This book tells the story of romantic companionship in one hundred works of art. Chronologically arranged, and emotionally-driven, this study of couples runs through many cultures, civilizations and epochs. With examples from across the globe, it portrays iconic, and some lesser-known yet fascinating, couples immortalised in the history of art. Whether affectionately embracing, engaged in flirtatious exchanges, seducing one another, or simply enjoying each other's company, readers are invited into their complex world of passion, lust and love. This celebration of these romantic relationships is expressed through sculptures, paintings, photographs, tapestries, stained glass and illustrations. Gathered together are representations of couples from ancient cultures, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and by artists such as Manet, Gainsborough, Klimt, Renoir, Metsys, Degas, Rembrandt, Rubens, Blake, Delacroix, Moore, or Munch to name but a few. They offer us an extensive selection of couples: from those who lived in the past, exist in folklore and legend, to pairs of a purely fictional nature. This variety of artistic means and vision results in a charming and irresistible collection.
