Covering a period of production that spans from antiquity to the nineteenth century, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the varied forms of artistic expression involving the use of coloured pigments, by presenting over 1000 works held inthe Musee du Louvre that can be defined as "paintings"of some kind. A complete and original survey of the paillted meditun and its myriad techniques over the centuries, the book's superb illustrations include polychrome stelae from eastern antiquity, Egyptian papyri, antique Greek and Roman wall paintings, lslamic manuscript miniatures, plus a generous selection of the watercolours, pastels and decorative arts.The largest share of the book is taken up by the Louvre's col-lection of masterpieces representing the various western schools of painting (italian. French, Netherlandish, Spanish,German, and English), each accompanied by a detailed com-mentary and offering a unique panorama of the most exten-sire gallery of paintings in the world.

PreFace, Henri Lovrette

Introduction. Vincent Pomarede and Delphine Trebosc

Oriental Antiquities

Painting in the Ancient Oricnt, Elisabeth Fortran

The Paintings of the Palace of Marl, Francoise Demange

Tell Ahmar, tormeIy Til Barsip, Elisabeth Fontan

Dura Europos, Elisabeth Fontan

Painted Stelae from Sidon Sophie clusan

Egyptian Antiquities

The Paintings of Ancient Egypt, christiane ziegler

Pharaonic Egypt. Sophie Labbe-Toutee

Roman Egypt, Roberta Cortopassi

Coptic Egypt, Dominique Benaseth

Greek and Roman Antiquities

Antiquc Greek Painting. sophie Descamps-Lequime

Antique Roman Painting Daniel Roger

Islamic Arts Francis Richard

Islamic Paintings

Miniatures

Portraits

French Paintings, Delphine Trdbosc

From the Fourteenth to the Sixteenth Century

The Seventeenth Century

The Eighteenth Century

From the Revolution to the First Empire

The Restoration

Italian Paintings, Delphine Trebosc

From the Thirteenth to the Fifteenth Century

The Sixteenth Century

The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century

Spanish Paintings. Delphine Trebosc

Flemish and Dutch Paintings. Delphine Trebosc

The Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century

Seventeenth Century Flemish Paintings

Seventeenth Century Dutch Paintings

Germanic Paintings and other Northern Schools,

Delphine Trebosc

British Paintings. Delphine Trebose

Graphic Arts

Colour and Paper, dean-Francois Mejanes

French School.Jean-Frangois Mdjan& Arlette s&ullas,

Madeleine Pinault,solvnsen, Dominique Cordellier

Italian School,Jean-Franois Mejans DomMque Codellier.

Lizzie Boubli, Louis Frank

Northern School, Dominique Cordelliel.

Madeleine pinauh-Sorensen, dean-Francois Mcjanes

English School. Dominique cordellier,Jdean-Francois Mdjanes

Swiss School, dean,Fnmcois Mdjans

Dccorative Arts

Painting and the Decorative Arts. Marc Bascou

The Middle Ages, Marie-Ceile Bardoz, Danielle Gaborit-Chopin

The Renaissance. sophie Baratte

The Seventeenth Ccnturv Philippe Malgouyres

The Eighteenth Century. Marie-Laure de Rochebrune,

Fred&it Dassas

The Nineteenth Ccnturv: Anne Dion-Tenenbaunm

Appendices

Index of Artists

Index of Works

Photographic Credits