The understanding and enjoyment of a work of art depends as much on the story it depicts as on the artist's execution of it. But what were once biblical or classical commonplaces are not so readily recognizable today. This book relates in a succinct and readable way the themes, sacred and secular, on which the repertoire of Western art is based. This is the second edition of a title that has become an indispensable handbook for students and general appreciators to understand the subject matter of art, about the stories is tell and the people it portrays.