Twenty-five essays on great works of American art and design from the “Masterpiece” column in The Wall Street Journal.

John Wilmerding’s “Masterpiece” column is among the The Wall Street Journal’s most popular features. This book gathers those essays by Wilmerding, the distinguished former curator of American art at the National Gallery. Each essay integrates a detailed visual analysis with insights not only into the art and its creator, but also into the historical context at the time of the artwork’s execution.

American Masterpieces features a full-sized reproduction of each sculpture, painting, piece of architecture, and photograph discussed. Some such as Mary Cassatt’s “Little Girl in a Blue Armchair” (along with pieces by Thomas Eakins and Andrew Wyeth) are well known. Many others (such as Henry H. Richardson’s Crane Memorial Library in Quincy, Massachusetts) are largely unregarded. No matter how well you know art, you are certain to make new discoveries.

This broad, representative, and eclectic selection of the best this country has produced is for anyone looking for a smart, opinionated, and always engaging guide to American art and art history.