"Organized chronologically and spanning some 30,000 years, this volume surveys activity in the fields of painting, sculpture, architecture, and applied arts, focusing on masterworks and the major artistic personalities of each period." "Illustrated mini-essays in each chapter focus on subjects of special interest, such as recent discoveries of prehistoric art, a stunning illuminated Apocalypse made in the year 1078, and the twentieth-century Catalan master architect Antoni Gaudi."--BOOK JACKET.