seamless tapestry that provides the perfect introduction to the subject.