This guide to the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is published to coincide with the opening of a new building in March 2000. In a groundbreaking plan, this title presents colour reproductions of more than 500 artworks from its vast collection. The entries are enriched by literary excerpts, historical photographs, explanations of artistic techniques, and quotations by and about artists. Within sections divided by the arrangement of galleries in the museum's four major buildings and sculpture garden, artworks are presented chronologically or grouped thematically, including topics such as Family Life in Colonial America, Americans and the Sea, Buddhism and the Arts of Asia, Textiles: Precious Materials/Precious Commodities and The Italian Renaissance. An introductory chapter takes a look behind the scenes at the museum, presenting photo essays about conservation and exhibition planning. Intended for the general visitor, the major purpose of the guide is to promote an active curiosity about the art in the museum's collection, whether the book is read before, during, or after a visit to the museum itself.