In the era of celebrity culture, we are more fascinated than ever by the lives of our leading artists. Creative personalities are always intriguing, and to learn something new about the greatest artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries whether they be eccentric or sober, outspoken or reclusive is compelling.

Presented here are some of the most engaging life stories of our time, eventful, intimate and poignant. Lively short biographies, clearly grouped according to style and era, are illustrated with important works, self-portraits and photographs.

Lucie-Smith vividly evokes the lives of these great personalities, from Picasso and Duchamp to Joseph Beuys and Louise Bourgeois, guiding the reader through the maze of different styles and movements with authority and verve. New entries on rising stars such as Marlene Dumas, Shirin Neshat and Zhang Xiaogang bring the coverage up to the present day.