As Hippocrates said, "Art is long and life is short." Through an inexhaustible variety of media, in forms as diverse and surprising as history itself, artists and craftspeople have always expressed the common needs and yearnings of humankind. From ancient works in wood, clay and precious metals to Modern painting, metalwork, sculpture and video, the varied collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, provide an unrivaled telling of the story of art. This new, fully updated and redesigned edition of the definitive guide to the MFA's most enduring masterpieces provides a window on works that have surprised, delighted and inspired visitors since the museum opened in 1876. Featuring more than 500 objects, from Native American ceramics to European shoes, Egyptian funerary arts and Warhol silk screens, The MFA Handbook reproduces these works in vibrant color, accompanied by brief, incisive commentaries.