What made the Romans laugh? Was ancient Rome a carnival, filled with practical jokes and hearty chuckles? How did Romans make sense of laughter? What role did it play in the world of the law courts, the imperial palace, or the spectacles of the arena? This book explores one of the most intriguing, but also trickiest, of historical subjects.

David Hockney reflects upon life and art as he journeys through lockdown in rural Normandy.

A succinct but thorough introduction to abstract art since 1900, revised and updated.

A concise account of the history of fashion and costume from prehistoric times through to today.

A comprehensive, scholarly yet succinct illustrated survey of myth as it appears in Greek art.

A new, significantly revised edition of Julian Bell’s 1999 book, taking a fresh, focused look at the situation of painting in contemporary culture.

An innovative illustrated history of the Second World War, told with the help of personal stories from across the globe.

The story of the Gothic, from early architecture and literature to the modern horror genre, illustrated by the beautiful, the macabre and the strange.