This is the book that explains modern art in layman’s terms and helps readers master a century and a half of the fine arts in an easy weekend read. Written by Will Gompertz, BBC Arts Editor and former director of the Tate Britain gallery, the text clearly and wittily breaks down the major trends and pieces that have perplexed museum-goers for the last 150 years. Its 20 chapters, complemented by illustrations of central works under discussion, focus on key movements such as Cubism, the Bauhaus, and Pop Art and help readers understand the rebelliousness that inspired Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain and why Jackson Pollock’s splattered Mural could not have been painted by a five-year-old. Includes a fold-out guide that can be toted on the reader’s next gallery outing. 435 pages. 9 1/2" L x 6 1/2" W x 1 1/4" D. (2 lbs.)