The Phaidon Focus series presents engaging, up–to–date introductions to art’s modern masters. Compact, affordable, and beautifully produced, the books in this growing series are written by top experts in their field. Each features a complete chronological survey of an artist’s life and career, interspersed throughout with one–page "Focus" essays examining specific bodies of work.

In Cindy Sherman, author Paul Moorhouse, Curator of Twentieth Century Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, London, explores the groundbreaking artist’s use of portraiture to raise challenging and important questions about the construction of contemporary identity and the nature of representation. Moorhouse introduces some of Sherman’s most important works, including her seminal 1970s series "Untitled Film Stills,", her progression into color photography with the 1980s series "Centerfolds", and her recent large–scale photographic murals.

Paul Moorhouse is Curator of Twentieth Century Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, London. From 1985 to 2005, he was Curator, Modern Collection, latterly Senior Curator, Contemporary Art, at Tate. His many exhibitions include: 'The Queen: Art and Image' (2012), 'Gerhard Richter Portraits' (2009) and 'Pop Art Portraits' (2007-8) at the National Portrait Gallery, and 'Anthony Caro' (2005), 'John Latham' (2005), 'Bridget Riley' (2003), 'Michael Andrews' (2001) and 'Leon Kossoff' (1995) at Tate. He also curated 'Warhol/Icon' at the Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens (2009), 'John Hoyland' (1999) at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and 'Francis Bacon' (1996) at Millenium Galleries, Sheffield. Recent books include: Anthony Caro: Presence (2010), Bridget Riley: From Life (2010), the award-winning Gerhard Richter: Painting Appearances (2009), Pop Art Portraits (2007), Interpreting Caro (2005) and Richard Long: Walking the Line (2003).