Publisher's Synopsis
Ever wondered how long Michelangelo's David took to carve? Want to know the history behind the Mona Lisa? What possessed Van Gogh to cut off his own ear? Origins of a Masterpiece catalogues the ups, downs, and Escher staircases that stood between the greatest artistic minds of all time and their magnum opus. The fourth book in the "Origins" series, Origins of a Masterpiece guides you through the messy, complicated, and beautiful world of art history, one defining moment at a time.