The look of reading

"In The Look of Reading, Garrett Stewart explores the centuries-long tradition of reading pictured in figure painting, arguing that it constitutes a neglected genre in the history of art. Lavishly illustrated with the paintings he studies and compares, Stewart's book charts the birth and death of an entire genre. Essential reading for art historians and literary theorists alike, it offers a definitive new view of an overlooked conjunction between images and words."--Jacket.