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The aim of these lectures is to make viewers feel welcome and comfortable in the company of paintings. By focusing on 65 masterpieces of Western painting, Professor William Kloss offers a vivid, visceral encounter with genius, shining light on the unique technical, stylistic, and expressive achievements of each painting. From the 14th century to the 20th, the images are examined for their qualities of uniqueness, impact, and emotional and intellectual resonance. The lectures are arranged chronologically, showing what painters of contrasting traditions and cultures were doing in the same period, thus following the progressive unfolding of each painter's art. These lectures open rich perspectives on Western civilization through encounters with some of the most significant, daring, and sublime paintings in Western art.