An artist's materials--the bold brushstrokes of a Van Gogh oil painting, the sparkling gold leaf in a Byzantine mosaic, the fragile translucence of a porcelain vase--are not just the accessories of his or her work. They are the physical embodiment of the artist's creative vision and a reflection of the historical context in which they were used. This latest volume in the popular Guide to Imagery series discusses the materials and processes used in...