This essential introduction spans the international breadth, conceptual depth, and seismic impact of abstract art with a thorough survey not only of the big names such as Picasso, Klee, Kline, Rothko, and Pollock, but also lesser-known figures who made equally significant contributions, including Antoni Tapies, K. O. Gotz, Ad Reinhardt, and Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Genre series features: Approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions. A detailed, illustrated introduction plus a timeline of the most important political, cultural, and social events that took place during that period. A selection of the most important works of the epoch, each presented on a two-page spread with a full-page image and accompanying interpretation, as well as a portrait and brief biography of the artist.