From the breathtakingly beautiful to the just plain weird, the modern art world excites, challenges, sparks debate, and also offends. This is the definitive accompaniment to the events, movements, personalities, and works that have had the greatest impact on 20th century art—from Neo-Dada to Abstract Expressionism, and from Edouard Manet to Tracey Emin. Written by a wide selection of internationally-recognized critics, academics and artists, this informative yet accessible guide to the sometimes seemingly inaccessible world of art history brings the works of the last century to life. With more than 250 fantastic images to learn from, even beginners will soon find themselves coming to grips with challenging ideas and gaining a new-found appreciation for the works themselves.