An invitation to see

"The pictures, all reproduced in color, were selected from more than 2000 paintings in what is generally acknowledged to be the world's foremost collection of modern masters and movements from about 1885 to the present day. The pictures, each accompanied by a comment that invites the reader to direct exploration of the specific work, indicate the quality and diversity of the modern achievement in painting." "The artists represented in "AN INVITATION TO SEE" range from such "old masters" of modernism as Degas, Cezanne, and Rousseau to more recent painters such as Pollock, Lichenstein, and Stella. Their works are not, however, arranged chronologically or grouped in conventional fashion by schools. Instead, they are presented in pairs or sequences that afford opportunities for contrasts and comparisons—sometimes of an unexpected sort. This treatment is intended not only to enhance the reader's enjoyment of the particular works included in the book, but also to encourage him to make further discoveries of his own in The Museum of Modern Art and elsewhere." "Different ways of representing such traditional subjects as portraits, landscapes, still lifes, city views, and allegories are investigated, as well as the many kinds of abstraction that have evolved during the past century. Together, illustrations and comments indicate the conflicting views that modern artists have held regarding what is "real," the relation of art to nature, and the respective roles that emotion and intellect play in creativity. Various ways of portraying reality and fantasy are strikingly revealed, as well as the painters' free experimentation with new mediums and means of expression. The artists' intentions are illuminated by frequent quotations from their own statements or writings of outstanding critics." -- Text from MoMA press release on March 12, 1972 (see link).