History of art Books

Book SynopsisFor fans of big-screen monster films, KAIDA Yuji is a very well known name. Best known for his vivid illustrations of Godzilla and other popular Toho kaiju, some of Mr KAIDA's most beautiful work is presented here in this full-color flexicover volume. This book's 128 pages are packed with lush artwork, including a brand new piece showing Godzilla in London, created especially for this book.Whether you are an admirer of this Japanese master's work or just a fan of monster movie art, this book is an essential purchase!

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Book SynopsisPart of a series of exciting and luxurious Flame Tree Notebooks. Combining high-quality production with magnificent fine art, the covers are printed on foil in five colours, embossed then foil stamped. And they're powerfully practical: a pocket at the back for receipts and scraps, two bookmarks and a solid magnetic side flap. These are perfect for personal use and make a dazzling gift. This example is based on The Virgin, c. 1913 by Klimt (1862–1918), and printed on silver.

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Book SynopsisFrom distinguished critic and curator John-Paul Stonard, a dazzling, panoramic world history of art from ancient times to the present for the twenty-first century reader. Creation tells the extraordinary story of how people all over the globe, from prehistory to the present day, have created images in order to understand the world they inhabit. It explores the remarkable endurance of this creative impulse, and by tracing the diversity of artistic forms through the ages, offers a comprehensive and exhilarating introduction to world art.Historian, critic, and curator John-Paul Stonard has assembled a dazzling array of paintings, sculptures and artifacts to tell a story of vitality and renewal. Fully illustrated, each chapter of Creation allows intimate access to key works of art and the conversations surrounding them, from the earliest cave paintings of the Palaeolithic Era to the conceptual art of today. Stonard has written a captivating anTrade ReviewA worthy and richly illustrated successor to Ernst Gombrich's fabled The Story of Art * Sunday Times, Best Art Books 2021 *Stonard traverses the sweep of human history, moving between cultures and hemispheres ... His book consists of myriad flashes of brilliance and inventiveness ... In sheer scope and ambition, Creation finds a precedent in Ernst Gombrich’s The Story of Art (1950) ... Stonard both emulates and expands upon Gombrich’s masterly and ubiquitous account. But he also offers something distinct, substituting the grand narrative with a pluralistic, incidental and shifting approach. It leads into the near present in the style of a prolonged ellipsis – a promise of "more to come" -- James Cahill * Literary Review *If The Story of Art were written today, it would look very much like Creation … This bountifully illustrated book is a history of connections … [Stonard has a] lucid, thoughtful style ... He manages to show both how the great names of Western art and their peers elsewhere in the world were driven by the same forces, but above all that making art is "part of what it means to be human" -- Michael Prodger * Country Life *Creation has moments of delight and insight * The Critic *

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Book SynopsisFrom the kitchen of a world-renowned chef comes this treasury of authentic Mexican recipes inspired by the painter Frida Kahlo and filled with mouthwatering photography.A little-known fact about iconic artist Frida Kahlo was her love of Mexican cuisine, especially that of her mother's birthplace Oaxaca. Frida loved dishes such as mole, tamales and enchiladas and savored trips to the market in Coyocan. Her famous Mole Poblano recipe, a chocolate-chili sauce, indispensable to Mexican cuisine, now hangs in the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City. This luxurious cookbook is filled with authentic dishes that reflect Kahlo's distinctive style. Saturated with color and flavor, it includes fundamental recipes for the building blocks of Mexican gastronomytortillas, moles, salsas, beans, chiles, and beveragesas well as classic dishes such as tacos with beef, pork and chicken; enchiladas

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Book SynopsisThis is the best single account of the psychoanalysis of creativity, pseudo-creativity and the perverse mind. The author explores art, film and literature to show the relations between true creativity and the artful universe of the pervert.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive and authorised biography of the artist Vanessa Bell. Even through the lens of the twenty-first century, the story of Vanessa Bell’s life is unorthodox. A powerful magnetic figure, Bell lived at the heart of the Bloomsbury Group and was often the core figure around which the disparate individuals of the movement revolved. Her art and designs – so often overshadowed by her sister Virginia Woolf’s writings and fame and by the interest in her own unconventional life – made a significant contribution to the history of the Bloomsbury Group. Yet, until this authorised biography was written, she has remained a largely silent and enigmatic figure. In this captivating account, acclaimed art historian and biographer Frances Spalding restores Bell to the heart of the Bloomsbury Group, illuminating an exceptional life and the free-spirited circle among which she lived.Table of ContentsList of Plates Preface to New Edition Preface Acknowledgements Always the Eldest 1879–1895 Mrs Young’s Evening Dress 1895–1904 Changing Places 1904–1906 Mr and Mrs Clive Bell 1907–1909 Petticoats over Windmills 1910–1912 Asheham 1912–1914 Granite and Rainbow 1914–1916 One Among Three 1916–1918 At Home and Abroad 1919–1926 Charleston in France 1927–1930 High Yellow 1930–1934 Between Bloomsbury and China 1935–1937 Bitter Odds 1937–1945 The Attic Studio 1945–1961 Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis'You will have a moment of quiet delight and a mood of introspection to carry you away.' Edmund de Waal Prized by collectors from East to West, Japanese netsuke are tiny objects of wonder that originated as utilitarian accessories for traditional Japanese dress. Over the centuries these small carved toggles, designed to hook over the top of the kimono sash, evolved into high-fashion depictions of all aspects of Japanese life. In this richly illustrated and highly accessible book, Julia Hutt draws on the V&A's world-famous netsuke collection to explore the origins and techniques of this captivating art form.

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Book SynopsisRenowned for its graciousness and elegance, the fashions of the 1910s would undergo some quite revolutionary changes. In the early years of Edward VII''s reign fashionable ladies wore delicately colored, flower-and-lace-trimmed trailing gowns over tight corsets, accessorized by elaborate hairstyles. Women scoured the new fashion magazines to see the new designs from Parisian couturiers, such as Worth and Jeanne Paquin. From around 1906, these excessively luxurious fashions began to fade away, with a new designer, Paul Poiret, causing a stir with his richly colored column gowns and turbans. By 1914, women''s wear was transformed with women wearing boldly colored, dramatically stylized Eastern-inspired kimono wraps, slender hobble skirts, ankle-skimming tunic dresses and turbans. Daniel Milford-Cottam explains these new developments in fashion, and how different fashions were worn by both the most fashionable ladies, and those on more limited budgets. The book will also look at the evoluTable of ContentsIntroduction: Setting the Scene / 1901–5: An Era of Unremitting Opulence / 1906–10: Artistic Modes and the Directoire Girl / Menswear: Morning Coats and Lounge Suits / 1910–14: Hobble Skirts and Exoticism / Epilogue: The First World War / Further Reading / Index

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Book SynopsisFor almost half a century Valentino dominated Italian haute couture, dressing the world's wealthiest and most glamorous women. Only a few years after opening his fashion house in Rome in 1959, Valentino could already count Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn among his devotees. Despite his retirement in 2007 little has changed; his brand continues to thrive and prosper, and is worn by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez. Valentino has always designed magnificent gowns, never wavering from his signature style despite fads like grunge, deconstruction, and minimalism.This book traces Valentino's illustrious career through copious images from his archives, including drawings, magazine editorial shoots, advertisements, portraits, and documentary photographs. Presented chronologically, the visual material is accompanied by a vast array of newspaper and magazine articles about Valentino throughout the years. Combined, they provide an in-depth look at the man, his lifestyle, and his genius.

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Book SynopsisThese fine-quality tear-out wrapping sheets feature six whimsical watercolour patterns, suitable for craft projects as well as for gift wrapping.

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Book SynopsisThe art of Japanese woodblock printing, known as ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), reflects the rich history and way of life in Japan hundreds of years ago. Ukiyo-e: The Art of the Japanese Print takes a thematic approach to this iconic Japanese art form, considering prints by subject matter: geisha and courtesans, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, erotica, nature, historical subjects and even images of foreigners in Japan.An artist himself, author Frederick Harris—a well-known American collector who lived in Japan for 50 years—pays special attention to the methods and materials employed in Japanese printmaking. The book traces the evolution of ukiyo-e from its origins in metropolitan Edo (Tokyo) art culture as black and white illustrations, to delicate two-color prints and multicolored designs. Advice to admirers on how to collect, care for, view and buy Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints rounds out this book of charming, carefully selected prints.Trade Review"I was immediately drawn to this handsome book, and my expectation of a fine journey into the floating world pictures became fulfilled. First, the color reproductions of Frederick Harris's high-quality choices give a good sense of the way woodblock prints appear in life. Second, his writing is clear, welcoming, deeply informed, and well organized. The stated aim of Frederick Harris was to appeal to a new generation of art lovers and collectors. He appears to have hit the target. This is a wonderfully worthy effort and result--a true labor of love." --Maine Antique Digest"A unique book on Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and one that is essential reading for all collectors, cultural historians and anyone intrigued by this endlessly fascinating subject!" --Peter Grilli, President, Japan Society of Boston"This is a fine and passionate contribution to the vast literature on the Japanese print." --Alexandra Munroe, Samsung Senior Curator of Asian Art, Guggenheim Museum

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""[A] beautiful book. . . . An exquisite work of art in its own right. . . . [The Tale of Genji] is a fascinating way to immerse oneself not only in Genji’s world but also in the refined culture of 16th-century Japan, through both words and pictures."---Lesley Downer, Literary Review"Written in the 11th century by the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji is a masterpiece of prose and poetry that is widely considered the world’s first novel. This stunning compendium combines discussions of all 54 of its chapters with paintings and calligraphy from the Genji Album (1510) in the Harvard Art Museums, the oldest dated set of Genji illustrations known to exist, here fully reproduced for the first time. English and Japanese transcriptions of the album’s calligraphy are included." * Publishers Weekly *"[Tale of Genji: A Visual Companion] serves equally well as a thorough introduction to a work of great literary and art-historical importance, and a deep dive into the book’s cultural and narrative subtleties for those who are already students of The Tale of Genji. . . . McCormick’s elucidation of the sprawling, dramatic, and beautiful Tale of Genji makes this book an educational experience for those of us without access to a Harvard survey course on the subject." * Hyperallergic *"McCormick here provides a condensed version of the novel ….[Her] commentary provides not only synopses of the corresponding chapters in the original novel, but also an interpretation of the album’s calligraphy, which often includes some symbolic meaning….McCormick also analyses the paintings, all of which are phenomenal works of art."---Claire Kohda Hazelton, Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisPresenting classic Japanese woodblock prints, Japan Journeys offers a unique perspective on the country's most famous travel destinations.This stunning art book gathers together approximately two hundred Japanese woodblock prints depicting scenic spots and cultural icons that still delight visitors today. Many of the prints are by masters such as Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, and Utagawa Kunisada, and currently hang in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide. Katsuhika Hokusai, the artform's most celebrated artist, is also well represented, with many prints from his "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road" series and "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series, including his world-renowned "Great Wave" print. In addition to prints showcasing Japan's natural beauty, this carefully curated selection depicts roads and railways; favorite pastimes, such as blossom viewing and attending festivals; beloved entertainment, such as kabuki theater; the fashions they wore, and the food they ate. Author Andreas Marks is a leading expert on Japanese woodblock prints, and his Illuminating captions provide background context to the scenes depicted.Trade Review"The meticulous organization of information notwithstanding, it is the prints which are the chief pleasure of the book: 523 prints that bring to life a Japan of heroic tales, beautiful women, ghosts, warriors, demons, and spring cherry blossoms. The exuberance of color, motion, and expression, all carefully arranged, make this a book for scholars and browsers, serious collectors, and hedonists alike." --ForeWord Reviews"Marks's (director & chief curator, Clark Ctr. for Japanese Art) clear, informative text, while valuable for scholars beginning research, also remains accessible to the average reader. With excellent production values and a modest price, this volume is recommended for all libraries, academic and public." --Library Journal"…recommended for arts holdings and collections strong in Japanese culture alike." --Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisDress up your drawings any way you like using this complete all-in-one style guide!Have you ever struggled to get the drape of a dress or the look of a jacket just right? Maybe you've mastered the human form but your drawings lack a sense of fashion? Or perhaps you're a budding fashionista who loves decking your characters out in elegant, outrageous or cutting-edge outfits? No matter how you wish to clothe your creations, in traditional togs or casual fashions, How to Create Manga: Drawing Clothing and Accessories is the perfect tutorial for you!Fashion meets form in this essential style guide to dressing up your drawings. Drape your manga creations in the wardrobe of your dreams, while learning techniques and tips used by professional illustrators to realistically draw clothing and accessories of all types—from blouses and T-shirts to button downs, sweaters, coats, pants, skirts and shorts. And what about the accessories? Boots, belts, shoes and sandals are all included as well, along with detailed coverage of satchels, purses and backpacks.How to Create Manga: Drawing Clothing and Accessories is the fashion bible used by manga artists in Japan. It presents more than 900 drawings by twelve accomplished illustrators, covering a broad range of fashions. Detailed, in-depth instructionals show you how to render not just the garments themselves, but the folds, creases and wrinkles that give them a sense of realism and movement.Other books in the series include How to Create Manga: Drawing Facial Expressions, How to Create Manga: Drawing the Human Body and How to Create Manga: Drawing Action Scenes and Characters.Trade Review"…richly designed books that SHOW you how to refine and perfect your drawings so you actually improve…if you're (or someone you know is) looking to up your game and improve your art, they've made it super easy to assemble a super helpful library." --The Roarbots"…Profusely and usefully illustrated…the detailed, in-depth, and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructions make this the perfect DIY guide and manual. Unreservedly recommended for community, art school, and college/university library Art Instruction collections." --Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisPainting and Understanding Abstract Art is a practical book on how to paint abstracts but it also explains how to approach and understand abstract art. It moves the teaching of art from a doing level of painting a certain subject in a particular medium to a thinking level of 'what am I doing when I paint?' and 'what am I trying to say in this painting?' Using practical exercises with explanatory text, John Lowry develops the thinking and doing processes together and leads the reader to a greater understanding and appreciation of this most exciting art genre. Advice on moving from figurative painting towards abstraction Tools to abstraction explained - simplifying and exaggerating; eliminating curves and straights; changing colours, lines and items ; emphasising positive and negative shapes; and using contrast Practical exercises to help develop your own style and understand the techniques of the masters Overview of the lives and times of artists involved in the stage-by-stage evolution from realism to abstraction

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"What does it mean to say a painting thinks? The central claim of this invigorating book is not that a painting can show thought happening, as in depictions of melancholics musing, head on hand; nor that it can illustrate philosophical concepts. Nor does Hanneke Grootenboer want to argue that a painting is a way of working out a philosophical conundrum; nor even that it can prompt theorisation about the nature of reality, artifice and representation. She argues, instead, for something weirder–and more suggestive. . . . she asks: 'Do we, as viewers, find ourselves pondering these things, or is the painting as such pensive?' Grootenboer wants to affirm the latter." -- Kathryn Murphy * Apollo *"Ideas in Grootenboer’s sense are arresting, Benjaminian, and, therefore, fit for the still medium of painting, where, in her beautiful examples, they crystallize into dangling ribbons, inverted flowers, sliding dewdrops, and teetering gooseberries. . . . Though this book is full of beauty and pleasure, the adjective “pensive” is not, finally, the happiest to attach to the thinking subject—a person or work of art. In Grootenboer’s own words, the pensive image gives rise to an 'uneasy and indeterminate state of openness that allows for the unthought to surface.' As such, the pensive image extends an invitation to take a hard look at things." -- Amy Knight Powell * CAA Reviews *"This deeply thoughtful and compact book, like a self-aware image, also stimulates in its own right, prompting a reader toward unpredictable, wide-ranging pathways during engagement with it. Every sentence, every reference, gives pause, leading to other thoughts or thinkers about art, including contemporary art." -- Larry Silver * Sixteenth Century Journal *"Grootenboer opens up innumerable possible directions in which the reader’s mind could fruitfully err, juxtaposing different viewpoints and insights whose encounters incessantly ignite exciting intellectual sparks . . . one is then mesmerized by the exquisite profundity of some paintings, by the beauty of thinking crystallized into images and then 'melting' once again into a stream of contemplation, and by the lofty level of thinking attained through the collaboration, over centuries and continents, between a few brilliant artists and an attentive, insightful viewer who chose to work as an art historian, transforming visual thought into fine discursive language." -- Itay Sapir * Inquiries into Art, Art History, and the Visual *“Grootenboer’s book provides an accessible, clear, and innovating means of thinking about being by revealing a new philosophical subject: artworks.” * Phenomenological Reviews *“Is there a kind of thinking that painting, or photography, can do, which ‘thinking in words’ cannot? What kind of realm do viewers enter when they go somewhere with an image? Are there pictures that are especially good to think with? These are the questions of Grootenboer’s unflinching, generous book, and her conclusion is pungent: ‘Philosophy . . . needs art to say what it cannot say.’” -- T. J. Clark, author of Heaven on Earth: Painting and the Life to Come“Thinking with Grootenboer is an unequivocal delight. The Pensive Image recuperates the vibrant invitations to contemplate and reflect that lurk in the quiet corners of Dutch art. Grootenboer’s philosophical insight and deft eye for the unexamined detail meld in a book that is refreshingly original and truly engaging at every turn.” -- Marisa Bass, author of Insect Artifice: Nature and Art in the Dutch Revolt“It’s wonderful to finally have this book. For nearly a century now, the history and philosophy of art have been gathering ideas about how pictures seem to embody thought, rather than simply announce narratives or messages. The literature on this subject is bewilderingly diverse, and this is the first book to bring together compatible insights from writers as diverse as Diderot, Winckelmann, Merleau-Ponty, Heidegger, Damisch, Deleuze, Clark, Rancière, Marin, Mitchell, and Barthes. The result is a coherent account of the thought that sounds in ‘stilled images’ of all kinds.” -- James Elkins, coauthor of Visual Worlds: Looking, Images, Visual DisciplinesTable of ContentsArt as a Form of Thinking Part I | Defining the Pensive Image Chapter 1 | Theorizing Stillness Chapter 2 | Tracing the Denkbild Part II | Painting as Philosophical Reflection Chapter 3 | Room for Reflection: Interior and Interiority Chapter 4 | The Profundity of Still Life Chapter 5 |Painting as a Space for Thought Painting’s Wonder Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisArguably the greatest sculptor of all time, Donatello (c.1386-1466) was at the vanguard of a revolution in sculptural practice in the early Renaissance. Combining ideas from classical and medieval sculpture to create innovative sculptural forms, Donatello had an unparalleled ability to portray emotions in works intended to inspire spiritual devotion. Pieces such as the penitent St Mary Magdalene and the bronze of David remain deeply affecting to audiences today. Working in marble, bronze, wood, terracotta and stucco, he contributed to major commissions of church and state; was an intimate of the Medici family and their circle in Florence, and highly sought after in other Italian cities. This book, specially commissioned to accompany the 2023 exhibition at the V&A, explores Donatello's extraordinary creativity within the vibrant artistic and cultural context of fifteenth-century Italy, surveying his early connection with goldsmiths' work and the collaborative nature of his workshop and processes. It also reflects on Donatello's legacy, reviewing how his sculpture inspired subsequent generations in the later Renaissance and beyond.Trade Review'sumptuous', Angelina Villa-Clarke, 25th January 2023, Forbes.comTable of ContentsIntroduction, Peta Motture -- Donatello's Origins: Sculpture and Goldsmithing, Amy R. Bloch -- Making and Viewing: Encountering Donatello's Sculpture, Alison Wright -- Devotion and Emotion in the Art of Donatello, Timothy Verdon -- Donatello: Past to Present, Marc Bormand -- The Many Faces of Patronage, John T. Paoletti -- Imitators, Copyists, Forgers: Emulating Donatello in the Nineteenth Century, Whitney Kerr-Lewis -- CATALOGUE -- Florentine Foundations -- Tradition and Innovation -- Bronzes: Sacred and Secular -- Padua and Northern Italy -- Devotion and Emotion -- Homage to Donatello -- Timeline -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Picture Credits -- Acknowledgements -- Index

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Book SynopsisA reappraisal of the often-overlooked Chinese bronzes made from the twelfth through nineteenth centuries, demonstrating their profound impact on Chinese art and culture Bronze vessels were the ultimate emblems of power in ancient China. Beginning in the twelfth century, their rediscovery as evidence of an earlier golden age led to a revival of bronze casting. This publication is the first comprehensive study of these later Chinese bronzes in archaic styles, which were commissioned by emperors and officials from the twelfth through the nineteenth centuries to assert political legitimacy and alignment with traditional values. Renowned scholar Pengliang Lu redresses the misconception that these works were mere imitations of the ancient vessels they emulated, demonstrating that they were in fact creative reinterpretations of antique shapes and decorative motifs that transformed functional objects into symbols of erudition and taste. Featuring nearly two hundred objects, many never before publishedincluding ceremonial bells, incense burners, flower vases, ritual vessels, and writing utensilsLu explores their cultural and political significance from the Song dynasty through the Qing dynasty and shows their enormous influence on Chinese art and culture. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (March 4September 28, 2025) Shanghai Museum (November 3, 2025March 8, 2026)

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Book SynopsisThis paper pack contains 500 origami papers printed with designs from traditional Bingata folk fabrics. These paper packs make an excellent resource for all different kinds of folding, crafting and scrapbooking projects. The package includes folding sheets as well as a booklet with instructions so that folders can start right away. This origami paper pack includes:500 sheets of high-quality origami paperDouble-sided color (pattern on one side and a solid color on the other side)6 x 6 inch (15 cm) sheetsIntroduction to origami basics and folding techniquesInstructions for 5 easy origami projectsThe designs featured in this set are inspired by Bingata Fabricstraditional designs from Okinawa Japan with Chinese cultural influence. Bingata is made with a variety of techniques and natural dyes, providing an excellent textile design for these unique origami papers.

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Book SynopsisThe first definitive career retrospective of the visionary underground godfather of street art at the centre of New York's 1980s urban art scene.

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Book SynopsisHomecoming, haunting, nostalgia, desire: these are some of the themes evoked by the beguiling motif of the lighted window in literature and art. In this innovative combination of place-writing, memoir and cultural study, Peter Davidson takes us on atmospheric walks through nocturnal cities in Britain, Europe and North America, and revisits the field paths of rural England. Surveying a wide range of material, the book extends, chronologically, from early romantic painting to contemporary fiction, and geographically, from the Low Countries to Japan. It features familiar lighted windows in English literature (in the works of poets such as Thomas Hardy and Matthew Arnold and in the novels of Virginia Woolf, Arthur Conan Doyle and Kenneth Grahame) and examines the painted nocturnes of James Whistler, John Atkinson Grimshaw and the ruralist Samuel Palmer. It also considers Japanese prints of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; German romanticism in painting, poetry and music; Proust and the painters of the French belle époque; René Magritte’s 'L’Empire des Lumières'; and North American painters such as Edward Hopper and Linden Frederick. By interpreting the interactions of art, literature and geography around this evocative motif, Peter Davidson shows how it has inspired an extraordinary variety of moods and ideas, from the romantic period to the present day.Trade Review'This is an art-history and English-literature lesson rolled into one, best enjoyed in the glow of your own bedside lamp, ideally with a storm raging outside.' * Country Life *'Davidson creates his own idiosyncratic, hybrid genre in which cultural history, nature writing and place writing are channelled through personal experience. … [he is] an excellent guide not just along pavements and footpaths but around paintings too, teasing out shades of meaning. ... Imagination and memory, the book suggests, create their own lighted windows in the darkest of journeys and have the power to change the world around us.' * TLS *'Erudite, companionable, and hypnotically satisfying.' * Financial Times *'While it's beautiful to peruse, this is no coffee-table book but a beguiling work of academia and an excellent festive offering for anyone who has walked past a lighted window on a dark evening and wondered about the goings-on inside.' * The Field *'There isn’t a Faber Book of Windows at Night, but Davidson is certainly the man for the job and The Lighted Window is a sort of memoir of the thought processes that would have produced one.' * The Literary Review *'A beautiful and timely book.' * Radio 4 Open Book *'A must-read if you've ever been captivated by a glimpse into another life on your evening stroll.' * OX Magazine *'Will evoke fond memories for any alumnus … the book will banish away winter nights while evoking the anticipation of spring and summer.' * QUAD Magazine *'A connoisseur of the crepuscular, the in-between zone dividing night and day, and all its electrifying implications. ... Winter cities, London nocturnes, northern townscapes … These generate aesthetically significant representations within the boundaries of Peter Davidson’s pungent and particular theme. He brings us some unexpected and enlightening assessments and observations, as his book proceeds on its scholarly and seductive way.' * Dublin Review of Books *'In this gorgeous book, Peter Davidson heads out into Oxford at nightfall, to consider cities in winter and rural summer twilights that embrace the warmth of the day. ... Enchanting.' * The Simple Things *Table of ContentsContents 1. Introduction 2. Winter Cities 3. London Nocturne 4. Windows in the Landscape 5. Northern Townscapes; Western Suburbs 6. Summer Night Illuminations Notes Further Reading Acknowledgments Picture Credits Index

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Book SynopsisCreate 45 simple projects with a Scandinavian flavour, including home decorations, garlands and beautiful gifts. Christiane Bellstedt Myers has developed a beautiful collection of decorative makes using rustic fabrics and natural materials. The four chapters – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter – cover a wide range of crafts, including collage, embroidery, painting and sewing, and take inspiration from Scandinavian seasonal traditions to bring magic to your year. Celebrate the coming of Spring with a lovely Clematis wreath, share the joy of Mid-Summer with your friends by setting the table outdoors using a handmade tablecloth, decorate your home for Autumn by bringing the harvest indoors, and make Winter a time for hygge by lighting plenty of candles and hanging some vintage chandelier crystals to capture the soft glow. Try out some simple embroidery on the lavender cushions, which would make great gifts, or make a pretty garland to hang on the mantelpiece at Christmas. So why not get the family involved and make each season really special by making decorations together? You can then relive those happy memories each year as you decorate your home.Trade ReviewChristiane Bellstedt Myers' Seasonal Scandi Crafts will provide all the instructions and the inspiration you need. – Period LivingThis is ideal for admirers of the Scandi Style. – Simply Crochet

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Book SynopsisBorn into slavery around 1853-4 on a cotton plantation in Benton, Alabama, Traylor has become one of the most important self-taught artists of the twentieth century, and certainly one of the most celebrated African-American artists, along with Thorton Dial and William Edmondson. The story of Bill Traylor's life and work is a remarkable one. It is a story that deserves attention both nationally and internationally. This publication, generously illustrated with full-page high-quality reproductions, provides a close examination of Traylor's recurrent themes, composition schemes, favoured iconography, and contextual information related to the artist's biography, creative process and tools, visual environment, and artistic mindset. Each artwork is considered in a context beyond that of an isolated image and in response to one another, forming a series of intricate and consistent narratives, intriguingly cinematic in its development. The elements of Traylor's biography are the anchors of an individual mythology. Instead of merely being a basic depiction, the subject becomes a visual statement structuring Traylor's mind, bringing together hidden symbols from Kongo Vodou, Hoodoo, Southern Baptist, Freemasonry, and Blues sources, as well as layers of references: slavery, uncensored violence in the Jim Crow era, and turbulence within the black enclave known as 'Dark Town' in Montgomery, Alabama. Text in English and French.

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Book SynopsisA deluxe art book showcasing Posuka Demizu’s incredible artwork from the hit manga series.A beautiful hardcover art book featuring full-color art, sketches, comments, and a Q&A with Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu about their popular manga series.Featuring Posuka Demizu’s incredible artwork, as well as creator commentary and interviews, The Promised Neverland: Art Book World is a beautiful and haunting gaze into the art of one of today’s most popular Shonen Jump manga series.

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Book SynopsisArt, William Kentridge says, is its own form of knowledge. It does not simply supplement the real world, and cannot be purely understood in the rational terms of academic disciplines. The studio is where linear thinking is abandoned and the material processes of the eye, the hand, the charcoal and paper become themselves the guides of creativity.Trade Review[This] is an enlightening, circuitous, and self-reflexive performance that delves into [Kentridge’s] greatest obsessions in the realms of art, politics, history, and image-making… Kentridge discusses topics including Plato’s cave allegory (a subject that looms over much, if not all, of the book), Africa’s colonies, and the violence of the Enlightenment. He delivers sharp insights into the history and character of Johannesburg; his memories from growing up under apartheid provide some of the book’s most lucid moments. He also elaborates upon life in the art studio (a ‘safe space for stupidity’)… Time—including how it affects work in the studio—and memory are also major themes. The argument here is really an anti-argument; Kentridge emphasizes the need to occupy the gap between certainty and uncertainty, and stresses ‘being aware of the limits of seeing,’ and ‘our own limits of understanding, the limits of our memory, but prodding the memory nonetheless.’… This is an essential book for anybody seeking a better understanding of Kentridge’s work. * Publishers Weekly *Anyone who has seen the film animations of the great South African artist will be fascinated by the account he gives of his thinking and studio practice. -- Kenneth Baker * San Francisco Chronicle *This is a beautiful and necessary book in all respects… It looks at the work of an artist from his own perspective, which in some instances may be a risky strategy, but Kentridge is such a good writer that the book is as brisk as it is insightful… He is also a wonderful draftsman, and his drawings, often executed in pen and ink or cut paper, are carefully reproduced here. The production of this book was handled as a work of art too. The size, proportion, binding, and attention to detail are superb. The design by Dean Bornstein harmonizes perfectly with the tone of the book. Enthusiastically recommended. -- S. Skaggs * Choice *

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of a fascinating and enigmatic figure'Succeeds in every way as one of the most readable, fascinating and informative documents, not just on an artist, but on art and artists in general' WASHINGTON TIMES'The most moving biography of a modern artist I've read' NEWSWEEKAlberto Giacometti is one of the best-known artists of the twentieth century. Born in a Swiss village, he moved to pre-war Paris and went on to play a leading role in the art world, alongside characters such as Picasso, Balthus, Samuel Beckett and Sartre.His passionate and strange life reflects the genius of his works - his gaunt and haunting sculptures and his unsettling paintings. As someone who was personally acquainted with Giacometti and his peers, and who has consolidated his personal knowledge with extensive research, James Lord is uniquely qualified to write Giacometti's biography.Trade ReviewSucceeds in every way as one of the most readable, fascinating and informative documents, not just on an artist, but on art and artists in general * WASHINGTON TIMES *Lord has written the most moving biography of a modern artist I've read * NEWSWEEK *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Illuminating”—Hrag Vartanian, Hyperallergic“The pulse and challenge of the exchange carries from beginning to end, and the narrative of Serra’s practice that emerges is irresistible.”–Jeffrey Weiss, independent curator and critic

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In this 21st installment of Kaffe Fassett's ever-popular series of patchwork and quilting books, Kaffe has chosen to show off his latest range of fabrics by revisiting many of his favorite medallion quilt blocks. Photographed on location at the world-famous Hidcote Manor Garden in the beautiful Cotswolds countryside, these delectable quilts find their perfect setting among the brilliant flower borders, avenues of trees, and stunning architectural features that make Hidcote one of the most visited gardens in the U.K. Medallion quilts have universal appeal and the simple framework of the medallion design makes a great vehicle for Kaffe's eye-catching color combinations in his brilliant range of fabric designs. Assisted by his team of designers and makers, Kaffe has created an exquisite and varied range of 19 medallion designs, among them: the rich Berry Ice Cream quilt, photographed in Hidcote's world famous Red Border the dramatic Dark Gameboard, photographed against the geometric precision of Hidcote's famous topiary hedges the soft Flowery Jar, its pink and blue themed design echoing the colors of the flowers in Hidcote's early summer border Kaffe Fassett's Quilts in the Cotswolds provides all the basic instructional text, diagrams, and templates to make the quilts, plus a section on basic patchwork techniques for less experienced quilters.

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to write This is not a pipe across a bluntly literal painting of a pipe? By exploring the nuances and ambiguities of Magritte's visual critique of language, the author finds the painter less removed than previously thought from the pioneers of modern abstraction.Trade Review"This essay not only proposes a new understanding of Magritte; it also constitutes a perfect illustration and introduction to the thought of the philosopher himself, France's great wizard of paradox." * New York Review of Books *"Magritte's respectful fan letters to Mr. Foucault, which are included in this volume, the useful introduction and splendid translation by James Harkness and the handy black-and-white reproductions of many of Magritte's works combine to make this a document of extraordinary interest." * New York Times *"Foucault poses major questions about pictorial reference, and his original and novel account is worth arguing with." * Leonardo *

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Book SynopsisEster Coen is an art historian and curator. She is an expert on Italian Futurism, the Metaphysical artists, and the international avant-gardes, and her research for her numerous essays and publications extends from the 1960s to the contemporary scene. She has curated many exhibitions, their subjects ranging from Giorgio de Chirico, Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla, and Henri Matisse, to Richard Serra and Gary Hill. She recently edited the book Futurliberty: Liberty Fabrics and the Avant-Garde (Thames and Hudson, 2023).

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Book SynopsisThe Lacock Cup is a rare object with a unique English history. Made in the 1430s, it is one of a handful of pieces of secular silver from the Middle Ages, which both survived the changing culture of Tudor fashion and the turmoil of the Reformation. The remarkable story of this special cup is brought to life in this short and accessible book.

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Book SynopsisSir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) is among the greatest portrait painters of all time. This manual is a catalogue raisonne of his painted ouevre, and includes a reproduction of every known authentic painting by the artist, the provenance and the significant facts and literature on each.

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive survey of the career of Edward Bawden (1903-89) accompanies a major exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery and brings together his most significant work in watercolour, printmaking, design and illustration. Bawden began his career in the 1920s as a precociously talented designer and illustrator, and he successfully reinvented himself time and again as the decades passed while always retaining a distinctive freshness, humour and humanity in his work. The book explores in depth the most significant creative periods of Bawden’s life and is fully illustrated throughout.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTORY ESSAY/PREFACE: Peyton Skipwith MAIN ESSAY: James Russell CATALOGUE SECTIONS: Section: 1 World off Duty 17 artworks full page + 13 display case material Section 2: Gardening 17 artworks full page + 10 display case material Section 3: Spirit of Place 12 artworks full page Section 4: Portraits 21 artworks Section 5: Architecture 10 artworks full page + 9 display case material Section 6: Fable & Fantasy 31 artworks full page + 12 display case material

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Book SynopsisThe Dress Detective is the first practical guide to analyzing fashion objects, clearly demonstrating how their close analysis can enhance and enrich interdisciplinary research. This accessible book provides readers with the tools to uncover the hidden stories in garments, setting out a carefully developed research methodology specific to dress, and providing easy-to-use checklists that guide the reader through the process. Beautifully illustrated, the book contains seven case studies of fashionable Western garments ranging from an 1820s coat to a 2004 Kenzo jacket that articulate the methodological framework for the process, illustrate the use of the checklists, and show how evidence from the garment itself can be used to corroborate theories of dress or fashion.This book outlines a skillset that has, until now, typically been passed on informally. Written in plain language, it will give any budding fashion historian, curator, or researcher the knowledge and confidence to anaTrade ReviewDetective work is integral to fashion history research, yet very little has been written on how to go about it. Ingrid Mida and Alexandra Kim fill that gap in the bookshelf with The Dress Detective. … A concise, well organized, and extremely accessible book that deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in fashion research. -- Katy Werlin * The Fashion Historian *Both accessible and academic and a significant contribution to the study of [the history of Western dress] ... This book is well designed and a pleasure to look at. It functions as a practical manual, a ‘how to’ book, a reference work and an enjoyable read for anyone interested in this subject. * Costume *Enormously useful for the budding fashion historian or curator, this publication provides a textbook approach to the study of dress artefacts as a source for research. The authors, both of whom have curatorial backgrounds, provide a practice-based framework and a range of interesting case studies to instruct readers in the methods for observing and reflecting upon objects of dress. This accessible guide will surely become a crucial source for students of fashion studies. * Catwalk: The Journal of Fashion, Beauty and Style *For post-secondary students on fashion courses with access to study garments, or for the novice researcher investigating in a museum or private collection, this book would be an invaluable resource. Even individuals with experience in handling fashion objects may glean new tips, or be reminded of best practice when closely examining dress objects, or in relating these findings to broader socio-economic, historical, or theoretical contexts. This book would also be a useful addition to the shelf of fashion collections in museums, to assist when training staff and volunteers in collection inventory or exhibit preparation. The Dress Detective gives clear clues to becoming a sartorial sleuth. * Museum & Society *The Dress Detective provides an easy-to-use guide for how to look at a dress object and to consider its meaning. The framework, which the authors call “a slow approach to seeing,” involves three steps: observation, reflection, and interpretation. It is a revision of Prown’s model of description, deduction, and speculation. * ITAA Online *For the first time, The Dress Detective offers a clear and systematic framework for the object-based study of dress. Advocating a ‘Slow Approach to Seeing’, it arms readers with the tools to learn this important research skill while encouraging them through well-chosen case studies to measure their findings against inter-disciplinary and theoretical writing on fashion. * Edwina Ehrman, Fashion Curator and Historian, UK *This is the book we have been waiting for without realizing it! The Dress Detective offers a rigorous and entirely accessible guide to examining and thinking about dress using objects as evidence. Case studies and checklists guide the reader – specialist and non-specialist alike – to explore and articulate garment construction, materials, design, alterations and the nuances of wear. I have no doubt it will become a seminal text. * Amy de la Haye, Joint Director of the Centre for Fashion Curation, London College of Fashion, UK *The Dress Detective is a smart, accessible text that provides a long-overdue methodology for examining clothing and accessories. This book is essential for new students, but its concise framework will also be useful to seasoned researchers. Diverse, thorough case studies demonstrate the combination of visual analysis, history, and theory that is crucial to fashion studies today. * Colleen Hill, Associate Curator, The Museum at FIT, New York, USA *A long–anticipated guide to object–based dress research … I recommend this outstanding volume to students and faculty alike. * The Journal of Dress History *This book operates as a kind of practical aid, offering a comprehensive methodological framework to both scholars and students. * Textile History *Table of ContentsForeword, Jean L. Druesedow, Kent State University Museum, USA Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: A Brief History of Object-based Research with Dress Artifacts Chapter 2: How to Read a Dress Artifact Chapter 3: Observation Chapter 4: Reflection Chapter 5: Interpretation Chapter 6: Case Study of a Yellow Woolen Pelisse Chapter 7: Case Study of a Gray-blue Sateen Corset Chapter 8: Case Study of a Brown Velveteen and Wool Bodice Chapter 9: Case study of a Man’s Evening Suit Tailcoat and Trousers Chapter 10: Case Study of a Lanvin Wedding Dress and Headpiece Chapter 11: Case Study of a Ruby Red Velvet Jacket by Christian Dior Chapter 12: Case study of a Kimono-Style Jacket by Kenzo Appendix 1: Checklist for Observation Appendix 2: Checklist for Reflection Index

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Book SynopsisA timely survey of this significant British artist and the complexities surrounding his work and reputation today

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Book SynopsisBig art for little hands - this new "Salvador Dali Colouring Book" in Prestel's new "Colouring Book" range is a beautifully produced colouring-in book. With plenty of space to colour outside the lines, the book is also designed to give children an early interest in some of the great masters. Sections of Dali's masterpieces are there to inspire children's creativity, whatever their age.

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Book SynopsisIn the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries there was one art form in which English artists excelled above all their continental European counterparts: the painting of miniatures. This fascinating book explores the genre with special reference to two of its most accomplished practitioners, Nicholas Hilliard and Isaac Oliver, whose astounding skill brought them international fame and admiration. Four centuries ago, England was famous primarily for its literary culture – the dram a of Shakespeare and Ben Jonson and the works of the great lyrical and metaphysical poets. When it came to the production of visual art, the country was seen as something of a backwater. However, there was one art form for which English artists of this period were renowned: portrait miniature painting, or as it was known at the time, limning. Growing from roots in manuscript illumination, it was brought to astonishing heights of skill by two artists in particular: Nicholas Hilliard (1547–1619) and Isaac Oliver (c .1565–1617). In addition to exhibiting the exquisite technique of the artists, portrait miniatures express in a unique way many of the most distinctive and fascinating aspects of court life in this period: ostentatious secrecy, games of courtly love, arcane symbolism, a love of intricacy and decoration. Bedecked in elaborate lace, encrusted in jewellery and sprinkled with flowers, court ladies smile enigmatically at the viewer; their male counterparts rest on grassy banks or lean against trees, sighing over thwarted love, or more modestly express their hopes in Latin epigrams inscribed around their heads. Often set in richly enamelled and jewelled gold lockets, or beautifully turned ivory or ebony boxes, such miniatures could be concealed or revealed, exchanged or kept, as part of elaborate processes of friendship, love, patronage and diplomacy at the courts of Elizabeth I and James I /VI. This richly illustrated book, like the exhibition it accompanies, explores what the portrait miniature reveals about identity, society and visual culture in Elizabethan and Jacobean England.

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Book SynopsisArt and science – they may seem like opposites, but throughout history there have been visionaries who have brought together these contrasting subjects.The Art of Science explores the work of 40 such artists and artist-scientists, uncovering how these innovators have designed futuristic technology centuries ahead of its time, investigated time and space through abstract art, and created sculpture informed by NASA technology.An expertly curated selection of artists from many different cultures and eras – including Huang Quan, Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Vermeer, Anna Atkins, Olafur Eliasson and Anicka Yi – this book tells the story of the vital partnership between art and science, with over 200 lavish illustrations.Table of ContentsIntroduction • Being Human and the Post-human • Alchemy and the Cosmos • The Natural and the Post-natural • Ecologies and Environments • Machines and Systems • Bibliography • Index.

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Book SynopsisThe first definitive illustrated biography of this key figure in mid 20th-century British art.Trade Review'Highlights how talented women have often missed out on the recognition they deserved' - Observer'I love this book! Brilliant biography of the…utterly fascinating artist Isabel Rawsthorne' - Jennifer Higgie, editor-in-chief, Frieze'Jacobi ‘reimagine[s] what an artist biography – notably one of a woman artist whose work is largely forgotten – can be … Jacobi treats Rawsthorne’s art with the intellectual seriousness of purpose with which it was conceived. She does not “reduce” Rawsthorne’s art making to self-reflexive illustrations of her life; rather, she addresses the two as richly intertwined' - The Art Newspaper

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Book SynopsisThis beautifully illustrated book is the first full-length critical study to focus on the watercolours of multitalented British artist and designer Eric Ravilious (1903–1942). Adopting the wide-ranging approach familiar to readers of his previous books on the artist, author James Russell explores the evolution of a remarkable talent. An introductory section offers an intimate portrait of Ravilious, an artist for whom personal relationships, particularly with women, were paramount. It goes on to describe the extraordinary achievements of an all-too-brief career, drawing on new research to seek out artistic influences and examine Ravilious’s relationships with fellow-artists, as well as the development of his mark making. There follows the most comprehensive display of Ravilious watercolours yet assembled. Some have never been published, while others are familiar and well loved. Many are explored in short accompanying essays, some with full-bleed images that show details of paintings at full size. These texts are designed to entertain and enlighten, looking at composition, technique, influence and inspiration, or discussing the significance of particular subjects and the people behind the scenes. This is the definitive guide to the luminous, evocative and timeless watercolours of Eric Ravilious, an artist now regarded as one of the finest of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewThe thematic sections consist of superb reproductions of the paintings in the exhibition, including some full-size detail views bled out to the edges of the page * The Eclectic Light Company *Table of ContentsForeword Preface Ravilious: A Portrait Relics & Curiosities Figures & Forms Interiors Place & Season Changing Perspectives Darkness & Light Exhibitions Timeline Notes Select Bibliography Acknowledgements Image Credits Index

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