The book published to accompany the exhibition Mantegna and Bellini at Londons National Gallery, is not a catalogue in any traditional sense. It contains no discussion of the works on view in their order of display; and, apart from a listing of pictures and lenders, it pays little attention to the show or its purposes. Instead, we are treated to 20 essays that represent the latest scholarship on these two artists. The first five deal with general issues, but even the more specific essays that follow such as the discussion of the portraits are thorough investigations that bring new perspectives to long-studied themes. All this is contained in this sumptuous book, with over 250 good-sized illustrations.Theodore K. Rabb, The Art Newspaper
