Virgin, Infant Jesus, and St. John.

Halle des Drapiers (Cloth Hall) and City Hall, Ypres, Belgium

the unique plan of COSMO COLLECTION there is brought together, in form suitable for ready reference, reproductions of the most important masterpieces in art, portraits of people of permanent fame, their homes, and historic places associated with them; great cathedrals, and ruins, and the most celebrated examples of sculpture.

It goes still further and describes each picture, telling the story connected with it in whatever literary form, whether history, biography, mythology or mere art genius. In connection with the description the pronunciation of the name of the picture is given, if not obvious, and a translation of the name if foreign; also the pronunciation of the name of the artist if not obvious.

The aim is with pictures and stories to touch the high places, so to speak, in the progress of the world. The mere selection of choice pictures with the description and stories that naturally go with them accomplishes this end because from the beginning of history master minds in art have chosen master events as their subjects.

In the paraphrase of Théophile Gautier's words by Austin Dobson:

"All passes,-Art alone
Enduring stays to us;

The Bust outlasts the throne

The Coin Tiberius."

The reproductions, descriptions and biographies are distributed with especial view of variety to avoid monotony, but are made readily available in any order desired by the exhaustive cross-reference index in the last volume. If, therefore, one desires to examine all of the pictures of a given artist here reproduced, he has but to turn to the artist's name in the index as his key; or if he wishes to find a given picture the index gives him its name, volume and page; or if he wishes to examine pictures of a given school of art the index guides him with equal accuracy; or if he thinks of a subject in history or literature-if this work contains an illustration of it-the index will direct him to its location.