History of art Books

19236 products


  • VFILES

    Rizzoli International Publications VFILES

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom the fashion and music brand and talent incubator VFILES comes a style book celebrating the young, diverse street trends influencing the hottest looks and sounds in fashion and music today.

    2 in stock

    £18.74

  • A Complete Guide to Chinese Brush Painting

    Tuttle Publishing A Complete Guide to Chinese Brush Painting

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade Review"Considered a meditative discipline to train the body, this artistic style has been used for thousands of years. This book teaches beginners step by step to paint with black watercolor or ink on white paper, working through 35 projects that include bamboo stalks, a pine tree, and a waterfall." --Litchfield Independent Review

    4 in stock

    £15.29

  • Modern Japanese Painting Techniques

    Tuttle Publishing Modern Japanese Painting Techniques

    2 in stock

    2 in stock

    £8.37

  • A New Deal for Navajo Weaving

    University of Arizona Press A New Deal for Navajo Weaving

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £36.05

  • Inside Japanese Ceramics

    Shambhala Inside Japanese Ceramics

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis practical and supremely useful manual is the first comprehensive, hands-on introduction to Japanese ceramics. The Japanese ceramics tradition is without compare in its technical and stylistic diversity, its expressive content, and the level of appreciation it enjoys, both in Japan and around the world. Inside Japanese Ceramics focuses on tools, materials, and procedures, and how all of these have influenced the way traditional Japanese ceramics look and feel. A true primer, it concentrates on the basics: setting up a workshop, pot-forming techniques, decoration, glazes, and kilns and firing. It introduces the major methods and styles that are taught in most Japanese workshops, including several representative and well-known wares: Bizen, Mino, Karatsu, Hagi, and Kyoto. While presenting the time-tested techniques of the tradition, author Richard L. Wilson also accommodates modern technologies and materials as appropriate. Wilson has gathered a wealth of information on two fronts—as a researcher of Japanese pottery and art history, and as a potter who has studied and worked for years with master Japanese potters. In his introduction, he provides a short history of Japanese ceramics, and in closing he looks beyond traditional methods toward ways in which Western potters can make Japanese methods their own. Richly illustrated with 24 color plates, over 100 black-and-white photographs, and over 70 instructive line-drawings, Inside Japanese Ceramics is indispensable for potters as well as connoisseurs and collectors of Japanese ceramics. Above all, it is an invitation to participate—to study, make, touch, and use the exquisite products of the Japanese ceramic tradition.

    1 in stock

    £25.60

  • Deborah Remington

    Rizzoli International Publications Deborah Remington

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA long overdue survey of this exceptional artist, a renegade in every sense of the word, celebrating her legacy as an original member of the Beat Generation in San Francisco and abstract painter in New York.

    1 in stock

    £40.00

  • Imagining the Divine Art in Religions of Late

    British Museum Press Imagining the Divine Art in Religions of Late

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn innovative approach to the study of an under-appreciated topic of the place of art in ancient religion and will be essential reading for researchers and students of the material and religious cultures of late antiquity across Eurasia.Table of ContentsIntroduction (Jaś Elsner and Rachel Wood) Chapter 1: The materiality of the divine: aniconism, iconoclasm, iconography (Salvatore Settis, with a response from Maria Lidova) Chapter 2: Bodies, bases, and borders: framing the divine in Greco-Roman antiquity (Verity Platt, with a response from Dominic Dalglish) Chapter 3: Kufa and Kells: the illuminated word as sign and presence in the 7th-9th centuries (Benjamin C. Tilghman and Umberto Bongianino, with an introduction by Katherine Cross) Chapter 4: The Jewish image of God in late antiquity (Martin Goodman, with a response from Jaś Elsner and Hindy Najman) Chapter 5: Empire and Faith: the heterotopian space of the Franks Casket (Catherine Karkov, with a response from Katherine Cross) Chapter 6: Buddhapada: The Enlightened Being and the Limits of Representation at Amarāvatī (Jaś Elsner, with a response from Alice Casalini) Chapter 7: From Serapis to Christ to the Caliph: faces as a re-appropriation of the past (Ivan Foletti and Katharina Meinecke, with an introduction by Nadia Ali) Chapter 8: Uses of decorated silver plate in Imperial Rome and Sasanian Iran (Richard Hobbs, with a response from Rachel Wood) Chapter 9: Material religion in comparative perspective: how different is BCE from CE? (Christoph Uehlinger, with a response from Stefanie Lenk) Conclusion Bibliography Index

    2 in stock

    £38.00

  • Yoyo Munk Medusa

    Hurtwood Press Yoyo Munk Medusa

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisBeautiful artist's book about Tin Drum's MR installation, Medusa. A meditation on emergent technologies, nature and architecture amidst the climate crisis with contributions from celebrated writers, academics and thinkers. The mixed reality Medusa installation began with the questions: is there even such a thing as non-physical architecture? What is the function of architecture without physical form? Directed by Yoyo Munk and produced by Tin Drum, it headlined the 2021 London Design Festival at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Yoyo Munk's first book is an exploration into Medusa's themes, reflecting on our changing relationship with architecture within the context of rapidly advancing technology and ongoing mass extinction. Featuring original artwork by Tin Drum, Medusa is a timely and moving artist's book about climate grief. Medusa includes fascinating conversations between Munk and Sou Fujimoto, the renowned architect and Medusa collaborator, James Bridle, author of Ways of Being; V

    2 in stock

    £36.00

  • Lucy Williams  Radiant City

    Hurtwood Press Ltd Lucy Williams Radiant City

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisLucy Williams (b. 1972, Oxford) studied at Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools, London. She has exhibited internationally with solo shows at McKee Gallery, New York and at Timothy Taylor Gallery, London, and since 2016 has been represented by Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco. Group shows have included Painting the Glass House: Artists Revisit Modern Architecture, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut (2008); Building Blocks: Contemporary Works from the Collection, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island (2011); and Cut & Paste 400 Years of Collage, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh (2019). Salena Barry is a writer from Toronto, Canada, who is based in London, UK. She was part of the inaugural cohort of Frieze New Writers in 2021 and, in 2022, she was Jerwood Writer in Residence. Throughout her career, she has written for institutions including Delfina Foundation, SITE Gallery and The Goldsmith's Company. Her exhibition reviews, interviews and feature articles have also appeared in publications including frieze, ArtReview, émergent magazine and CMagazine.Salena holds a BA in Art History and History from the University of Toronto and an MA in Art & Politics from Goldsmiths College, University of London. Joseph Beckerserves as Curator of Architecture and Design at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where his recent exhibitions includeArt of Noise(2024),Barbara Stauffacher Solomon: Strips of Stripes(2023),Marshall Brown Projects: Dequindre Civic Academy(2023),Tauba Auerbach: S v Z(2022), The Sea Ranch: Architecture, Environment, and Idealism(201819) and Donald Judd: Specific Furniture (2018). He has written and contributed to numerous catalogues and publications. Becker's work explores the intersections of architecture, design, art and visual culture, with a focus on exhibition-making as a form of critical spatial practice. Kathryn Lloyd is a writer and editor from the North-West of England, who lives and works in London. She has written for numerous art publications and contributed texts to various exhibition catalogues, artist monographs and survey publications, includingVitamin Video(Phaidon, 2025)Vitamin Txt(Phaidon, 2024) andThe Anomie Review of Contemporary British Painting 3(2024). Lloyd has delivered talks at Central Saint Martins and Jerwood Space and has appeared on theArt Monthly Radio Show. She is Contemporary Art Editor atThe Burlington Magazineand was previously Editorial Manager at Central Saint Martins. Charlotte Mullins is an art critic and broadcaster. Her latest book, The Art Isles: a 15.000-year story of art in Britain and Ireland is published by Yale University Press. Recent titles include ALittle History of Art(Yale, 2022) andA Little Feminist History of Art(Tate, 2019). She writes a weekly column forCountry Life, is the presenter of the podcastMaking a Markand a reviewer for BBC Radio 4's Front Row. She also regularly writes catalogue essays for artists including Clare Woods, Ali Banisadr, Yinka Shonibare, Vicken Parsons and Rachel Lumsden. Dr Ben Street is an art historian, educator and writer based in London. He is the author of several books for general audiences, including How to Enjoy Art (Yale, 2021) and the award-winning children's book How to Be an Art Rebel (T&H, 2021). He has contributed essays on monographs on Edward Boccia (2025), Agustín Fernández (2025), Patrick Caulfield (2023), Henry Ward (2021), Christopher LeBrun (2018), Benjamin Senior (2015) and Gunnel Wåhlstrand (2013). He is a contributing writer on contemporary art to Apollo, Gagosian Quarterly, ArtReview and the Times Literary Supplement.

    1 in stock

    £40.00

  • Imaginable Worlds

    The University of Chicago Press Imaginable Worlds

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA collection of essays offering a creative look at crises past, present, future, and speculative. Starting with the shared experience of crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and a planet sieged by disaster, Imaginable Worlds transforms tragedy into a framework for research and art, imagining a shared world beyond a global experience of emergency. Produced by the Smart Museum of Art and the Projects/Processes essay collection series, an initiative launched by the Serendipity Arts Foundation in New Delhi, this volume brings together the voices of artists, authors, and public intellectuals from a range of fields and locations. Suraj Yengde, named one of the 25 Most Influential Young Indians by GQ Magazine; Siyanda Mohutsiwa, the brain behind the viral hashtag #IfAfricaWasABar; and Ho Tzu Nyen, the acclaimed artist behind the ongoing Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia project, are among the diverse contributors who have come together to critically engage with ideas and pTable of ContentsPessimistic Futures: Black Worlding through Games by Patrick Jagoda and Ashlyn SparrowAssembling in Isolation: The Politics of Virtual Performance in Amitesh Grover’s The Last Poet by Trina Nileena BanerjeeUntitled by Uzodinma Iweala We Are Safe Here by Leticia BernausDalit Art by Suraj YengdeAll Women Are Workers, Not All Work is Waged: Three Tales of Surviving the Pandemic in Puducherry by Meena Kandasamy How to End It: Algeciras to Tangiers, 2019 by Jeet Thayil Texts from the End of the World by Siyanda Mohutsiwa H for Humidity – Keywords for a Project on the History of Water Engineering in Singapore by Tzu Nyen Ho

    2 in stock

    £15.20

  • Suzanne Cooper

    The Mainstone Press Suzanne Cooper

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £31.50

  • Art Deco London Map

    Blue Crow Media Art Deco London Map

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £9.50

  • Cambridge University Press The Nile Delta

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first volume on the history of the Nile Delta to cover the c.7000 years from the Predynastic period to the twentieth century. This was and remains the most fertile, populated and strategic part of Egypt and the topics covered range from settlement and water management to tourism and archaeology.

    2 in stock

    £40.84

  • The Kings Painter

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Kings Painter

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • Rosalind Wise

    Pomegranate Communications Rosalind Wise

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £19.51

  • Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity

    Cambridge University Press Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisHow should articulations of blackness from the fifth century BCE to the twenty-first century be properly read and interpreted? This important and timely new book is the first concerted treatment of black skin color in the Greek literature and visual culture of antiquity. In charting representations in the Hellenic world of black Egyptians, Aithiopians, Indians, and Greeks, Sarah Derbew dexterously disentangles the complex and varied ways in which blackness has been co-produced by ancient authors and artists; their readers, audiences, and viewers; and contemporary scholars. Exploring the precarious hold that race has on skin coloration, the author uncovers the many silences, suppressions, and misappropriations of blackness within modern studies of Greek antiquity. Shaped by performance studies and critical race theory alike, her book maps out an authoritative archaeology of blackness that reappraises its significance. It offers a committedly anti-racist approach to depictions of black pTrade Review'Sarah Derbew's impressive first book is a carefully reflective study which is also provocative in the best sense, and a significant intervention in the field of classics. She untangles the vocabulary of race, ethnicity, skin colour and identity to let us see the vested interests and misrecognitions of modern scholarship - and offers a transformative vision of ancient Greek engagements with Africa.' Simon Goldhill, Professor of Greek Literature and Culture, University of CambridgeIn Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity, Sarah Derbew provides a radical and desperately needed reframing of Greek antiquity, weaving together a breathtaking range of ancient and modern sources to probe not only the complexity and richness of black presences in the ancient Greek world, but also the modern structures of thought, disciplinary training and even museum curation that have prevented us for far too long from seeing them.' Denise Eileen McCoskey, Professor and Affiliate in Black World Studies, Miami University, Ohio… ambitious and groundbreaking … Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity is proof that the future of classics is already here. It's simply waiting for everyone else to catch up.' Najee Olya, Los Angeles Review of BooksTable of ContentsIntroduction: The metatheater of blackness; 1. Masks of blackness: Reading the iconography of black people in ancient Greece; 2. Masks of difference in Aeschylus's suppliants; 3. Beyond blackness: Reorienting Greek geography; 4. From Greek scythians to black Greeks: Spectrum of foreignness in Lucian's satires; 5. Black disguises in an aithiopian novel; Conclusion: (re)placing blackness; Appendix 1; Appendix 2; Bibliography; Recommended translations of primary Greek texts; Index.

    2 in stock

    £26.99

  • Reading Fashion in Art

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Reading Fashion in Art

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisShortlisted for the CSA Millia Davenport Publication Award, 2021Listed as one of The Five Most Essential Books about Art and Fashion, ArtNews, 2023 Dress and fashion are central to our understanding of art. From the stylization of the body to subtle textile embellishments and richly symbolic colors, dress tells a story and provides clues as to the cultural beliefs of the time in which artworks were produced. This concise and accessible book provides a step-by-step guide to analysing dress in art, including paintings, photographs, drawings and art installations. The first section of the book includes an introduction to visual analysis and explains how to read' fashion and dress in an artwork using the checklists. The second section offers case studies which demonstrate how artworks can be analysed from the point of view of key themes including status and identity, modernity, ideals of beauty, gender, race, globalization and politics. The book includes iconic as welTrade ReviewThis will be an invaluable resource for fashion and art history students, encouraging them to go beyond the simple process of describing, towards a deeper level of analysis ... This book will also be of interest to those without a background in fashion history who are seeking to become more confident in their ability to interpret the meaning of clothing in a painting, photograph, or print. More experienced dress historians may find they already apply many of the recommended practices subconsciously, although this book might help lend an additional layer of systematic rigour to the process, facilitating new insights. * The Journal of Dress History *[An] essential primer for understanding how knowledge of dress can aid critical analysis of art. * The Five Most Essential Books About Art and Fashion, ArtNews *Reading Fashion in Art offers a fantastic practical guide to tackling the process of analyzing the representation of dress in the visual arts. * Dress: The Journal of the Costume Society of America *It is thrilling to have a book that so clearly details how important the knowledge of existing dress and dress history is to the interpretation of apparel represented in other media, and to the enhanced understanding of works of art. * Jean L. Druesedow, Kent State University Museum, USA *A thorough, thoughtful guide to evaluating the role and impact of clothing in art — useful not only for students and scholars, but also for anyone curious about fashion or art. * Justine De Young, Fashion Institute of Technology, USA *An important, accessible book that beautifully highlights the symbiosis between art and fashion history ... At its core is an approach which is sorely needed in scholarship and beyond: the acknowledgement that appreciation, understanding and enjoyment is best gained through slow, insightful engagement with the past. The tools to achieve all three are presented within these pages. * Lydia Edwards, Author *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Artists & Wardrobes 2 The Slow Approach to Seeing 3 Observation 4 Reflection 5 Interpretation 6 Fashion & Identity 7 Fashion & Modernity 8 Fashion & Beauty 9 Fashion & Gender 10 Fashion & Politics Coda Appendix I Checklist for Observation Appendix II Checklist for Reflection Appendix III Checklist for Interpretation Bibliography Image Credits Index

    Out of stock

    £26.99

  • The Impact of a PhD on Design Practice

    Bloomsbury Academic The Impact of a PhD on Design Practice

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Impact of a PhD on Design Practice assesses the value and impact of design PhDs for design practitioners, exploring in detail and through perspectives from a range of international designers how a doctorate can develop research and critical thinking skills that will enhance their professional practice.The book develops the contribution of Laurene Vaughan''s earlier work Practice-Based Design Research in furthering the global understanding of this dynamic and expanding area of design education. Whereas the earlier work provided a survey of key issues and developments in doctoral education in design globally, this book delves deeper by focusing on the experience of those who have undertaken design PhDs and taken their expertise into industry settings. Designers from Europe, the USA and Australasia working in a range of design disciplines provide perspectives on how they have used project design, research, analytical and writing skills developed as a result of

    1 in stock

    £18.99

  • The Hidden Life of Clothing

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Hidden Life of Clothing

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisSince the democratisation of the clothing industry in the early 19th century, buyers have become increasingly disconnected from the creative and human aspects of the production of clothing. Arguably clothing is now valued less for its aesthetic qualities or because of the hours spent in its making, but more for the extent to which it serves current fashion'. In a climate of increasing anxiety about the environmental and social impact of the contemporary global fashion industry, Rachel Worth suggests that, rather than seeking solutions only in the present, looking to history can assist in understanding better the challenges consumers face today in making decisions about the contents of their wardrobes, which, in turn, will impact on the nature of the future global fashion industry. She does not seek to offer simplistic historical solutions to contemporary problems, but explores ways in which it might be possible to bridge divides between knowledge of the past, current individual choiceTrade ReviewThe social, cultural and physical entanglement of attire with status, aspiration and livelihood is vividly articulated in this rich discourse. Drawing on the work of great poets and writers including Clare and Hardy, the reader is drawn into a reflection on the relational aspects of being human in a more than human world. * Dilys Williams, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, UK *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction 1. The Hidden Language of Clothing Nursery Rhymes, Fabric and Clothing Rhymes about Clothing and Class Rhymes with an Advisory or Cautionary (Clothing) Theme Rhymes about Clothing Poverty 2. From Democratisation to Fast Fashion Technological Change and the Cotton Industry Developments in the Making and Retailing of Ready-made Clothing Adoption of the Sewing Machine Retailing Revolution (I) The Democratisation of Shoe Production Retailing Revolution (II) Democratising Colour 3. Sustainability and Clothing in Context The Emergence of Fashion The Road to Fast Fashion The Backlash Against Fast Fashion The Fabric of Fashion Conundrum Transparency on the Label The Use of Fur and Feathers 4. The Human Factor: Clothing, Growth and Alternative Economic Paradigms ‘Sweating’ and the Fight for a Minimum Wage The Move to Outsourcing The ’Economics’ of Fast Fashion 5. Clothing, Nature and the Environment Clothing in Pastoral Narratives Nature Fights Back Nature and the Arts and Crafts Movement 6. Philosophies of Dress Oscar Wilde: The Philosophy of Dress Mary Eliza Haweis; The Art of Dress Eric Gill: Clothes Conclusion Bibliography Index

    2 in stock

    £20.89

  • Queer Print in Europe

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Queer Print in Europe

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisHow have radical print cultures fostered and preserved queer lived experience from the 1960s to the present? What alternative stories about queer life across Europe can visual material reveal? Queer Print in Europe is the first book devoted to the exploration of queer print cultures in Europe, following the birth of an international gay rights movement in the late 1960s. By unearthing these ephemeral paper documents from archives and personal collections, including materials that have been out of circulation since they were first distributed, this book examines how the production and dissemination of queer print intersected with the emergence of LGBTQ+ activism within specific national contexts. This vital contribution to queer history explores borders and political movements, and the ways in which these materials contributed, through their international circulation, to the creation of a post-national' queer community.Illustrated throughout with examples of manifestos, flyers, pTrade ReviewQueer Print in Europe presents a timely and necessary analysis of queer printmaking, zines and print culture. It is unique in its use of interviews, its wide-ranging historical and political analysis and its challenge to a rights-based historical teleology common in North American analyses of LGBTQ+ cultural phenomenon. -- Alexandra Gonzenbach Perkins, Texas State University, USAThis book represents a vital contribution to the fields of queer history and queer print cultures. It starts from the insistence that queer community relies on the networked circulation of objects, information and ideas. From there, the various chapters explore a range of publications, each exploring how the circulation of printed material since the 1970s has shaped European LGBTQ activism. The collection offers a rich history of European queer print cultures and provides methodologies for future research in the field. -- Sam McBean, Queen Mary University of London, UKDavis and Guy provide a well-organized and thoughtfully selected collection of essays that represent an exciting broadening of the field of queer print culture from its often US-centered perspective. Exploring themes of inclusion/exclusion, connection/debate, past/present, this book offers both scholars and those interested in queer culture an enticing entry into queer worldmaking. In bringing different voices together and exploring a variety of publications, Queer Print in Europe does exactly what these circulated objects did—foster connection and invite further collaboration. -- Alexis Bard Johnson, Curator at ONE Archives, University of Southern California, USATable of ContentsIntroduction, Glyn Davis (University of St Andrews, UK) and Laura Guy (Glasgow School of Art, UK) Part One: Politics of Community Building 1. Silent Voices: The ‘Arabs’ and Gay Liberation in France, Antoine Idier (ESAM, France) 2. ‘Happiness was in the Pages of this Monthly’: The Birth of the Lesbian Press in France and the Fabric of a Space of One’s Own (1976-1990), Ilana Eloit (University of Geneva, Switzerland) 3. Seeking Acceptance or Revolution? An Overview of the First Italian LGBTQ Magazines, 1971-1979, Dario Pasquini (Independent Researcher, Italy) 4. Change Always has to Build: In Conversation with Gail Lewis, Taylor Le Melle (Independent Researcher, the Netherlands) Part Two: Materials and Making 5. The Sexual Revolt in Spain in the 1970s through its Publications: Ideas, Fears and Aesthetics, Alberto Berzosa (Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain) and Gracia Trujillo (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain) 6. Sexual Difference and Queer Subjectivity in Slovak LGBTQ Print Periodicals, Viera Lorencova (Fitchburg State University, USA) 7. Revolt Press, Internationalization and the Development of Gay Markets in Sweden before HIV/AIDS, Thomas Cubbin (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) 8. Mietje: In Conversation with Gert Hekma and Mattias Duyves, Benny Nemer (Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK), Belgium) Part Three: Generational Interactions 9. This Too is Polish Culture: In Conversation with Karol Radziszewski, Aleksandra Gajowy (Independent Researcher, UK) 10. Queer Memory in (re)Constituting and Forgetting the Trans ‘70s in the UK, Nat Raha (University of St Andrews, UK) 11. Encapsulated Time: Generational and Cultural Discrepancies in West German Lesbian Magazines of the 1970s, Janin Afken (Humboldt University, Germany) 12. Lavender Menace Revisited: In Conversation with Sigrid Nielsen, Bob Orr and James Ley, Fiona Anderson (Newcastle University, UK)

    2 in stock

    £24.69

  • The Dynamics of Modern Asian Design

    Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) The Dynamics of Modern Asian Design

    2 in stock

    2 in stock

    £23.74

  • Greasy Chip Butty

    Austin Macauley Publishers Greasy Chip Butty

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £23.99

  • Comic Sans

    Orion Publishing Co Comic Sans

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisComic Sans is one of the most used and most reviled typefaces of the digital age. How was it made? How could it spawn a movement to ban it and yet still be so widely promoted by educators? What does its accidental creator make of its contentious and singular history?This quirky and unique book considers how the computer transformed type into something that anyone could use and have an opinion on. It examines how a typeface, correctly used, may sell us almost anything, and how new types with names such as Crash Soul, Lovely Scream Queens and Ampersandist (to name but three recent examples of the hundreds issued each year) each attempt to keep the alphabet exciting and new. And it concludes with an alluring question: could Comic Sans now be the coolest typeface ever made?

    2 in stock

    £13.49

  • Terence

    Little, Brown Book Group Terence

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis''Bayley, the author of books on style, design and taste, tells the Habitat story with his customary polycultural panache . . . [Mavity is] good at conveying the experience of being in a room with Conran'' Sunday TimesTerence Conran, a visionary and a myopic. A design entrepreneur and imaginative restaurateur, he was a democratising idealist who was also a selfish hedonist. His influence is everywhere in modern Britain from where we live to what we eat. Terence: The Man Who Invented Design is the most definitive, intimate and revelatory biography of this design legend, by two of his closest collaborators, Roger Mavity and Stephen Bayley. Frank, amusing, indiscreet, sharp, rude, respectful and knowing, it tells Terence''s story as it evolved, from before Habitat''s humble chicken brick to Bibendum''s sophisticated poulet de Bresse, via personal successes and corporate calamities, culminating in that peculiar temple to the religion he inventTrade ReviewBayley, the author of books on style, design and taste, tells the Habitat story with his customary polycultural panache . . . [Mavity is] good at conveying the experience of being in a room with Conran -- John Walsh * Sunday Times *Juicy . . . interesting * Evening Standard *A close reading of one of the most influential men in design history by two of his closest allies and collaborators, Stephen Bayley and Roger Mavity. There is a brutal honesty about the way in which they have painted their late colleague and friend . . . * Independent *Compelling . . . gossipy and entertaining * Irish Independent *[A] fascinating personality, captured here - both affectionately and critically . . . A terrific read, bubbling with anecdotes and insight * Daily Mail *Irresistibly spiky . . . fun . . . rollicking * Spectator *A must-read * The Tablet *The contradictions in Terence Conran's character shine through in this profile by a former protege whose book is a mixture of scoresettling and affection * Observer *It's a masterpiece * Dylan Jones *

    2 in stock

    £11.69

  • The Visitors Book

    Little, Brown Book Group The Visitors Book

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDenis Wirth-Miller and Dicky Chopping were a couple at the heart of the mid-twentieth century art world, with the visitors'' book of the Essex townhouse they shared from 1945 until 2008 painting them as Zeligs of British society. The names recorded inside make up an astonishing supporting cast - from Francis Bacon to Lucian Freud to Randolph Churchill to John Minton. Successful artists, although not household names themselves, writing Dicky and Denis off as just footnotes in history would be a mistake. After Denis''s death in 2010, Jon Lys-Turner, one of two executors of the couple''s estate, came into possession of an extraordinary archive of letters, works of art and symbolically loaded ephemera the two had collected since they met in the 1930s. It is no exaggeration to state that this archive represents a missing link in British art history - the wealth of new biographical information disclosed about Francis Bacon, for example, is truly staggering. The Visitors'' BTrade ReviewAn absolute goldmine for Bacon biographers ... But it would be unfair if The Visitors' Book was read only as a footnote to Bacon ... it is full of memorable vignettes, delicious anecdotes and many moving letters from Chopping to Wirth-Miller and vice versa ... haunting biography -- Lynn Barber * Sunday Times *Perceptive ... an excellent social history of gay life in the 20th century ... a lively commentary on modern British art and culture ... entertaining yarns -- Andrew Lycett * The Spectator *This handsome book is a stimulating and absorbing description of intertwined bohemian and artists' lives but also an important slice of social and cultural history from original sources. It not only describes the ferment of post-war Britain and the collapsing norms of class and convention, but also offers an example for all of us of a few brave souls doggedly pursuing their artistic vocations and world views against all the odds -- Eamon Delaney * independent.ie *This panoramic portrait ... is immensely entertaining ... the disputed works in the plate section are the best Bacons I have seen -- Roger Lewis * The Times *Anecdotes abound in this highly entertaining memoir * Sunday Times *An excellent read ... an essential reference source for Bacon researchers ... The Visitors' Book is a fascinating and informative study of two unjustly overlooked figures in the British post-war art scene -- Alexander Adams * Jackdaw *A moving study of hero worship ... as entertaining as it is poignant -- Michael Peppiatt * The Guardian *This lively, gossipy, indiscreet book brings the couple vividly to life, showing us their loving and destructive relationship in all its complexity. It sheds light on Bacon's professional and private life, and is essential reading for Bacon fans and scholars * Art Newspaper *A worthy memorial to this troubled pair * The Week *A compelling account of Fifties artistic bohemia from the fringes -- Sebastian Shakespeare * Tatler *Jon Lys Turner's marvellous book was obliged to carry its explanatory subtitle . . . but this is to diminish its scope and achievement . . . astounding vignettes of Bacon . . . The author tells his outrageous tales in a deadpan manner and has a knack for the concise character sketch . . . an alternative cultural history of the British scene -- James Norton * Burlington Magazine *

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • The Beloved Girls

    Headline Publishing Group The Beloved Girls

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis ''A gorgeous epic . . . Wholly absorbing. I adored it'' MARIAN KEYESTwo young girls. One hot, long, sultry summer. And a rambling old English manor house where nothing is as it seems . . . ''This sweeping, absorbing story is a treat'' ADELE PARKS''A compelling story of female friendship, dark secrets and family bonds that pulls you in and won''t let go'' ROSANNA LEY''If you love atmospheric stories about old houses, families and secrets, this is for you'' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING''A gorgeous story to get immersed in'' Prima__________A successful London barrister, Catherine Christophe, goes missing the day before her wedding anniversary. The clue to her disappearance, it seems, lies buried thirty years in the past.Somerset, 1989. Janey Lestrange arrives to stay for the summer at the grand old house of the Hunter family. But something is wrong behind the bTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE BELOVED GIRLS:'Wow, was this book stunning or what? It stole my heart and never gave it back. ' * Reader review *'I'm still reeling from reading this book . . . Wow!' * Reader review *'Wow! This book pulled me in from the beginning . . . A five star read' * Reader review *'A compelling story of female friendship, dark secrets and family bonds that pulls you in and won't let go' * Rosanna Ley *'This is the most gripping, atmospheric book, heavy with mystery and intriguing right till the end. I loved it' * Sophie Kinsella *'A gorgeous epic . . . Wholly absorbing. I adored it!' * Marian Keyes *'A rich and sweeping tale as dark and delicious as the hive's special honey' * Wendy Holden, Daily Mail *'Bewitching, beguiling and utterly beautiful, The Beloved Girls will pull you into their mysterious and enchanted world and never let you go. With a cast of compelling characters and a labyrinthine plot, it's a page-turner of the most luxurious kind - a real escape' * Veronica Henry *'This sweeping, absorbing story is a treat' * Adele Parks *'A gorgeous, Gothic and gripping big-house mystery' * Red *'Taut as a drumskin and thrumming with tension . . . You'll stay up well past your bedtime to finish this atmospheric read' * HEAT *'A thumping good read . . . Completely absorbing' * Sam Baker, Noon *'A compelling family drama' * Woman & Home *'This immersive read is a real treat' * Bella *'A compelling and atmospheric read' * The Sun *'A gorgeous story to get immersed in' * Prima *'Full of evocative description of time and place, the sense of "something about to happen" keeps you turning the pages' * Choice *'An absorbing, sweeping drama to get lost in' * Sunday Express, S Mag *'A compelling read . . . With a strong sense of place' * My Weekly *PRAISE FOR HARRIET EVANS:'Comfort reading of the highest order' * India Knight *'A sweeping novel you won't put down' * Katie Fforde *'Richly layered . . . Unforgettable . . . This is a story to get truly lost in' * Isabelle Broom *'She reels you in and then you're hooked, right to the last page' * Patricia Scanlan *'Atmospheric and altogether wonderful' * Lesley Pearse *'I love it on so many levels, the immense feeling of place, the slow, irresistible sense of being drawn deep into the family and its story, and the strange hovering of menace somewhere in the idyll. Wonderful' * Penny Vincenzi *'Spellbinding' * Independent *'Gripping' * Irish Times *'Gorgeous' * Stylist *'A poignant story of love and loss' * Daily Mail ‘Must Reads’ *'I can't remember the last time I was so enthralled' * Red *'Epic, absorbing ... Full of intrigue and emotion' * Fabulous *'By turns painfully sad and heart-lifting, with characters that stay with you' * Good Housekeeping *'Authentic and satisfying. An immersive mystery' * Woman & Home *'A poignant tale' * Woman *

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • Dappled Daydreams: The Art Of Camilla D'errico

    Dark Horse Comics,U.S. Dappled Daydreams: The Art Of Camilla D'errico

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £24.64

  • Empire and Art: British India

    Manchester University Press Empire and Art: British India

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe book explores British art in relation to British India. It examines the aesthetic interactions initiated by the Anglo-Indian colonial encounter across the disciplines of painting, print-making, design, photography and architecture. It also considers the display of Indian artefacts at exhibitions in Britain and in India and presents the art of urban elites alongside popular arts and artefacts.Table of ContentsIntroduction – Renate Dohmen1 Painting in British India – Renate Dohmen2 Indian crafts and empire – Renate Dohmen3 Photography in colonial India – Steve Edwards4 Architecture, empire and India – Elizabeth McKellarConclusion – Renate DohmenIndex

    2 in stock

    £23.84

  • Art Against Censorship

    Manchester University Press Art Against Censorship

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisArt against censorship traces the centrality of literary and theatrical satire to the artistic and political expression of the artist Honoré Daumier. Daumier drew on seventeenth-century theatre and literature in moments of stifling censorship, foregrounding the subversive potential of a newly glorified literary past. -- .

    2 in stock

    £28.50

  • Manchester University Press Methods for Ecocritical Art History

    1 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    1 in stock

    £23.75

  • Pen & Sword Books Ltd Decoding the Bayeux Tapestry: The Secrets of

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe story of the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings as shown in the Bayeux Tapestry is arguably the most widely-known in the entire panoply of English history, and over the last 200 years there have been hundreds of books portraying the Tapestry and seeking to analyse its meanings. Yet, there is one aspect of the embroidery that has been virtually ignored or dismissed as unimportant by historians - the details in the margins. Yet the fables shown in the margins are not just part of a decorative ribbon, neither are they discontinuous, but in fact follow-on in sequence. When this is understood, it becomes clear that they must relate in some way to the action shown on the body of the Tapestry. After careful examination, it has become clear that the purpose of these images is to amplify, elaborate or explain the main story. In this ground-breaking study, Arthur Wright reveals for the first time the significance of the images in the margins. This has meant that it is possible to see the 'whole' story as never before, enabling a more complete picture of the Bayeux Tapestry to be constructed. This, in turn, has led to the author re-examining many of the scenes in the main body of the work, showing that a number of the basic assumptions, so often taught as facts, have been based on nothing more than reasoned conjecture. It might be thought that after so much has been written about the Bayeux Tapestry there was nothing more to be said, but Decoding the Bayeux Tapestry shows us just how much there is still to be learnt.

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • The Real Coco Chanel

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Real Coco Chanel

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisCoco Chanel lived her own life as a romantic heroine. Fuelled by 19th century literature, she built a life which was partly myth and, partly, factual. She was the fashion designer everyone admired. The business woman whose fortune was impossible to track. She was also a performer, lover of many high profile intellectuals and, as believed by many, a nazi spy. Her life was, extraordinarily, affected by history (the nazi movement and World War II), symbolism and literature. This biography explores her life from her troubled and poor past to the opening of her first hat shop, passions and secrets; the biography also draws parallelisms between myths and facts and how, and if ever, they match at all. The biography also features chapters on the Chanel Maison and the creation of her iconic trademark as well as her little black dress' and Chanel No 5'. Finally, the biography ends with a reflection on how the myth of Coco Chanel is represented today in pop culture.

    2 in stock

    £16.99

  • Muse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art

    Vintage Publishing Muse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Exhilarating and fascinating' KATY HESSEL 'Rich and detailed' CHLOË ASHBY 'Enlightening' TABISH KHAN 'Sheds light on an uncharted area of art history' JENNY PERY 'An essential read' EDWARD BROOKE-HITCHINGMeet the unexpected, overlooked and forgotten models of art history.Who was Picasso's 'Weeping Woman'?Why was Grace Jones covered in graffiti?How did Francis Bacon meet the burglar who became his muse?The perception of the muse is that of a passive, powerless model, at the mercy of an influential and older artist. But is this trope a romanticised myth? Far from posing silently, muses have brought emotional support, intellectual energy, career-changing creativity and practical help to artists.Muse tells the true stories of the incredible muses who have inspired art history's masterpieces. From Leonardo da Vinci's studio to the covers of Vogue, art historian, critic and writer Ruth Millington uncovers the remarkable role of muses in some of art history's most well-known and significant works. Delving into the real-life relationships that models have held with the artists who immortalised them, it will expose the influential and active part they have played and deconstruct reductive stereotypes, reframing the muse as a momentous and empowered agent of art history.Trade ReviewPacked with tales of enchanting lives, this book puts so many forgotten and so often unnamed figures into the spotlight. Telling their stories - in ways I like to think is on their terms - Ruth Millington sheds light on so many figures we know by image, but so often not by name. An exhilarating and fascinating insight into many of the people who have shaped our culture, and who have redefined what we think and know of as 'muse'. * Katy Hessel, author of 'The Story of Art Without Men' *A rich and detailed unravelling of the romanticised myth of the muse. Ruth Millington nimbly returns agency to the pictured people of art history and in doing so reveals their ambitions, creativity and far-reaching influence * Chloë Ashby, author of 'Wet Paint' *'This beautifully illustrated book shines a new light on what constitutes a muse and how important they are to an artist's practice. Enlightening' * Tabish Khan *This book not only sheds light on a relatively unchartered area of art history but also serves as a feminist crusade * Jenny Pery *A brilliant book absolutely crammed with surprising stories. Muse flips the easel and brings the models and inspirations of famous works themselves into the spotlight, scraping away old coatings of myth, cliché and ignorance to reveal the true tales of these overlooked figures, and their place of power in the history of art. An essential read that should be on every bookshelf * Edward Brooke-Hitching, author of The Madman’s Gallery *Ruth Millington's Muse is an essential guide to the inspirational women and men who have shaped art over the centuries. Muse sheds new and persuasive light on a diverse array of models' stories - their lives, hopes and daring actions - restoring their voices in ways that change our perceptions of who they were, and who we are today as a result. * Sophie Haydock, author of 'The Flames' *An excellent look at the artist's muse and demystifying the idea of them as merely a passive object of passion * FAD Magazine, *Summer Reads of 2022* *A provocative tome * ARTnews *Ruth Millington's Muse adds another dimension...taking the women (and nine men) on the canvas as her subject...successfully fleshing out the lives behind some of art history's most famous faces * Hall W. Rockefeller, Hyperallergic.com *Muse by Ruth Millington is a fascinating book that aims, and one could even say succeeds, to establish a new status for the muse in art history * DailyArt Magazine *

    3 in stock

    £13.49

  • Kiki Man Ray: Art, Love and Rivalry in 1920s

    John Murray Press Kiki Man Ray: Art, Love and Rivalry in 1920s

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Exuberantly entertaining' NYT Book Review'Mark Braude's writing and subject make this book irresistible, as was Kiki herself.' Jim Jarmusch'A delightful, marvelously readable, meticulously-researched romp of a book, Kiki Man Ray brings to life not just the kaleidoscopically talented Kiki herself, but the endlessly fascinating Montparnasse milieu over which she reigned.' Whitney Scharer, author of THE AGE OF LIGHTThough many have never heard her name, Alice Prin - Kiki de Montparnasse - was the icon of 1920s Paris. She captivated as a ground-breaking nightclub performer, wrote a bestselling memoir, sold out exhibitions of her paintings, and shared drinks and ideas with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Peggy Guggenheim, and Marcel Duchamp. She also shepherded along the career of a then-unknown American photographer: Man Ray.Following Kiki in the years between 1921 and 1929, when she lived and worked with Man Ray, Kiki Man Ray charts their complicated entanglement and reveals how Man Ray - always the unabashed careerist - went on to become one of the most famous photographers of the twentieth century, enjoying wealth and prestige, while Kiki's legacy was lost.But this isn't a story of an overbearing male genius and his defeated muse. During the 1920s it was Kiki, not Man Ray, who was the brighter of the two rising stars and a powerful figure among the close-knit community of models, painters, writers and café wastrels who made their homes in gritty Montparnasse. Following the couple as they created art, struggled for power and competed for fame, Kiki Man Ray illuminates for the first time Kiki's seminal influence on the culture of 1920s Paris, and challenges ideas about artists and muses, and the lines separating the two.'Kiki de Montparnasse was more than a muse - she was a vivacious, independent woman whose talent and magnetism helped make Paris the center of the art world in the 1920s. In Mark Braude's riveting cultural history, the Queen of Montparnasse rises again. This is a lively and compassionate tribute to the chanteuse, model, and portraitist who held center stage in her life, and who inspired some of the finest Surrealist art of the twentieth century.' Heather Clark, author of Pulitzer Prize-finalist Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia PlathTrade ReviewA lively study of [Kiki de Montparnasse] who exemplified [a] cocktail of high spirits and a heedless self-destruction. * The Times *[Kiki is] a vibrant force in a colorful world - and the heart of Braude's history. A rich, affectionate look at bohemian Paris. * Kirkus Reviews *Mark Braude focuses on Kiki de Montparnasse and Man Ray . . . immersing the reader in a world where everyone was pushing their creativity in unimaginable directions. * The Spectator *Exuberantly entertaining . . . A riveting glimpse into the absinthe-fuelled Parisian jazz age * Lady Magazine *Finally, a detailed and entertaining account of Alice Prin, aka Kiki de Montparnasse, and her artistic and romantic relationship with Man Ray. Best known as a popular (and usually nude) artists' model, Kiki was a singer and performer, a painter, a writer, and the central female instigator for the avant-garde demimonde of Paris in the 1920s. Mark Braude's writing and subject make this book irresistible, as was Kiki herself. * Jim Jarmusch *The frank, lively voice that comes through in Kiki's vignettes makes a cornerstone for the case, which Braude renews, that she was far more than Man Ray's party-girl companion - that it was, in fact, her vitality, her connectedness in artistic networks, and her intuitive understanding of his creative process that hoisted Man Ray on to the highway to fame. * The Telegraph *Kiki de Montparnasse was more than a muse - she was a vivacious, independent woman whose talent and magnetism helped make Paris the center of the art world in the 1920s. In Mark Braude's riveting cultural history, the Queen of Montparnasse rises again. This is a lively and compassionate tribute to the chanteuse, model, and portraitist who held center stage in her life, and who inspired some of the finest Surrealist art of the twentieth century. * Heather Clark, author of Pulitzer Prize–finalist RED COMET: THE SHORT LIFE AND BLAZING ART OF SYLVIA PLATH *Kiki Man Ray is a thoroughly researched and gracefully written life of the (until now) underestimated model, performer, painter, actress, and influencer known as Kiki de Montparnasse. Mark Braude's biography brings her out of the wings and sets her firmly center stage in this evocative portrait of artistic life in the Paris of the 1920s. * Carolyn Burke, author of FOURSOME and LEE MILLER *A delightful, marvelously readable, meticulously researched romp of a book, Kiki Man Ray brings to life not just the kaleidoscopically talented Kiki herself, but the endlessly fascinating Montparnasse milieu over which she reigned. -- Whitney Scharer, author of THE AGE OF LIGHTMan Ray captured 1920s Paris in his photographs, especially those of a singular muse: Kiki de Montparnasse, a hostess, a celebrity, a cabaret performer, a woman whose bawdy, heartfelt songs were the pulse of Paris. Mark Braude turns the tables - and the lens - and gives us a unique portrait: Man Ray from the perspective of that celebrated muse and her ephemeral art of performance. * Tilar J. Mazzeo, New York Times bestselling author of THE HOTEL ON PLACE VENDÔME: LIFE, DEATH, AND BETRAYAL AT THE HOTEL RITZ IN PARIS *Kiki de Montparnasse - model, muse, artist - is the sole realist in a room of Surrealists. Unafraid of contradiction, she lived the fast life in the stillness of a pose, the intimacy of a public dream. Beautifully written, with a light touch and a wise eye, Mark Braude's Kiki Man Ray arranges the elements of Kiki's life, letting radiant patterns emerge. * Alexander Nemerov, author of FIERCE POISE: HELEN FRANKENTHALER AND 1950S NEW YORK *Exquisitely crafted . . . [S]harp and succinct . . . Kiki Man Ray rescues its protagonist from the dustbin of history and advocates eloquently for the vitality and importance of the world she helped to forge. * HAMILTON CAIN, Wall Street Journal *If the only 'Kiki de Montparnasse' you are aware of is a lingerie brand, please check out this top-notch, highly readable nonfiction from cultural historian Mark Braude right now. * CAT AUER, A.V. Club *[An] affectionate biography . . . As irresistible as it is overdue. * Chicago Review of Books *Mark Braude's exuberantly entertaining biography sets out to rebalance the much-told story of Left Bank Paris, in which Kiki - model, memoirist and muse - is usually cast as a bit player. * The New York Times *[A] heady romp through the galleries and nightclubs of interwar France * Vogue *I loved Mark Braude's entertaining dual-biography . . . Kiki entranced the American Surrealist Man Ray, and the book charts their tempetuous relationship. * Lady Magazine *2022 Bookshelf Christmas Special - The Lady's Pick of the Year's BEST BOOKS* *'Mark Braude's spirited and thoroughly researched account brings [Kiki] to life, highlighting her belligerent nature and generous spirit, as well as her activities as an artist and writer . . . Braude's colourful evocation captures the heady atmosphere of a Paris still traumatized by the First World War' * TLS *

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • How We Might Live: At Home with Jane and William

    Quercus Publishing How We Might Live: At Home with Jane and William

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisWilliam Morris - poet, designer, campaigner, hero of the Arts & Crafts movement - was a giant of the Victorian age, and his beautiful creations and provocative philosophies are still with us today: but his wife Jane is too often relegated to a footnote, an artist's model given no history or personality of her own. In truth, Jane and William's personal and creative partnership was the central collaboration of both their lives. The homes they made together - the Red House, Kelmscott Manor and their houses in London - were works of art in themselves, and the great labour of their lives was life itself: through their houses and the objects they filled them with, they explored how we all might live a life more focused on beauty and fulfilment.In How We Might Live, Suzanne Fagence Cooper explores the lives and legacies of Jane and William Morris, finally giving Jane's work the attention it deserves and taking us inside two lives of unparalleled creative artistry.Trade ReviewLyrical...enjoyable * Mail on Sunday *Jane is fortunate in her biographer * The Times *Well researched and extensive * BBC History Magazine *Fascinating * The Field *[Cooper] traces the Morrises' shared and separate lives with clarity and judicious assessment * History Today *Fagence Cooper succeeds, against the odds, in restoring some reality to our view of Jane Morris, giving a proper sense of a woman with striking gifts and talents identifiably her own * Literary Review *Delightful, accessible and insightful * Church Times *Jane Morris's creative influence on her husband's design empire has finally been revealed in a new book [...] the first joint biography of the couple will shine a light on their personal and creative partnership, and reassert the rightful place of Jane Morris - a skilled embroiderer and talented designer - in the history books. * Guardian *

    2 in stock

    £24.00

  • The Invention of Design

    Basic Books The Invention of Design

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £24.00

  • 3 in stock

    £13.49

  • Leonardo's Notebooks: Writing and Art of the

    Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers Inc Leonardo's Notebooks: Writing and Art of the

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisLeonardo's Notebooks is a biography of the genius in his own words, connecting moments of his life to artistic accomplishments through his writings, drawings, and intimate thoughts.Leonardo da Vinci -- artist, inventor, and prototypical Renaissance man -- is a perennial source of fascination. His astonishing intellect and boundless curiosity about both the natural and man-made world influenced his numerous works of art, theories, and sentiments -- all of which were kept in his voluminous notebooks.This book is a collection of da Vinci's intricately detailed artistic and intellectual pursuits, and highlights the classic pieces of art he produced in connection with his writings. Leonardo's Notebooks provides a fascinating look into da Vinci's most private world, and sorts his wide range of interests into subjects such as human figures, light and shade, perspective and visual perception, anatomy, botany and landscape, geography, the physical sciences and astronomy, architecture, inventions and so much more. Exploring this image-filled book is as close to reading da Vinci's diaries as we can get.Organized and curated by art historian H. Anna Suh, she provides fascinating commentary and insight into the material, making Leonardo's Notebooks an exquisite single-volume compendium celebrating his enduring brilliance.

    1 in stock

    £16.19

  • Hokusai'S Brush: Paintings, Drawings, and

    Smithsonian Books Hokusai'S Brush: Paintings, Drawings, and

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £27.55

  • The Fantasy of the Middle Ages: An Epic Journey

    Getty Trust Publications The Fantasy of the Middle Ages: An Epic Journey

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom the soaring castles of Sleeping Beauty to the bloody battles of Game of Thrones, from Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings to mythical beasts in Dungeons & Dragons and from Medieval Times to the Renaissance Faire to Disneyland, the Middle Ages have inspired artists, playwrights, filmmakers, gamers, and writers for centuries. Indeed, no other historical era has captured the imaginations of so many creators. This volume aims to uncover the many reasons why the Middle Ages have proven so flexible-and applicable-to a variety of modern moments from the eighteenth through the twenty-first century. These "medieval" worlds are often the perfect ground for exploring contemporary cultural concerns and anxieties, saying much more about the time and place in which they were created than they do about the actual conditions of the medieval period. With 140 color illustrations, from sources ranging from thirteenth-century illuminated manuscripts to contemporary films and video games, and a preface by Game of Thrones costume designer Michele Clapton, The Fantasy of the Middle Ages will surprise and delight both enthusiasts and scholars. This title is published to accompany an exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center from June 21-September 11, 2022.Trade Review"This lively and engaging book highlights the key role that visual culture has played in constructing modern (mis)understandings of the so-called Middle Ages. Delightful images of everything from precious antiquities to contemporary film stills support the authors' insightful analyses. Direct and nuanced engagement with issues around race, gender, sexuality, and other questions of diversity make The Fantasy of the Middle Ages essential reading for anyone curious about how we come to know the material cultures of the past as well as the present."--Maggie M. Williams, Executive Director, The Material Collective ;; "A fascination on every page. This bright and bold exploration of medievalism is not just a collection of stories told and reimagined in every new age, but a rich tapestry in its own right. Inclusive, illuminating, and filled with insight."--A. R. Capetta & Cory McCarthy, authors of the bestselling Once & Future series ;; "Whether you're a storyteller looking for inspiration, an art historian, or simply a lover of beautiful things paying homage to other beautiful things, Fantasy of the Middle Ages is a lush and thoughtful exploration of why this period continues to affect our art today in both obvious and surprising ways."--Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of the Camelot Rising Trilogy ;; "With wit and verve, The Fantasy of the Middle Ages explores the perennial popularity of the medieval world in the modern imagination from Tolkien to Game of Thrones. Grollemond and Keene convincingly demonstrate how storytellers of all kinds utilize the rich imagery of the Middle Ages to create an alternative fantasy space, almost a playground, where their own contemporary fears and anxieties can be more safely probed, and paradigms subverted. From the Pre-Raphaelites to Nintendo's Legend of Zelda, we remain enamored with our own fantasy medieval worlds and the consequences of this infatuation continue to remake and reshape the material culture of the twenty-first century."--Kristina Perez, author of The Sweet Black Waves Trilogy ;; "The fascination with magic and the Middle Ages has captured imaginations for generations, and ours is no different. Grollemond and Keene take us through the tropes and imagery that first built the fantasy of medieval times and follow it through to our own modern day retellings with vivid illustrations, thought-provoking commentary on the past and current social context, and careful deconstruction of what was truly historical and what has become legend. An intriguing read for anyone who has wondered at the origins of legends like Robin Hood, King Arthur and the Round Table, and the magic and myth of fairies, princesses, wizards, and kings."--Jenny Elder Moke, author of Hood ;; "A lavishly illustrated book full of delights and surprises: King Arthur's knights, talking animals, music, movies, maps, and Renaissance fairs all make an appearance, alongside insights into race, gender, and sexuality, both in the medieval past and today. The authors even offer glimpses of vast, premodern worlds beyond Europe and Christendom-in this book, your grandad's European Middle Ages is wholly remade by new ideas and new pleasures in how the past is recovered today."--Geraldine Heng, author of The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages and The Global Middle Ages: An Introduction

    10 in stock

    £24.70

  • Florence: The Paintings & Frescoes, 1250-1743

    Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers Inc Florence: The Paintings & Frescoes, 1250-1743

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisEvery painted work that is on display in the Uffizi Gallery, The Pitti Palace, the Accademia, and the Duomo is included in the book, plus many or most of the works from 28 of the city's other magnificent museums and churches. The research and text are by Ross King (best-selling author), Anja Grebe (author or The Louvre and The Vatican), Cristina Acidini (former Superintendent of the public museums of Florence) and Msgr. Timothy Verdon (Director of the artworks for the Archdiocese of Florence).

    2 in stock

    £54.00

  • Donald Judd Interviews

    David Zwirner Donald Judd Interviews

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDonald Judd Interviews presents more than sixty interviews with the artist over the course of four decades, and is the first compilation of its kind. It is the companion volume to the critically acclaimed and bestselling Donald Judd Writings.This collection of interviews engages a diverse range of topics, from philosophy and politics to Judd’s insightful critiques of his own work and the work of others such as Mark di Suvero, Edward Hopper, Yayoi Kusama, Barnett Newman, and Jackson Pollock. The opening discussion of the volume between Judd, Dan Flavin, and Frank Stella provides the foundation for many of the succeeding conversations, focusing on the nature and material conditions of the new art developing in the 1960s. The publication also gathers a substantial body of unpublished material across a range of mediums including extensive interviews with art historians Lucy R. Lippard and Barbara Rose.Judd’s contributions in interviews, panels, and extemporaneous conversations are marked by his forthright manner and rigorous thinking, whether in dialogue with art critics, art historians, or his contemporaries. In one of the last interviews, he was asked, “What kind of advice do you have for young artists and architects based on all the things you thought all these years?” Judd responded, “To remember that art and architecture are both real activities with their own integrity and that they are not basically commercial activities and you have to partly live with that. Certainly, it’s not hard to maintain the difference ... I think both activities, to repeat myself, have an integrity. They are each a particular activity, and if you don’t like that activity, don’t do it. Go do something else. If you really want to make a lot of money, go sell cars or something.”Donald Judd Interviews is co-published by Judd Foundation and David Zwirner Books. The interviews expand upon the artist’s thinking present in Donald Judd Writings (Judd Foundation/David Zwirner Books, 2016).

    1 in stock

    £23.80

  • Lucas Arruda: Deserto-Modelo

    David Zwirner Lucas Arruda: Deserto-Modelo

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive monograph on the work of Brazilian painter Lucas Arruda elucidates the artist’s intricate, meditative compositions.Arruda has gained critical acclaim for atmospheric paintings that fluctuate between abstraction and figuration, imagination and reality. This monograph presents three groups of works loosely characterized as seascapes, jungles, and monochromes. Collectively titled Deserto-Modelo, they have an ephemeral, transient quality.Arruda’s intimately sized paintings of seascapes and junglescapes are characterized by their subtle rendition of light. Painted from memory, they are devoid of specific reference points, instead achieving their variety through the depiction of atmospheric conditions. Verging on abstraction, the compositions are grounded by an ever-present, if sometimes faint, horizon line that offers a perception of distance. They appear at once familiar and imaginary. Through his often evocative and textured brushstrokes, Arruda foregrounds the materiality and physicality of paint, while also recalling his genres’ historical associations with the notion of the romantic sublime.Alongside meticulous color plates and powerful details, author Will Chancellor offers a close reading of the work, raising questions about artifice, thresholds, and perception. Critic Barry Schwabsky unpacks the challenges posed by Arruda’s mysterious painted surfaces. As a whole, this book provides a detailed introduction to the work of a uniquely thoughtful and inventive artist.

    2 in stock

    £36.00

  • Strange Impressions

    David Zwirner Strange Impressions

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisMost known for her bold and darkly painted portraits, Brooks was revolutionary in her feminist renderings of women in resistance. Openly queer, she challenged conceptions of gender and sexuality in her art, which also served as her refuge. While many of her male counterparts were disfiguring and cubing their subjects—often women—Brooks gave personhood and power to the figures she painted. Her frank approach to her complicated relationship with her mother, faith, wealth, sexuality, and gender is complemented by a keen wit that echoes the gray tones of her work. Though her paintings are held in major collections, Brooks’s influence in modernist circles of the early twentieth century is largely underexplored. This new publication, guided by Brooks’s own impressionistic musings, bridges an important gap between the art and the artist. An introduction by Lauren O’Neill-Butler explores Brooks’s role as an artist in the early twentieth century through the lens of gender and sexuality.

    2 in stock

    £10.40

  • Belonging and Betrayal – How Jews Made the Art

    Brandeis University Press Belonging and Betrayal – How Jews Made the Art

    Book SynopsisThe story of dealers of Old Masters, champions of modern art, and victims of Nazi plunder. Since the late-1990s, the fate of Nazi stolen art has become a cause célèbre. In Belonging and Betrayal, Charles Dellheim turns this story on its head by revealing how certain Jewish outsiders came to acquire so many old and modern masterpieces in the first place – and what this reveals about Jews, art, and modernity. This book tells the epic story of the fortunes and misfortunes of a small number of eminent art dealers and collectors who, against the odds, played a pivotal role in the migration of works of art from Europe to the United States and in the triumph of modern art. Beautifully written and compellingly told, this story takes place on both sides of the Atlantic from the late nineteenth century to the present. It is set against the backdrop of critical transformations, among them the gradual opening of European high culture, the ambiguities of Jewish acculturation, the massive sell-off of aristocratic family art collections, the emergence of different schools of modern art, the cultural impact of World War I, and the Nazi war against the Jews. Trade Review"(An) exceptional work of scholarship. A brilliant account of Nazi pillage and the ongoing efforts at restitution." * Kirkus (starred review) *“A hefty, deeply researched book . . . A compelling portrait of the Jewish families who, unexpectedly, became arbiters of taste in Europe, beginning in the late 19th century and ending with Nazi plunder. Read if you’re into: thinking about art history, Jewish history and where they intersect.” * Alma *"Readers of Dellheim’s book will learn more about the history of modern art and European cultural history during times of upheaval and turmoil. Those who enjoy history and art history will enjoy this deep dive.” * Library Journal *"In the book, Dellheim writes about dealers of Old Masters, champions of modern art, and victims of Nazi plunder, sharing the epic fortunes and misfortunes of those eminent art dealers and collectors who, against the odds, played a pivotal role in the migration of works of art from Europe and Britain to the United States." * Arts and Collections *“A comprehensive tale of the artwork that appeared throughout Europe and then was absconded with in one of the largest heists ever. The various characters featured in this fascinating account hustle, sell and backstab." * Manhattan Book Review *"With its twists and turns, Dellheim’s book reads like a Realist novel. Despite the seriousness of its subject matter, it is a thrilling read, divided into wittily titled sections… The book is a veritable tour de force and an outstanding addition to scholarly research on art, Modernism, and Jewish studies." * Hyperallergic *"Belonging and Betrayal seeks to explain how Jews found significant, if precarious, success in the European art world... [It] reveals the complex negotiations, spoken and unspoken, that structured social, economic, and political life for Jews in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century western Europe." * ARTNews *"Dellheim's 600-plus-page tour de force [is] well-illustrated with paintings that its cast of characters collected and sold... [and] primary sources that reveal the extent of Nazi looting..." * JewishBoston *"a wonderful achievement, beautifully written, a magnificent work of art in itself, a fabulous book.” * LitHub's Keen On *"Highly recommended. This well-researched volume, with copious notes, two sections of color plates, and interspersed black-and-white figures, will interest those studying art history, provenance research, art markets, museums and repatriation, cultural studies, and Jewish studies.” * Choice *"European Jews on a fairly considerable scale drifted into the visual arts world as collectors and dealers in the 19th century and became, against all odds, arbiters of taste. Once regarded as outsiders on the margins of high culture, they were suddenly thrust into positions of prestige and influence. Charles Dellheim, a professor of history at Boston University, charts their entry into this field in his masterful and magisterial book, Belonging and Betrayal: How Jews Made The Art World Modern, published by Brandeis University Press....Dellheim has written a highly readable, substantive and engaging account of the entry of Jews into art. It may well be the definitive work on this topic." * Times of Israel *"Dellheim’s rich, deeply engaging, compulsively readable study .... combines business history, social history, and cultural and intellectual history, offers a fresh and exciting approach to ethnic studies that moves far beyond the three dominant paradigms... .If we are to truly understand the history and nature of group prejudices, the structural and systematic barriers to success, and collective strategies for economic advancement and civil rights, let’s resist the temptation, at the gen ed level, to relegate the study of ethnicity to distinct enclaves. Inclusive, comparative, and historical perspective are essential." * Inside Higher Ed *"Belonging and Betrayal is a brilliantly etched portrayal of the family firms that maneuvered, battled, adapted, persevered, and prospered over decades and centuries. What underlies all of Charles Dellheim’s painstaking research lies a loving devotion to the subject matter. That means, above all, that his discussion of cultural and aesthetic matters rests on a bedrock of economic and business history. The element so often missing from studies of Jewish participation in Western culture here properly takes center stage. In this masterwork, Dellheim shows how to understand the business of culture." * Jewish Review of Books *"Dellheim’s book is the first to present a collective portrait of the businessmen – and occasionally businesswomen, like Berthe Weill – who thrived in fashionable and avant-garde circles. ...This is a huge work of historical synthesis, which manages to weave together an enormous cast of characters and locations with flair and sympathy." * Ars Judaica *“This is a book that seeks and deserves a large audience. It has met enthusiasm across the art press and Jewish press in the English-speaking world, but it merits a broader readership. Those interested in modern European cultural or business history, art history, or Jewish studies—but also a general readership—will find the narrative compelling to follow. . . . In short, this history of Jewish involvement and achievement in the art world is history writ large and springs from the author’s often intimate grasp of the professional and private lives and efforts of the progressive dealers and collectors, reanimated here by one of the history profession’s master storytellers.” * Austrian History Yearbook *"This is a magisterial book. Wide-ranging yet closely focused, detailed yet suspenseful, it should be required reading for all who make art or collect it. Gracefully written and sumptuously illustrated throughout, Belonging and Betrayal is an important--even indispensable--contribution to the field." -- Nicholas Delbanco, author of Why Writing Matters"A major contribution to understanding a profound Jewish goal to belong and succeed, only to be betrayed by willful acts by Nazis and their collaborators. This impressive book will engage you, surprise you, anger you, and above all, enrich you." -- Richard I. Cohen, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, author, Jewish Icons"Brilliantly evocative and deeply researched, Charles Dellheim’s Belonging and Betrayal is a superb addition to the ongoing discussion on art ownership, theft, and restoration." -- David H. Lynn, editor emeritus of The Kenyon ReviewFinalist, 2021 National Jewish Book Award -- Finalist * National Jewish Book Award, History Category *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrologue: Reframing the PicturePart I. The Old Masters’ New Masters1. Horse Dealer to Art Dealer2. Treasure Island3. Assimilating Art4. Acquiring Eyes5. Metropolitan ManPart II. Was Modernism Jewish?6. Madman and Sons7. Was Modernism Jewish?8. First Impressionists9. Berlin Calling10. Between Bohemian and Bourgeois11. The Right BankerPart III. In The Middle12. The Wheel of War13. Brothers-in-Arms14. Custody Battles15. In the Market of Love16. Brothers-in-Law17. Gentlemen and PlayersPart IV. To Have And Have Not18. Artful Jews19. Artless Jews20. Next Year in Paris?21. After the Fall22. The Dispossessed23. The Exiles and the KingdomEpilogue: A Crack in Everything

    £30.40

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