{"product_id":"the-art-of-reading-art-matthew-olivier-9781923503335","title":"The Art of Reading Art: Understanding What Makes Great Art Great","description":"\u003cb\u003eUncover art history by discovering what makes a masterpiece great.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAcross 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 to be genius, it can be difficult to understand why these particular paintings have earned that title. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Reading Art\u003c\/i\u003e, Matthew Olivier expands his exceptionally popular online series (@matthewolivierx) to conversationally break down some of history's great paintings, from Bosch's \u003ci\u003eThe Conjurer\u003c\/i\u003e and Jan van Eyck's \u003ci\u003eThe Arnolfini Portrait\u003c\/i\u003e to Edward Hopper's \u003ci\u003eNighthawks\u003c\/i\u003e. In his uniquely welcoming style, Olivier captures, for readers, what these paintings say, and how exactly they say it. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTraveling 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 over 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, \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Reading Art\u003c\/i\u003e helps readers dive deeper into paintings without the need for an art history degree.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Matthew Olivier\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1923503332\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781923503335\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Smith Street Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/06\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.25lbs","brand":"Matthew Olivier","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48517179867391,"sku":"9781923503335","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_506d432b-6a51-4968-af86-502ed5854dd8.jpg?v=1778730440","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-art-of-reading-art-matthew-olivier-9781923503335","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}