Phaidon has succeeded admirably in producing an appealing reprint of this classic introduction to the world of art. Published in a small format with a sturdy but flexible cover and containing full-page color plates of good quality, the text is published on onion skin with ribbons for page markers. Gombrich (d.2001) achieved a classic in this text through his attention to context and larger issues, deft description of the aesthetics of artistic styles, breadth of focus that included the arts of Asia as well as the West, and a gift for conveying in a timeless manner the meaning of art. The 1995 edition reprinted here was the 16th edition of a text originally published in 1950. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)