The Art of Reading Art Understanding what makes great art great

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

Across eras, painters have pulled on their past and present to create works celebrated far into the future. But while museums are filled with artworks considered genius, it can be difficult to understand why these particular paintings have earnt that title.

In The Art of Reading Art, Matthew Olivier expands his exceptionally popular online series (@ matthewolivierx) to conversationally break down some of history's great paintings, from Bosch's The Conjurer and Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait to Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. In his uniquely welcoming style, Olivier captures, for readers, what these paintings say, and how exactly they say it.

Traveling across periods and styles, Olivier's focus isn't on a timeline of movements, or on creating an academic catalogue. Rather, his writing uncovers what makes 100 of history's artworks so special. From discussions of history and technique to analysis of what details say about a work and its painter, The Art of Reading Art helps readers dive deeper into the paintings without needing an art history degree.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Hardback
ISBN13: 9781923503335
Published: October 2026

Number of pages: 280
Width: 200 mm
Height: 240 mm
Depth: not specified

Publisher: Smith Street Books