The Ashmolean, founded in 1683 is the oldest museum in the United Kingdom. It houses the University of Oxford's collection of art and antiquities, built up, largely from gifts and legacies, over three centuries. Important works such as Paolo Uccello's Hunt in the Forest (presented to the Museum by Fox-Strangways in 1850) and Piero di Cosimi's Forest Fire (presented by the National Art Collections Fund in the early 1930's) are fine examples of the generosity shown to the Ashmolean over the years.
For the first time ever, the Ashmolean Museum's entire collection of Western Art paintings has been brought together in one volume. Every picture is illustrated and almost all are presented in colour. Biographies of all known artists in the collection are also included, making this catalogue an invaluable reference work for specialists libraries, collectors and general readers alike.