The Sight of DeathA renowned art historian confronts the specific powers of painting, and the hold of the visual image on the viewer's imagination Why do we find ourselves returning to certain pictures time and again? What is it we are looking for? How does our understanding of an image change over time? In his latest book T. J. Clark addresses these questionsand many morein ways that steer art writing into new territory. In early 2000 two extraordinary paintings by