This book is first published to accompany the major exhibition at Compton Verney, a great Adam-designed country house in Warwickshire. This rarely studied subject is covered in expert essays based upon new research from the late-sixteenth century to the present day, focusing upon artists from Rembrandt and Courbet, via Rossetti and Cezanne, to Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. A mass of spectacular color images illustrate the story, including major works of art and important photographs showing the likes of Andy Warhol, Frank Auerbach and Lucian Freud at work. A special feature is the inclusion of illustrations of the original works of art by several contemporary artists that were specially commissioned to explore the theme of the exhibition. The book is written in a lively and accessible manner, yet presents a cutting-edge scholarly account of this fascinating subject. --Giles Waterfield is an independent curator and writer and associate lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art.