Become an art history detective with this fascinating study of the tiniest details of famous paintings from around the world, and discover the stories of characters and politicians, fashions and intrigues, lifestyles and loves behind them.

Under the microscope

The secrets of paintings uncovered

This book is essential for understanding the masterpieces of art history, as it puts some of the world's most famous canvases under the microscope to discover their smallest and subtlest elements, and all that they can reveal about a culture, a place and a bygone era.
By directing our gaze to the smallest details and the symbolism behind the works, Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen allow the most familiar images to be brought to life again through their complexities and intrigues: is the bride pregnant, why is the man wearing a cap, how does the shadow of war loom over a dance scene? So we travel from ancient Egypt to modern Europe, from the Renaissance to the Roaring Twenties. We meet Greek heroes and poverty-stricken German poets. We visit cathedrals and cabaret clubs, the Garden of Eden and a garden bench in rural France.
When we take a painting apart and then put it back together like a big jigsaw puzzle, these famous canvases are captivating not only for their wealth of detail, but also for the testimony they offer to the fashions and trends, the people and politicians, the loves and lifestyles of their time.

About the authors

Rose-Marie Hagen, Swiss by birth, studied history and Romance philology in Lausanne. After several years of further studies in Paris and Florence, she taught at numerous institutions, including the American University in Washington, D.C. Rainer Hagen, born in Hamburg, studied literature and drama in Munich. He later worked in radio and television, where he has held the position of editor-in-chief of a German television station. Both authors have published several books for TASCHEN, including a book on the life of Francisco de Goya and The Secrets of Works of Art.

Publisher: Taschen