Art +

Master of light and shadow, revolutionary realist, and violent street brawler-Caravaggio's life is shrouded in mystery and myth. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio settled in Rome in 1592, where he painted much of the best work of his brief, but brilliant, career. His violent temper, however, did not serve him well, and in 1606 he was forced to flee Rome. This book features detailed walking tours of Rome and Valletta in Malta where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind such an iconic work like "Death of the Virgin."

A complete background course on Impressionism covering the dramatic lives of the artists and the group's struggle to be recognized by the establishment in comprehensive biographies and engaging essays recounting their battle with the Salon.

Vermeer, who painted exquisite light-infused scenes of middle-class life in Delft, was a slow craftsman and produced few works in his lifetime. Many of his paintings were scooped up by wealthy Delft patron Pieter van Ruijven, which may be why his fame didn't spread to other Dutch art centers. In fact, Vermeer was relatively unknown until 1866, when French critic Théophile Thoré saw his "View of Delft" in The Hague. This book features detailed walking tours of Delft, the Hague and Amsterdam where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind such an iconic work like "Girl with a Pearl Earring."

Courtier and Old Master portraitist, harsh social critic, and modern Expressionist-perhaps no artist personifies Madrid at the crossroads of the 18th and 19th centuries more than Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. Arriving in Madrid to work at the Royal Tapestry Factory in 1775, Goya served the Bourbon court and Madrid society. This book features detailed walking tours of Madrid and Zaragoza where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind such an iconic work like "The 3rd of May, 1808."

When we think of Edvard Munch, Norway's best-known artist and the so-called "father of Expressionism" we invariably think of his iconic masterpiece, The Scream. But Munch was an extremely prolific and influential artist who left thousands of other works to the city of Oslo when he died. This book features detailed walking tours of Oslo and Asgardstrand where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind such an iconic work like "The Scream."

Art + NYC is an art-lover's guide to New York City that combines a crash course in 20th- and 21st-century art history with in-depth bios of ten celebrated New York City artists: Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Yoko Ono, Mark Rothko, Jeff Koons, Donald Judd, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg. Each segment is written by a leading art writer from publications such as Art in America, Flaunt, and the New York Times. Filled with useful information for both locals and tourists, Art + NYC includes comprehensive neighborhood-by-neighborhood gallery, museum and public art listings, along with studios and other artsy places of interest with detailed maps.

Illustrated listings of 150 must-see Impressionist paintings from Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, Musée Marmottan Monet, Musée du Louvre, Petit Palais, Musée Picaso and Musée Rodin with the stories behind the art. Easy-to-follow tours that bring the reader into the streets of Paris to explore the places where the artists lived, fell in love, found inspiration and placed their easels to paint these famous works.

An extended-travel journey through the French countryside, exploring Normandy and the quaint Paris suburbs where the Impressionists learned to paint en plein air, out in the open air. Explore the beautiful villages and cities including Auvers-sur-Oise, Giverny, Rouen, Le Havre, Etretat, Honfleur and more.

In a career that lasted only 10 years, Dutch-born Vincent Van Gogh created some of the best-loved paintings in modern art. Many of his most dazzling canvases were completed in the year he spent in Arles, a sunny village in the south of France. This book features detailed walking tours of Arles and Saint-Rémy where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind such an iconic work like "Starry Night."