Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Sam Fogg Gallery, London, this volume offers close investigation of 22 works, about half from Germany and the others from Switzerland, Austria, Poland, France, the Netherlands, and Spain. Fogg himself points out in the preface that German paintings are comparatively little known because of low survival rate as well as stylistic differences and emotional emphases that put people off (in comparison to Flemish painting). The pieces considered here, many of which are fragments of larger altarpieces, are explored in terms of physical history and construction--techniques, paint samples, and wood supports, using infra-red, x-rays, and macro photography--as well as in terms of their rich iconography and meaning. Essays by Nash (art history, Courtauld Institute, London) accompany full-page display of the images in an oversize (9375x12") format. Distribution is by Casemate. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)