History of art Books

Book SynopsisSharp angles, strange forms, lurid colors, and distorted perspectives are classic hallmarks of Expressionism, the twentieth century movement that prioritized emotion over objective reality. Though particularly present in Germany and Austria, the movement’s approach flourished internationally and is today hailed as one of the most influential shifts in art history. With leading groups Die Brücke (The Bridge) and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), and key players such as Wassily Kandinsky, Egon Schiele,and Emil Nolde, the Expressionists disowned Impressionism, which they regarded as “man lowered to the position of a gramophone record of the outer world”, to depict instead a raw and visceral experience of life as it was felt, rather than seen on the surface. Their paintings brim with emotive force, conveyed in particular through intense and non-naturalistic color palettes, loose brushwork, and thick textures. Covering the group’s stylistic tendencies, influences, and most important protagonists, this introductory book explores the Expressionist panorama of moods, ideas, and emotions and their abiding quest for deep authenticity.Trade Review“This comprehensive overview incorporates an impressive range of reproductions.” * The Independent *

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Book SynopsisA stunning display of the vibrant and wide-ranging talent of Vanessa Bell in the first catalogue devoted to the artist. Vanessa Bell (1879–1961) has been known as the still, quiet centre around which the Bloomsbury Group revolved,. She was renowned for her beauty, her complex romantic entanglements and, later, her domestic gravitas – and as the sister of Virginia Woolf. But Bell was also one of the most advanced British artists of her time, with her own distinctive vision, boldly interpreting new ideas about art which were brewing in France and beyond. This publication beautifully showcases Bell’s pioneering oil paintings, photographs, ceramics, fabrics, decorative screens and works on paper in a revelatory affirmation of her vibrant and wide-ranging talent. Including more than 180 colour plates, Vanessa Bell is a definitive record of Bell’s accomplishments. The book is enhanced with photography of Charleston, the Sussex farmhouse that she occupied with creative flair alongside Duncan Grant and the rest of her unconventional family. With sections devoted to portraiture, landscape, still life, design, domestic scenes and female subjects, the book gathers together a rich chorus of voices – from renowned Bloomsbury scholars to emerging experts – delivering a fresh view of an intrepid modern artist seen clearly on her own terms at last.Table of ContentsDirector’s Foreword Preface – Ian A.C. Dejardin Some Rough Eloquence – Sarah Milroy Between London and Paris – Hana Leaper Catalogue Among Friends Vanessa, Virginia and the Modern Portrait – Frances Spalding Design and Experimentation A Moment in Abstraction – Grace Brockington Still Life Love, Actually – Regina Marler At Home Domestic Modernism – Christopher Reed Landscape The First Winter – Darren Clarke Blue & Green – Virginia Woolf Landscapes Near and Far – Julian Bell Pictures of Women A Conversation – Corin Sworn Vanessa Bell’s Late Self-Portraits – Richard Shone Legacy Photographs by Patti Smith Scholarly Debts and Personal Thanks – Sarah Milroy List of Works Photo Credits Contributors

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Book Synopsis"A painting must stand as a painting, made by human hand," wrote Caspar David Friedrich, "not seek to disguise itself as Nature." One of his generation's most popular painters, Friedrich imagined landscapes of powerful beauty and spirituality from within the confines of his studios. This breathtaking monograph, filled with glorious reproductions and details of his paintings, argues for Friedrich's reputation as a sublime artist and interpreter of nature. In his thoughtful and well-researched commentary, author Johannes Grave explores Friedrich's approach to landscape painting as well as his revolutionary thoughts about how these paintings should be received by their viewers. Looking closely at pieces such as Monk by the Sea, Abbey in the Oakwood, and the Tetschener Altar, Grave shows how Friedrich developed an innovative approach to landscape painting, one that communicated a new sense of space and time, and which draws the viewer into a unique aesthetic experience. Highly readable, insightful, and copiously illustrated, this compelling book sheds crucial light on Friedrich's celebrated body of work.Trade Review"The sumptuously illustrated Caspar David Friedrich...is a good guide to one of the major artists of the Romantic era." --Tulsa World"Luxuriant." -The Huffington Post "[Friedrich's] haunting and mysterious canvases are beautifully reproduced by Prestel in Caspar David Friedrich." - Publishers Weekly"Caspar David Freidrich stands out, primarily for its size and lavish reproductions...of paintings, drawings and prints by this great German Romantic. It conveys a fuller sense of Friedrich's enigmatic, landscape-centered art than any single museum or exhibition could possibly provide." - The New York Times "[B]y far the most sumptuous and historically informed text [on Friedrich]. Building on the insights of previous critics and scholars, Grave skillfully assesses Friedrich's canvases (reproduced here more beautifully than in any previous book), but his greater achievement is authoritatively placing Friedrich's work in its cultural, intellectual, and aesthetic context." - The Atlantic

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Book SynopsisIn this one-of-a-kind volume, indispensable for students of art, architecture and film,Alex Danchev presents 100 Artists'' Manifestos, each reproduced with an introduction on the author and the associated movement, in Penguin Modern Classics.This remarkable collection of 100 manifestos from the last 100 years is cacophony of voices from such diverse movements as Futurism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Feminism, Communism, Destructivism, Vorticism, Stridentism, Cannibalism and Stuckism, taking in along the way film, architecture, fashion, and cookery.Artists'' manifestos are nothing if not revolutionary. They are outlandish, outrageous, and frequently offensive. They combine wit, wisdom, and world-shaking demands. This collection gathers together an international array of artists of every stripe, including Kandinsky, Mayakovsky, Rodchenko, Le Corbusier, Picabia, Dalí, Oldenburg, Vertov, Baselitz, Kitaj, Murakami, Gilbert and George, together with their allies and collaborators - such figures as Marinetti, Apollinaire, Breton, Trotsky, Guy Debord and Rem Koolhaas.Editor Alex Danchev is the author of an acclaimed biography of artist Georges Braque and is Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham. His other works include Alanbrooke War Diaries: Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke, The Iraq War and Democratic Politics and On Art and War and Terror.If you enjoyed 100 Artists'' Manifestos, you might like John Berger''s Ways of Seeing, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''The Manifesto is remarkable for its imaginative power ... it is the first great modernist work of art'' Marshall BermanTrade ReviewThe Manifesto is remarkable for its imaginative power ... it is the first great modernist work of art * Marshall Berman *This collection is a must ... because the passion that erupted in the early 20th century is in such counterpoint to our own more apathetic era -- Lesley McDowell * Independent *This ingenious anthology...is an inspiring book * Scotland on Sunday *100 Artists' Manifestos [is] deftly selected and stylishly introduced by Alex Danchev -- Terry Eagleton * Times Literary Supplement *An absorbing capsule history of culture over the past century -- John Gray * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisLois van Baarle is a freelance animator/illustrator from the Netherlands who graduated in 2009 from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht. Since then, her work has become very popular across the internet, with her Facebook followers closing in on one million and her Twitter account watched by over nineteen thousand eager eyes. The Art of Loish is her first "art of" book, and will examine her inspirations while showcasing some of her early work. Following this, the reader will learn how she developed her very distinctive style and discover advice as she discusses her working methods, offering tips on a variety of techniques that she utilizes in her art every day! The additional exclusive content of this book makes it a must-have for any lover of Loish's work!

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Book SynopsisCollage by Women presents 50 international women artists working in the field of collage today through a rigorous selection of their works. Curated by the Spanish collage artist Rebeka Elizegi, the book gives space to voices from all backgrounds, origins, and artistic expressions, and shows the wide variety of perspectives that are shaping the panorama of collage today, bringing to light a parallel effervescence of female artistic initiatives around the world. From emerging names to more well-known and established ones, the artists featured here are pushing back the boundaries of art. Collage by Women wants to call attention to the experiences and creative processes of artists that should be on our radar through an impressive selection of manual and digital techniques, topics and aesthetic choices, accompanied by texts that provide indepth approaches to the inspiration, influences and work trajectory of each artist. Born from the belief that women’s voices are of the utmost relevance in all cultural and social fields, the book will surely contribute to a healthier, more comprehensive, more inclusive nderstanding of our reality.

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Book SynopsisThe arresting pictures of Frida Kahlo (1907–54) were in many ways expressions of trauma. Through a near-fatal road accident at the age of 18, failing health, a turbulent marriage, miscarriage and childlessness, she transformed the afflictions into revolutionary art. In literal or metaphorical self-portraiture, Kahlo looks out at the viewer with an audacious glare, rejecting her destiny as a passive victim and rather intertwining expressions of her experience into a hybrid real-surreal language of living: hair, roots, veins, vines, tendrils and fallopian tubes. Many of her works also explore the Communist political ideals which Kahlo shared with her husband Diego Rivera. The artist described her paintings as “the most sincere and real thing that I could do in order to express what I felt inside and outside of myself.” This book introduces the rich body of Kahlo’s work to explore her unremitting determination as an artist, and her significance as a painter, feminist icon, and a pioneer of Latin American culture.

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Book SynopsisThe fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm according to David Hockney are like no other version you will have read before. Although inspired by earlier illustrators of the tales, from Arthur Rackham to Edmund Dulac, Hockney's extraordinary etchings re-imagine these strange and supernatural stories for a modern audience, capturing their distinctive atmosphere in a style that is recognisably the artist's own. Reprinted for the first time since its original publication in 1969, Hockney's book brings together some well-known tales - Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin - with others that are less familiar. Informed by great art of the past, attuned to idiosyncrasies of character and incident, and fresh in execution and content, his illustrations invite us to read each one as if for the first time.

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Book Synopsis'A veritable tome of sneaker history...backed by nearly a decade of research and discovery.' - Hypebeast A riotous, 720-page celebration of sneaker culture and sporting legends, as told through the medium of vintage print advertising More than a decade in the making, Soled Out is the definitive - and only - collection of sneaker advertisements from the footwear industry's golden age. Lovingly written and compiled by Simon 'Woody' Wood, founder of the legendary Sneaker Freaker magazine and author of The Ultimate Sneaker Book, this colossal volume combines nearly 900 vintage images with a punchy narrative full of insider stories and historical revelations. Featuring the biggest brands, classic sneaker models, superstar athletes, and pop culture icons - from Adidas, New Balance, and Puma, to Asics, Pony, and Pro-Keds; the Nike Air Max and Converse All Star to New Balance 990 and Reebok Pump; Andre Agassi and Michael Jordan to Paula Abdul and MC Hammer - every page is laced with incredible graphics and unforgettable advertising slogans. Sit back and enjoy the spectacular scenery ahead as Soled Out powers through a 720-page marathon celebration of the rubber, leather, and mesh we wear on our feet.Trade Review'Woody is an OG who loves to tell stories.' – HYPEBEAST'[This] book from Sneaker Freaker is so important.' – Sole Collector

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Book SynopsisArt history encompasses the study of the history and development of painting, sculpture and the other visual arts. In this Very Short Introduction, Dana Arnold presents an introduction to the issues, debates, and artefacts that make up art history. Beginning with a consideration of what art history is, she explains what makes the subject distinctive from other fields of study, and also explores the emergence of social histories of art (such as Feminist Art History and Queer Art History). Using a wide range of images, she goes on to explore key aspects of the discipline including how we write, present, read, and look at art, and the impact this has on our understanding of art history. This second edition includes a new chapter on global art histories, considering how the traditional emphasis on periods and styles in art originated in western art and can obscure other critical approaches and artwork from non-western cultures. Arnold also discusses the relationship between art and history, and the ways in which art can tell a different history from the one narrated by texts.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsPrefaceList of illustrations 1: What is art history? 2: Writing art history 3: A global art history? 4: Presenting art history 5: Thinking about art history 6: Reading art 7: Looking at artReferencesFurther informationGlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisJapanese woodblock printing is a beautiful art that traces its roots back to the eighth century. It uses a unique system of registration, cutting and printing. This practical book explains the process from design drawing to finished print, and then introduces more advanced printing and carving techniques, plus advice on editioning your prints and their aftercare, tool care and sharpening. Supported by nearly 200 colour photographs, this new book advises on how to develop your ideas, turning them into sketches and a finished design drawing, then how to break an image into the various blocks needed to make a print. It also explains how to use a tracing paper transfer method to take your design from drawing to woodblock and, finally, explains the traditional systems of registration, cutting and printing that define an authentic Japanese woodblock.

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Book SynopsisIn this theoretical tour-de-force, renowned scholar Ariella Aïsha Azoulay calls on us to recognize the imperial foundations of knowledge and to refuse its strictures and its many violences.Azoulay argues that the institutions that make our world, from archives and museums to ideas of sovereignty and human rights to history itself, are all dependent on imperial modes of thinking. Imperialism has segmented populations into differentially governed groups, continually emphasised the possibility of progress while trying to destroy what came before, and voraciously sought out the new by sealing the past away in dusty archival boxes and the glass vitrines of museums.By practising what she calls potential history, Azoulay argues that we can still refuse the imperial violence that shattered communities, lives, and worlds, from native peoples in the Americas to the Congo ruled by Belgium's brutal King Léopold II, from dispossessed Palestinians in 1948 to displaced refugees in our own day. In Potential History, Azoulay travels alongside historical companions - an old Palestinian man who refused to leave his village in 1948, an anonymous woman in war-ravaged Berlin, looted objects and documents torn from their worlds and now housed in archives and museums - to chart the ways imperialism has sought to order time, space, and politics.Rather than looking for a new future, Azoulay calls upon us to rewind history and unlearn our imperial rights, to continue to refuse imperial violence by making present what was invented as "past" and making the repair of torn worlds the substance of politics.Trade ReviewAriella Azoulay takes on the seemingly impossible task of teaching us how to unlearn: unlearning imperialism, unlearning the archive, unlearning our complicity with regimes of violence, domination and exploitation, and most importantly for this ambitious volume, unlearning photography and its capacity to foreclose 'potential histories' that must urgently be realized and reclaimed. The monumental implications of unlearning are revealed with dizzying effect through her rigorous analysis, lucid writing, and vivid examples. In Potential History, she once again delivers a work of breathtaking scope that challenges us to reconfigure both what constitutes history, as well as what it means to learn from and unlearn toward its radical potential for living otherwise. -- Tina Campt, author of Listening to ImagesA magisterial call to reorient our relations to objects, archives, art, and plunder. * Protocols *A remarkably rich and evocative history on the problem of violence and the importance of engaging aesthetics. -- Brad Evans * Los Angeles Review of Books *Azoulay has produced a unique handbook for the 2020s that details how, why, when and where to say no in the affirmative. Her greatest achievement is that, against the foreshortened horizons of a despoiling barbarism, she makes all our tomorrows thinkable. -- Guy Mannes-Abbott * Third Text *Offers revitalising approaches to imperialism and to photography as a cultural phenomenon, grounded in the re-cognition of the figures 'leaning against the edge' of photographs. -- Louis Rogers * review31 *Azoulay has produced a unique handbook for the 2020s that details how, why, when and where to say no in the affirmative. Her greatest achievement is that, against the foreshortened horizons of a despoiling barbarism, she makes all our tomorrows thinkable. -- Guy Mannes-Abbott * Notes From a Fruitstore *Across some six-hundred pages, Azoulay accomplishes that rare thing wherein her call becomes more urgent and acutely resonant even as the contours and magnitude become less perceivable and more outsized.3 By the book's end, she has thoroughly denaturalized the terms of political classification and made the claim for a worldly sovereignty beyond the nation-state. -- Luke Urbain, University of Wisconsin-Madison * InVisible Culture: An Electronic Journal for Visual Culture *By creating a "potential history," Azoulay questions the imperialist construction of time, space, and politics through objects and experiences of struggles around the world, from the original peoples in the Americas, to the Congo under King Leopold II. * The Architect's Newspaper *A political call to arms that argues the need for critical examination of archive material...provocative and stimulating. -- Sean Sheehan * The Prisma *Much of Potential History's 500 pages bear particular relevance to this moment of racial reckoning and faltering of neoliberal capitalism. As mass movements mobilize in the streets against anti-Black police brutality, white supremacy, and systemic, structural racism, her call for reconceptualizing "the strike" to include historians, artists, photographers, museum workers, and "the governed" seems poignant. -- Stephen Sheehi * Hyperallergic *To acknowledge the violence inherently embedded in archives-particularly in cultural archives that the neutral we understand as our cultural commons-and to then envision new ways of being with these cultural objects so as to allow them to speak their own futures are essential components of [Azoulay's] urgent project of unlearning imperialism. -- Rachel Stevens * World Records Journal *Building from Azoulay's argument that our actually existing commons-whether they are water systems or cultural archives-are constituted by imperial violence, we should ask how to transform imperial public spheres and institutions into worldly spaces of care and interdependence. -- Kareem Estefan * World Records *To acknowledge the violence inherently embedded in archives-particularly in cultural archives that the neutral we understand as our cultural commons-and to then envision new ways of being with these cultural objects so as to allow them to speak their own futures are essential components of [Azoulay's] urgent project of unlearning imperialism. -- Rachel Stevens * World Records *A codependent politics of appearance.manifests as superficial investment in others' problems, often to satisfy the emotional needs of the voyeur. This mode of despotic empathy has displaced the sharing of a world-in-common-precisely what, in Ariella Aïsha Azoulay's wording 'was destroyed and should be restored'-with ubiquitous spectacles of privation and racialized violence. -- Irmgard Emmelhainz * World Records *According to Azoulay, an initial problem with unlearning imperialism is that for most of us, our thinking and acting-indeed, our very being-in-theworld-is conditioned by imperialism. Unlearning imperialism is a paradoxical task because we must first learn how imperialism works by rendering its working explicit so that we might unlearn it. -- Corey McCall * Contemporary Political Theory *The book reads as though it were composed by Walter Benjamin's "Angel of History," who backs, horrified into the future while in front of him the ruins pile up. The angel, in this case, is the citizen, forced into the position of a perpetrator and trying to unwind history, to undo it not to return to a "golden age," but to do away with traditional chronological thinking altogether. -- Margaret Olin * Political Theology *

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Book SynopsisWith more than 300 gorgeous color photographs, Vogue: Fantasy & Fashion is a dream book of empowering and fantastical fashion narratives—from the Brothers Grimm to futuristic scenarios—told in the culture magazine’s inimitable style.   Lavishly illustrated, this gift-ready coffee table book celebrates the magazine’s strong and deeply rooted tradition of storytelling through magical, narrative portfolios. Fashion’s greatest power is its ability to make people dream; to create new worlds. Whether falling down a rabbit hole, conquering new digital frontiers, or exploring the limits of surrealism, the heroines who feature in photographs by great talents like Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel, Irving Penn, and Steven Klein are writing their own tales, defining their own destinies.   Featuring well-known images as well as unexpected gems from the archive, Vogue: Fantasy & Fashion docum

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Book SynopsisBest known for his depictions of fierce samurai warriors in battle, Utagawa Kuniyoshi also produced landscapes, portraits of Kabuki actors, and images of mythical animals. His dynamic action scenes and fantastic creatures are recognized today as precursors of manga and anime. This dazzling volume by Matthi Forrer, one of the leading experts on ukiyo-e art, traces Kuniyoshi’s entire career. Chapters look at the major aspects of Kuniyoshi’s oeuvre; his book illustrations and portraits of fashionable women; his enormously popular series featuring actors, warriors, and landscapes; and the influence of Western art on his career. Meticulous, large-scale reproductions highlight the work’s clear outlines, elegantly muted palette, and precise details—from electrifying depictions of a tiger, mid-pounce, and light-hearted interpretations of Chinese folktales, to the terrifying figures of samurai swordsmen and romantic winter landscapes. A Japanese-style binding and box complete this luxurious package that promises an endlessly absorbing journey into the life of Kuniyoshi during the latter days of Japan’s Edo period.

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Book SynopsisValencian master Sorolla's Impressionist paintings depict the most beautiful gardens and architecture in Spain.Like Claude Monet's celebrated plein air landscapes at Giverny, the series collected in this book represents among the best-loved examples of Joaquín Sorolla's (1863-1923) work, and a window into the Spanish painter's quest to capture the essence of a garden. Described by Monet as the master of light, Sorolla and his landscapes, formal portraits, and historically themed canvases drew comparisons to contemporary American painter John Singer Sargent. Sorolla had achieved renown on both sides of the Atlantic for grand scenes of Spanish life when he began a personal series of garden works, presented completely for the first time in this publication.Painted at the palaces of La Granja and the Alcázar in Seville, the Alhambra and Generalife in Granada, and at the painter's home in Madrid, these Impressionist works allowed Sorolla to apply his signatuTrade Review“This beautifully designed and produced volume brings together one hundred of Sorolla’s major paintings, selected by his great-granddaughter, who is the foremost authority on the artist.” ~Art of the Times“This really is a luscious book. It has large color reproductions of over 100 paintings in a high-quality printing, supplemented by black-and-white photos of Sorolla at work. Typical of Rizzoli, the printing is very good: even in these reproductions you can sometimes feel the sun and the surf that Sorolla captured so amazingly in his paintings of children at the beach, fisherman bringing in the boats, or a horse after a bath in the ocean. The paintings are shown in chronological order, so you can trace the changes in Sorolla’s style from fairly tight to much looser. If you don’t already know Sorolla—this one is definitely worth seeking out.” ~Sbenedictblog.com“This beautifully designed and produced volume brings together one hundred of Sorolla’s major paintings, selected by his great-granddaughter Blanca Pons-Sorolla, the foremost authority on the artist. Benefiting from close proximity to the artist and his personal archives, she presents an in-depth essay that explores Sorolla’s life, work, and remarkable international legacy. With virtually all of the artist’s previous publications now out of print, this much-anticipated volume is an important addition to the literature on this great Spanish master.” ~PortraitArtist.com

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Book SynopsisLike no other 20th-century movement, Surrealism was keenly inspired by tropes of magic, myth and the occult. In their engagement with the irrational and the unconscious, numerous of its members looked to magic as a poetic and deeply philosophical discourse, related to both arcane knowledge and individual self-empowerment. In their works, they heavily drew on esoteric symbols and cultivated the image of the artist as a magician, visionary, and alchemist. This catalog explores the myriad ways, in which magic and the occult informed the development of the Surrealist movement in international perspective, from the “metaphysical paintings” of Giorgio de Chirico through to works of the post-war period. Lavishly illustrated, it combines longer research essays with focused chapter introductions, all penned by leading scholars in the field. Amongst the many fascinating artists included in the volume are Victor Brauner, Leonora Carrington, Paul Delvaux, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Leonor Fini, René Magritte, Roberto Matta, Kay Sage, Kurt Seligmann, Dorothea Tanning, Yves Tanguy, and Remedios Varo.

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Book SynopsisRichly illustrated with images of her art and views of the two homes she designed and furnished in New Mexico, the book also includes never before published photographs of O'Keeffe's clothes. The author has attributed some of the most exquisite of these garments to O'Keeffe, a skilled seamstress who understood fabric and design, and who has become an icon in today's fashion world as much for her personal style as for her art. As one of her friends stated, O'Keeffe "never allowed her life to be one thing and her painting another." This fresh and carefully researched study brings O'Keeffe's style to life, illuminating how this beloved American artist purposefully proclaimed her modernity in the way she dressed and posed for photographers, from Alfred Stieglitz to Bruce Weber. This beautiful book accompanies the first museum exhibition to bring together photographs, clothes, and art to explore O'Keeffe's unified modernist aesthetic.Published in association with the Brooklyn MuseumTrade Review"Living Modern has been organized by the influential historian of early American modernism, Wanda M. Corn, whose depth of research is reflected in an exceptional catalog." -The New York Times"Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern is an outstanding addition to the body of knowledge pertaining to O'Keeffe, presenting her in an entirely new and fresh dimension: her realm of fashion and lifestyle." -New York Journal of Books "Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern is an outstanding addition to the body of knowledge pertaining to O'Keeffe, presenting her in an entirely new and fresh dimension: her realm of fashion and lifestyle." -New York Journal of Books -Living Modern has been organized by the influential historian of early American modernism, Wanda M. Corn, whose depth of research is reflected in an exceptional catalog.- -The New York Times-Living Modern has been organized by the influential historian of early American modernism, Wanda M. Corn, whose depth of research is reflected in an exceptional catalog.- -The New York Times "Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern is an outstanding addition to the body of knowledge pertaining to O'Keeffe, presenting her in an entirely new and fresh dimension: her realm of fashion and lifestyle." -New York Journal of Books "Living Modern has been organized by the influential historian of early American modernism, Wanda M. Corn, whose depth of research is reflected in an exceptional catalog." -The New York Times "Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern is an outstanding addition to the body of knowledge pertaining to O'Keeffe, presenting her in an entirely new and fresh dimension: her realm of fashion and lifestyle." -New York Journal of Books

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Book SynopsisThe book Art Forms in Nature is a collection of prints, made by the scientist Ernst Haeckel, of an enormous variety of flora and fauna from the sea-including microscopic Radiolaria, starfish and jelly fish-and since Prestel published it in 1998, it has been a favourite with artists, designers, illustrators and anyone who enjoys the wondrous forms of the natural world. Now paper engineer Maike Biederstaedt has transformed Haeckel's transcendent work into a three-dimensional book that allows readers to appreciate Haeckel's vivid colours, exceptional precision and fascination with patterns and geometry. This stunning book features seven pop-ups that allow readers to see nature's brilliance the way that Haeckel did-as marvellous, mathematically based creations that support his theory of the unity of all living things. Certain to appeal to his huge variety of fans, this pop-up version of a timeless classic will be treasured for years to come.

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Book SynopsisPioneering and sometimes problematic Tropical Modernism is an essential subject for fans of Le Corbusier and BauhausEmerging in the death throes of colonial rule, the story of Tropical Modernism is one of politics and power, decolonization and defiance. Its leading proponents, British architects Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry, adapted a utopian Bauhaus-derived Modernist aesthetic to hot and humid conditions. After Independence, Tropical Modernism was championed by leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru and Kwame Nkrumah as a symbol of freedom, progressiveness and internationalism in monumental projects such as Chandigarh in Punjab planned by Le Corbusier and Black Star Square in Accra designed by Victor Adegbite. Scrutinizing the colonial narratives surrounding Tropical Modernism, and foregrounding the experience of African and Indian practitioners, this book reassesses an architectural style which has increasing relevance in today's changing climate.

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Book SynopsisFrom camisoles to corsets, basques to boudoir caps and girdles to garters, Underwear: Fashion in Detail gets up close to some of the most intimate items in the V&A. The book traces the evolution of underwear, from rare examples dating from the sixteenth century and the exaggerated shapes of eighteenth-century courtly undergarments, to Dior's curvaceous 'New Look' girdles to contemporary lingerie by Agent Provocateur and Rigby and Peller. Meticulous colour photography shows these fascinating garments in close detail, while intricate line drawings reveal their construction. The book also highlights the work of designers such as Vionnet and Westwood, who have taken influence from underwear for their own outerwear creations.Table of ContentsIntroduction -- Covering Up -- Decoration -- Control and Constrict -- Fastenings -- Support and Uplift -- Volume -- Inside Out

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Book SynopsisThe First Signs is the first-ever exploration of the little-known geometric images that accompany most cave art around the world—the first indications of symbolic meaning, intelligence, and language.     Join renowned archaeologist Genevieve von Petzinger on an Indiana Jones-worthy adventure from the open-air rock art sites of northern Portugal to the dark depths of a remote cave in Spain that can only be reached by sliding face-first through the mud. Von Petzinger looks past the beautiful horses, powerful bison, graceful ibex, and faceless humans in the ancient paintings. Instead, she’s obsessed with the abstract geometric images that accompany them, the terse symbols that appear more often than any other kinds of figures—signs that have never really been studied or explained until now.     Part travel journal, part popular science, part personal narrative, von Petzinger’s groundbreaking book starts to crack the code on the first form of graphic communication. It’s in her blood, as this talented scientist’s grandmother served as a code-breaker at Bletchley. Discernible patterns emerge that point to abstract thought and expression, and for the first time, we can begin to understand the changes that might have been happening inside the minds of our Ice Age ancestors—offering a glimpse of when they became us.Trade Review"Genevieve von Petzinger reveals that, beyond the iconic images of horses and bison so transcendent in their beauty, are 32 signs that may represent a vocabulary written literally in stone, symbols that offer an opening into the Paleolithic mind. This may represent one of the most extraordinary scientific insights of our time." -- Wade Davis, author of The Serpent and the Rainbow * Professor of Anthropology Faculty Associate, University of British Columbia *"If you love mysteries, you'll love this book. Archaeologist von Petzinger acts as guide and sleuth in this fascinating, accessible, and fast-paced exploration of Ice Age artists and the evocative cave paintings they left behind.Von Petzinger offers a new way to think about why our distant relatives created this art, and what it means. You'll come away with a deeper appreciation for these great artists, their love of animals and the natural world, and their connection to us." -- Virginia Morell, author of Animal Wise and Ancestral Passions.“In this wonder-filled book Genevieve von Petzinger takes us tens of thousands of years back in time, and to some stunningly beautiful sites, in a fascinating attempt to penetrate the psyches of those ancient people.” -- Ian Tattersall, author of The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack and Other Cautionary Tales from Human EvolutionVon Petzinger has created a fascinating look at signs found in the caves that have not been thought of before. I have been in many of the caves myself and recognized many of the symbols. I thought her analysis of the symbols reflected the intelligence of our ancient ancestors. She has done a remarkable job of analyzing part of the cave art that has never been done in that way before." -- Jean Auel, author of the bestselling Earth's Children series"Fascinating, a journey through later prehistory, interspersed with personal anecdotes of her exploration. She delves expertly into many of the questions around the earliest expressions of art, symbols and language." -- Louise Leakey, paleontologist, Director at the Turkana Basin Institute"Brings fresh eyes and fascinating theses to the study of ancient rock art... Lively... Linking these systems to other graphic conventions may eventually yield some sort of Rosetta stone... Anyone who's longed to visit Lascaux or the caves of Cantabria will be eager to read von Petzinger's admirable efforts at cracking the code." * Kirkus *"An exceptional read that should capture the imagination of anyone fascinated by time, humanity, and prehistory." * Library Journal (Starred Review) *

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Book SynopsisPainter, sculptor, writer, filmmaker, and all-round showman Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was one of the 20th century’s greatest exhibitionists and eccentrics. One of the first artists to apply the insights of Freudian psychoanalysis to art, he is celebrated in particular for his surrealist practice, with such conceits as the soft watches or the lobster telephone, now hallmarks of the surrealist enterprise, and of modernism in general. Dalí frequently described his paintings as “hand-painted dream photographs.” Their tantalizing tension and interest resides in the precise rendering of bizarre elements and incongruous arrangements. As Dalí himself explained, he painted with “the most imperialist fury of precision,” but only “to systematize confusion and thus to help discredit completely the world of reality.”Revolutionizing the role of the artist, the mustache-twirling Dalí also had the intuition to parade a controversial persona in the public arena and, through printmaking, fashion, advertising, writing, and film, to create work that could be consumed and not just contemplated on a gallery wall. This book explores both the painting and the personality of Dalí, introducing his technical skill as well as his provocative compositions and challenging themes of death, decay, and eroticism.

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Book SynopsisWith his instantly recognizable decorative style, Czech artist and Art Nouveau master Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) defined the look of the fin-de-siècle. In evocative shades of peach, gold, ochre, and olive, his seductive compositions of patterns, flowers, and beautiful women became paradigms of the Belle Époque years. Mucha’s work permeated illustration, posters, postcards, and the advertising designs of his day. His striking posters of star actress Sarah Bernhardt were particularly famous. Alongside this delicate decorative work, Mucha also harbored strongly felt political ideas. With his monumental cycle The Slav Epic, he expressed his staunch support for Pan-Slavism, promoting the political independence of the Czech and Slavic nations from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Compiled in association with the Mucha Foundation, this book presents key works and introduces the full reach of Mucha’s œuvre from patterned decoration to his book illustrations, posters, photographs and monumental paintings.

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Book SynopsisThe Art Deco style is so recognisable and widespread that its original impact on the culture in which it emerged has been all but lost in the clutter of imitation. This book draws our attention back to the birth of Art Deco—a period between two devastating world wars when industrialisation was flourishing, interest in archaeology was peaking and movements such as Cubism, Constructivism, Futurism and Modernism were turning the art world on its head. Brilliantly designed to reflect the style it celebrates, Art Deco is filled with hundreds of examples of painting, architecture, interiors, jewelry, crafts, furniture and fashion. Author Norbert Wolf traces the chronology of the Art Deco style by looking at the politics and culture of Europe in the 1920s and early 30s and the artistic movements that paralleled its popularity. He follows Art Deco’s influence in Europe and its spread to the Americas and Asia. Most importantly, this wide-ranging volume looks beyond the era of Art Deco’s origination to the present day. Pointing to the numerous revivals and contemporary echoes in painting and even literature, this beautiful volume demonstrates the style’s lasting importance.

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Book SynopsisThe collected works of Julius Csotonyi, one of the world''s most high profile and talented contemporary paleoartists. Csotonyi has considerable academic expertise that contributes to his stunning dynamic art.Csotonyi represents the natural world photorealistically and has been influenced by natural history illustrators such as Peter Zallinger, Doug Henderson and Greg Paul. He uses bold patterns and colors to paint the prehistoric world both with traditional media as well as modern digital techniques.

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Book SynopsisBorn in London and raised in Nigeria, Shonibare employs a diverse range of media - from sculpture, painting and installation to photography and film - to probe matters of race, class, cultural identity and history. He is perhaps best known for his signature use of a colourful "African" batik fabric that actually originated in Indonesia and was introduced to Africa in the 19th century by British and Dutch colonisers. Incorporated into Victorian costumes, covering sculptures of extraterrestrials, or stretched like canvas for paintings, these vibrant textiles cleverly challenge issues of origin and authenticity. This book - the most comprehensive resource available on Shonibare - presents the best work of the London-based artist's career, including his high-profile project for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London and other innovative public sculptures. Whether lampooning Victorian propriety or commenting on what it means to be an "alien," Shonibare makes art that challenges straightforward interpretations.

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Book SynopsisAt the outset of his career, Norman Rockwell was not the most likely candidate for long-term celebrity; he was just one of many skilful illustrators working within the conventions of the day.But there was something tenacious about his vision, and something uncanny about his access to the wellsprings of public taste. Although technically he was an academic painter, he had the eye of a photographer and, as he became a mature artist, he used this eye to give us a picture of America that was familiar - astonishingly so - and at the same time unique.It seems familiar because it was everyone''s dream of America; and it was unique because only Rockwell managed to bring it to life with such authority.This was, perhaps, an America that never existed, but it was an America the public wanted to exist.And Rockwell put it together from elements that were there for everyone to see.Rockwell helped preserve American myths, but, more than that, he recreated them and made them palatable for new generations.His function was to reassure people, to remind them of old values in times of rapid change.

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Book SynopsisVenture into Emerald City and show off your love for Wicked with this deluxe journal featuring an elegant velvet ribbon page marker adorned with an enameled hot air balloon charm.

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Book SynopsisA richly illustrated volume surveying the career of Caspar David Friedrich, the German landscape painter whose emotionally profound visions of nature are among the most iconic works of Romantic art The paintings and drawings of the nineteenth-century German landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich (17741840) brilliantly illuminate our experience of the natural world. This generously illustrated volume explores how Friedrich, who created some of the most indelible images of Romantic art, deployed signature motifsmoonlit skies, Gothic ruins, isolated figures, and misty panoramastogether with innovative compositional strategies to create paintings and drawings that are metaphorically rich and emotionally profound. Friedrich worked at the dawn of a new understanding in Europe of the human relationship with the nature, as German artists and intellectuals elevated the exploration of nature into a journey of self-discovery, yielding insights into spirituality, mortality, identity, and history. Essays by leading scholars examine Friedrich's career, considering how he created a new and open-ended pictorial language to express the Romantic vision of nature. Placing his works in cultural and historic context, the authors evaluate his status as an icon of German Romanticism and as a touchstone for visual culture in the United States, while also exploring his working methods and the complex themes that underpinned his art. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (February 8May 11, 2025)

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Book SynopsisCoco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is an illustrated biography of Coco’s Chanel's life from the internationally reknown illustrator and author, Megan Hess. It features key moments from Coco's amazing life and iconic items from the fashion empire that she built. Think an illustrated picture book for adults, told through Megan's stylish and feminine illustrations with a fun, whimsical and magical bent. Coco Chanel takes us on a romp through the three distinct chapters of Coco's life: from Coco’s early life and building the brand, to the empire she created, to the legacy she left behind, and how her style is still influential and iconic today.Hess’s book literally paints a picture of the woman who forever changed the way women dress.—The AustralianCoco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is a beautifully presented biography of the designer—Books + Publishing NationalStyle lovers, unite! This amazing guided tour of Chanel’s game-changing empire is made for coffee tables—CleoAustralian illustrator Megan Hess, whose work graces prestigious designers and brands including Chanel, Carrier and Tiffany and Co., creates a whimsical adventure through the world of Mademoiselle Chanel—PRIMOLife

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Book SynopsisIt is so good, after so many years of public indifference, even hostility towards Vincent and his work, to feel towards the end of my life that the battle is won.' JO VAN GOGH-BONGER TO GUSTAVE COQUIOT, 1922It is a sacrifice for the sake of Vincent's glory.' JO VAN GOGH-BONGER ON THE SALE OF THE SUNFLOWERS' TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY, UK, 1924Little known but no less influential, Jo van Gogh-Bonger was sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh, wife of his brother, Theo. When the brothers died soon after each other, she took charge of Van Gogh's artistic legacy and devoted the rest of her life to disseminating his work.Despite being widowed with a young son, Jo successfully navigated the male-dominated world of the art marketpublishing Van Gogh's letters, organizing exhibitions in the Netherlands and throughout the world, and making strategic sales to private individuals and influential dealersultimately establishing Van Gogh's reputation as one of the finest artists oTrade Review[Luijten] presents a fascinating and detailed account of [Jo van Gogh-Bonger’s] astonishing life … [A] magnificent tribute. -- Martin Bailey * The Art Newspaper *Magisterial. . . . Luijten has produced the most significant addition to the Van Gogh literature in nearly forty years. * New Criterion *Thorough … from which [Jo van Gogh-Bonger] emerges as both formidable and fascinating in her own right. * New Statesman *Art historians say Luijten’s biography is a major step in what will be an ongoing reappraisal — not only of the source of van Gogh’s fame but also of the modern notion of what an artist is. For that, too, is something Jo helped to invent. * Russell Shorto, The New York Times *Compelling … The book brings a remarkable woman to wider notice … The van Gogh brothers were inseparable, in life and death, but thanks to this author’s diligence, Jo now has her place alongside them. -- Michael Prodger * Country Life *[A] superb biography of the … extraordinary Jo van Gogh-Bonger. So much has been written on Vincent van Gogh that you wonder what more can be said. It turns out much more on the woman who was the early driving force behind the Dutch artist’s legacy. -- Jacqueline Riding * The Art Newspaper (Books of the Year) *[An] important biography. -- Elizabeth Lowry * Times Literary Supplement *This revelatory new biography portrays [Jo van Gogh Bonger] as a visionary woman, driven to shake the art world to the core, who took charge of van Gogh’s artistic legacy after the brothers’ deaths. It also sheds new light on the complex history of how public appreciation for the work of van Gogh the artist originated and grew. * The Bookseller *An accessible, immensely researched and vital record of van Gogh-Bonger’s remarkable life … [Jo] ensured that Vincent’s talent and pieces lived on; now her own extraordinary work and legacy are highlighted in this essential book from Luijten. -- Chloe Edwards * Buzz *A fascinating and copiously illustrated biography of van Gogh’s remarkable sister in law. -- John Green * Morning Star *More than a literary biography... Jo’s life and her experiences in the international art world fascinate and enthral. * De Standaard *This incredibly granular account of the life of Jo van Gogh-Bonger finally gives her the credit she deserves. . . . Inspiring. * Artnet *All for Vincent captivates you. It is as if you are a personal witness to the story of a girl from Amsterdam who breaks free from her protective environment and grows into a strong and dedicated woman in a world that is dominated by men. * Trouw *The book provides an ideal compliment to the letters and diaries, fleshing out what is, in the latter case for Jo, a rather fragmentary record, largely preoccupied with what she describes as, 'the mirror of my inner life'. Armed with all the archive material at his disposal, Mr Luijten expertly fills in the gaps using sources that include not only Jo's diaries, but [from] her son, Vincent Willum ... this reader can only recommend [the author's] book. * Journal of Curatorial Studies *It’s massively important. [...] It shows that without Jo there would have been no van Gogh. * Steven Naifeh, author of the bestselling 'Van Gogh: The Life' (2011) and ‘Van Gogh and the Artists He Loved’ (2021) *Table of ContentsIntroduction: ‘An Amsterdam girl’ Part One: A respectable middle-class family—the Bongers, 1862–88 1. A carefree childhood in a harmonious family 2. HBS and training as an English teacher 3. Translator, teacher and love for Eduard Stumpff Part Two: Initiation into art—the Van Goghs, 1888–91 4. Prelude to her marriage to Theo van Gogh 5. Married life and motherhood in Paris 6. Life with the duality of Theo and Vincent Part Three: Boarding house keeper with an attic full of art, 1891–1901 7. Back in the Netherlands—Villa Helma in Bussum 8. Contacts with Jan Veth, Jan Toorop and Richard Roland Holst 9. Playing with fire—Isaac Israëls Part Four: Second marriage and concentrated promotion of Van Gogh’s work, 1901–5 10. Johan Cohen Gosschalk—Villa Eikenhof in Bussum 11. Reviewing books and promoting Van Gogh—back in Amsterdam Part Five: Van Gogh goes from strength to strength, 1905–12 12. A magnificent exhibition in the summer of 1905 13. The art dealers Gaston Bernheim, Paul Cassirer and Johannes de Bois 14. Contracts for publication of Van Gogh’s letters Part Six: Efforts for social democracy and publication of Van Gogh’s letters, 1912–25 15. The Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij (SDAP) 16. The publication of Brieven aan zijn broeder (Letters to his Brother) (1914) 17. New York-translations of the letters into English 18. A sacrifice for Vincent’s glory Epilogue: ‘An exceptional example for women’ Notes Illustrations Abbreviations Bibliography Acknowledgements Index of Names and Titles

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Book SynopsisWhy would a smart New York investment banker pay twelve million dollars for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollock’ s drip painting No.5 1948 sell for $140 million? The first book to look at the economics of the modern art world, and the marketing strategies that power the market to produce such astronomical prices, this surprising and revelatory book explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art world in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work valuable while others are ignored. Drawing on interviews with past and present executives of auction houses and art dealerships, artists, and the buyers who move the market, Thompson launches the reader on a journey of discovery through the peculiar world of modern art to reveal the source of Charles Saatchi’s Midas touch, and how far a gallery like White Cube has contributed to Damien Hirst becoming one of the highest-earning artists in the world.Trade Review'If you read no other book about art in your life, read the one that's gripped me like a thriller for the past two days.’ – Richard Morisson‘This enthralling, revelation-rich trip through the “money game” of the art market brings an economist’s eye – and a dry, sceptical wit- to its absurdities.’‘Don Thompson is an entertaining sceptic when it comes to contemporary art…a much-needed attempt to get to grips with the mysteries of the art market…Thompson’s knowledge of markets and law is a convincing and informative read.’'If you read no other book about art in your life, read the one that's gripped me like a thriller for the past two days.’ – Richard Morisson ‘ This enthralling, revelation-rich trip through the “ money game” of the art market brings an economist’ s eye – and a dry, sceptical wit- to its absurdities.’ 'Intriguing and readable' ‘ Don Thompson is an entertaining sceptic when it comes to contemporary art… a much-needed attempt to get to grips with the mysteries of the art market… Thompson’ s knowledge of markets and law is a convincing and informative read.’

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a wide-ranging introduction to the way that art was made, valued, and viewed in northern Europe in the age of the Renaissance, from the late fourteenth to the early years of the sixteenth century. Drawing on a rich range of sources, from inventories and guild regulations to poetry and chronicles, it examines everything from panel paintings to carved altarpieces. While many little-known works are foregrounded, Susie Nash also presents new ways of viewing and understanding the more familiar, such as the paintings of Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, and Hans Memling, by considering the social and economic context of their creation and reception. Throughout, Nash challenges the perception that Italy was the European leader in artistic innovation at this time, demonstrating forcefully that Northern art, and particularly that of the Southern Netherlands, dominated visual culture throughout Europe in this crucial period.Trade ReviewNash weaves a broad, intricate tapestry of the cultures and material practices of art. * Joseph Leo Koerner, Harvard University *An excellent, in-depth overview exploring themes central to contemporary art history studies. * Kim Woods, The Open University *brilliant overview. * Burlington Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Problems and Perspectives ; 2. Centres, Consumers, and Artists ; 3. Processes and Procedures ; 4. Using and Viewing ; Notes ; Further Reading ; Timeline

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Book SynopsisA complete and in-depth look at the art of the newest Star Trek trilogy. Covering the creation of Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond, this lavish art book contains never-before-seen concept art and designs, as well as interviews with the key creatives who helped bring these exciting movies to life on the big screen.Trade Review“a lavish art book” - Kirkus Reviews“A beautiful book that'll give you tons of insight into the design of everything in the newest Star Trek films.” - Adventures in Poor Taste“a fantastic movie companion” Gamers Sphere“an excellent addition to any Star Trek fan’s reference collection” - Trek Core

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Book SynopsisDiscover how scenes of daily life and delicate dabs of color shocked the art world establishment. In this TASCHEN Basic Art introduction to Impressionism, we explore the artists, subjects, and techniques that first brought the easel out of the studio and shifted artistic attention from history, religion, or portraiture to the evanescent ebb and flow of modern life. As we tour the theaters, bars, and parks of Paris and beyond, we take in the movement’s radical innovations in style and subject, from the principle of plein air painting to the rapid, broken brushwork that allowed the Impressionists to emphasize spontaneity, movement, and the changing qualities of light. We take a close look at their unusual new perspectives and their fresh palette of pure, unblended colors, including many vividly bright shades that brought a whole new level of chromatic intensity to the canvas. Along the way, we recognize Impressionism’s established greats, such as Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, and Camille Pissarro, as well as many associated artists worthy of closer attention, including Marie Bracquemond, Medardo Rosso, and Fritz von Uhde.

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