"In this treasury of Western art, distinguished art historian Nils Buttner has chosen paintings that not only feature purely natural vistas but also show dramatic scenics with people and architecture. His wide-ranging selection of paintings in this genre consists mainly of well-known works, but he also introduces a number of seldom-reproduced pictures." "The paintings are presented chronologically and by country beginning with the heritage from the ancient world, as the ideals that developed then were emulated for centuries."--BOOK JACKET.