"In spite of the changes in our values and beliefs, the art of the Middle Ages still speaks to us across the centuries. Not only do the great cathedrals remain, many with their spectacular decorations and stained glass, but also a rich treasure trove of paintings, manuscript illuminations, tapestries, sculpture, and jewelry." "Dr. Benton's new study encompasses the entire period from Early Christian to late Gothic, covering the whole range of art and architecture in Europe from Ireland to Byzantium. The interconnections between art and society are particularly stressed; so too the way in which artistic techniques - for instance, those used in metalwork and textiles - determined what was produced. Comprehensive, accessible, and lavishly illustrated, this is the ideal introduction to a subject that is both visually exciting and profoundly significant to Western culture."--Jacket.