Debra N. Mancoff

What makes a work of art a masterpiece? Discover the answers in the fascinating stories of how these artworks came to be and the circumstances of their long-lasting impact on the world. Beginning with Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, we travel through time and a range of styles and stories—including theft, scandal, artistic reputation, politics and power—to Warhol's Campbell's Soup...

Discover the secrets, mysteries, hidden meanings, and stories behind famous works of art. A book full of surprises, discoveries, forgotten treasures, and lost tales, The Secrets of Art takes us on a journey through the art world's mysteries to reveal that works of art are not always what they seem. A long-lost medieval masterpiece unearthed in the Tower of London....