Great Art Explained is a new book by James Payne, the creator of the hugely popular YouTube channel of the same name, in which he explores 30 masterpieces from across art history. This is a guidebook for anyone who has ever felt excluded from art history.
Each highly illustrated chapter gives a broad exploration of each artist, the context of the work, social influences, how it was painted, why it was groundbreaking and why it still resonates today. The range of topics and information given is vast, but is written clearly, concisely and informatively. Payne writes as he speaks with a calm, clear and compelling voice. The aim, as he says in the introduction to the book, is to encourage viewers to “stop and consider the impact of one image, one work of art.. Art is not just something to look at, it’s something to engage with”. Payne has a personal mission to make the language of art theory straightforward and to explain why art can be thrilling and can resonate with all of us on a deep personal level. A mission that succeeds. His eye for detail is matched only by his gift for storytelling.
It is not surprising to learn that Payne used to be a tour guide. He also trained as an artist at Central Saint Martins, worked as a curator, and had a gallery in Shoreditch, as well as writing as a critic for several art publications, including Artlyst. His passion for art abounds. All this gives Payne a breadth of knowledge and ability to discuss the works in an accessible manner—an approach which explains the success of his videos. The videos have been shown in major museums and galleries like the Albertina Museum in Vienna and the National Gallery in London.
The works covered range from the most famous such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, Edvard Munch’s The Scream, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night to lesser known works such as Suzanne Valadon’s The Blue Room, Faith Ringgold’s Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach and works by contemporary artists El Anatsui, Isaac Julien and Yayoi Kusama. The works are presented in chronological order, starting with the Chinese scroll attributed to Zhang Zeduan, Along the River During Qingming Festival, dating from 1085-1145, to Isaac Julien’s Lessons of the Hour from 2019—quite a sweep. Women artists are well-represented from Artemisia Gentileschi in the 17th century, Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun in the 18th, Georgia O’Keeffe in the 20th, right up to Yayoi Kusama in the 21st.
The book is highly readable, with each chapter lavishly illustrated, 223 illustrations in all, and divided into sub-sections for a clearer understanding.
The book is already achieving high praise, including from Stephen Fry, who calls it, “the best introduction to the lifelong pleasure and rewards of looking at pictures since Gombrich”.
This is art history without jargon, but never without depth. The start of a new series?
Great Art Explained by James Payne is published by Thames & Hudson on 2 October 2025, £30
320 pages
223 illustrations
ISBN-10 : 0500025959
ISBN-13 : 978-0500025956
Buy Here:
See the video series Here
Sara Faith ©Artlyst 2025