This book collates the writings of some 50 international critics, curators, philosophers and historians who have charted the single-minded course that Sean Scully (born 1945) followed in the first three decades of his career. Reflecting the astonishing variety of his compositions, each one identifies novel aspects in the work and discovers something fresh to say. Illustrated with Scully’s major paintings from the late 1960s to 1999, and with dozens of installation views, behind-the-scenes studio shots and portraits of the artist (many published here for the first time), this collection provides a concise account of the work of a painter who more than any other has demonstrated the poetic qualities of abstraction. Contributors include: William Feaver, Peter Fuller, Joseph Masheck, Adrian Lewis, Holland Cotter, John Caldwell, David Carrier, Susanne Lambrecht, Lynne Cooke, Robert Hughes, Arthur C. Danto, Carter Ratcliff, Enrique Juncosa, Jean Frémon, Mark Glazebrook, Donald Kuspit, Edward Lucie-Smith, John Yau and Colm Tóibín.