Art and Illusion is one of the most inspiring books on art criticism and a fundamental reference work for the study of representation. The answer to the question "What do we call an artist's style?" is not simple.

E.H. Gombrich, utilizing his insight as well as his extensive knowledge of the history and psychology of visual representation, addresses a series of critical issues. In trying to prove that the faithful representation of reality is much more difficult than we usually think, Gombrich examines, questions, and reevaluates older and more modern views on representation and "mimesis," on the role of visual conventions, on abstraction, on the rendering of perspective depth, and on illusion in the plastic arts.

Gombrich was always distinguished by his ability to understand deeply the issues of artistic creation, both theoretically and otherwise. At the same time, he never ceased to be amazed at the inexhaustible ingenuity of the human spirit, as well as the subtle differences in the way art can be approached by creators and by the audience.

The sixth and definitive edition (2002) of this classic work, first published in 1960, is accompanied by a new Preface in which the author traces the thorny issue of the relationship between image and sign.