The book presents the collection of the State Hermitage, one of the greatest museums in the world. The aim of the authors and compilers is to give an all-embracing picture of the museum’s stocks, to show not only the world-famous gems of the collections, but also exhibits that are rarely included in publications. The sections of the book describe the evolution of genres, techniques and devices from the birth of art to the middle of the twentieth century. Works of primitive culture, the art of the Ancient World and of the East, Western European painting, graphic art and sculpture, as well as examples of Russian art, acquaint the reader with humanity’s worldwide creative heritage and the unique collection of the State Hermitage Museum.