501 Great Artists: A Comprehensive Guide to the Giants of the Art World
From the creators of 1001 Paintings You Must See before You Die (2007) comes 501 Great Artists. The volume is edited by professors in the field and arranged chronologically by artist’s birth year. Each entry is brief, ranging from half a page to three pages. Color coding is used to group entries into eras. A glossary of relevant terms is also included.  The first artist is one who was born circa 900 CE (Chinese landscape-painter Dong Yuan), and the 501st is Iranian photographer Shirana Shahbazi. Entries contain information such as name, year and place of birth and death, and artistic style. This is followed by a summary of the artist’s work and influence. Each entry contains a list of “Masterworks,” and most also have a portrait and an example of the artist’s work. A few additional sidebars highlight interesting facts.  This would be welcome additions to a public library. It provides glimpses into the artist’s  world as well as engaging illustrations.