Okay, maybe not, but this is the closest you will ever come. I'm not a big coffee table book person but when I came across this on a friend's coffee table, I had to get one of my own. It is a ginormous book at almost 3 inches thick and nearly 20 lbs but it is full of the most amazing art from what appears to be almost every age. I love the capturing of the brilliant, velvety colors of the pre-Raphaelite artists and the feeling the authors give that one is actually travelling through the world's largest, most complete, elite museum. There is such an education to be had in The Art Museum Phaidon Press about art, life, history- you can literally see the growth and transition from period to period as you 'walk' through The Art Museum.
I think the collection captured is eclectic enough to be interesting and inspiring even to those who know a great deal about art and the information presented alongside the pieces will provide gratification to those who are more unfamiliar with the various periods of art history represented.
This is a dream book for someone who wishes they could travel the entire world and see examples of all times and types of art or maybe it will entice others to actually do so- it certainly has made me want to change my vacation plans for, oh, the next twenty years or so. If you can't travel to Rome or Paris at the drop of the hat to visit art museums, this is the next best thing.
Like other Phaidon Press books, I look forward to sharing this with my children over the years. It will surely stand the test of time and be passed down someday. Another example of why we still can't do without 'real' books- this brings art alive in a way that I think no electronic format could.
Product Details
* Hardcover: 992 pages
* Publisher: Phaidon Press (October 17, 2011)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0714856525
* ISBN-13: 978-0714856520
* Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 2.8 x 16.5 inches
The Art Museum Phaidon Press