Originally published in 1938, this concise book by respected art historian William George Constable looks at art history through the lens of connoisseurship and in relation to other fields, such as archaeology and art criticism. The text assesses what Constable sees as the four-fold responsibility of the art historian: collection, study, investigation and estimation, and includes a summary of the history of styles in Western European painting. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in art history.