This beautifully illustrated and authoritative volume, published in association with The Open University, is the first in a series offering an innovatory exploration of art and visual culture. Through carefully chosen themes and topics it offers an illuminating overview of medieval and Renaissance art by engaging the reader in new ways of looking at historic artworks, questioning who the art is for and how it works, while at the same time setting it in the broader context of contemporary culture and society.

Art & Visual Culture 1100–1600 includes texts on key themes of the period, including the theory and function of religious art and an analysis of art at court. Informed by the latest research, the authors explore the enduring relevance of canonical artists such as Simone Martini and Botticelli, as well as examining key monuments including Saint-Denis and Westminster Abbey, along with less familiar examples. In addition to a full analysis of painting, sculpture and architecture, the book also emphasises the significance of the broader range of visual culture, from coins to tapestries.

Generously illustrated and containing scholarly yet lively and accessibly written texts, this publication will appeal not only to students and academics but to anyone with an interest in this period.