FIVE HUNDRED YEARS OF BRITISH ART

Tate Britain is the home of British art from 1500 to the present day. Thisluxury guide to the highlights of the collection provides an essentialintroduction to the extraordinary development of British art over thecenturies, telling the story of the collection and presenting a selection ofthe stunning works on display. British art is also notable for genres unique to itself: group portraits,known as 'conversation pieces', focusing on social relations betweenfriends, family and allies; themes from British literature, particularlyShakespeare, Milton and Tennyson (rather than classical mythology);and topical subjects in the late eighteenth and early nineteenthcenturies reflecting the wars with France and the scientific innovationsof the Industrial Revolution.

Hogarth ushered in an art of socialengagement, as did the artists associated with the Young British Artmovement more recently. The art from Britain in Tate's collection is rich with imaginative inventionand reinvention and this panoramic book celebrates this aestheticingenuity as an ongoing story, revealing how 500 years of art can actas a fascinating lens through which to deepen our understanding ofourselves and society, past and present, in both Britain and in the restof the world. This generous companion to the Tate collection provides a sumptuouscompendium of the rich history of British art, designed to offer readersan overview of the collection and demonstrate the remarkable range ofart in the collection.