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Book SynopsisThe 1970s was a time of deep division and newfound freedoms. Galvanized by The Second Sex and The Feminine Mystique, the civil rights movement and the March on Washington, a new generation put their bodies on the line to protest injustice. Still, even in the heart of certain resistance movements, sexual violence against women had reached epidemic levels. Initially, it went largely unacknowledged. But some bold women artists and activists, including Yoko Ono, Ana Mendieta, Marina Abramovic, Adrian Piper, Suzanne Lacy, Nancy Spero and Jenny Holzer, fired up by women's experiences and the climate of revolution, started a conversation about sexual violence that continues today. Some worked unannounced and unheralded, using the street as their theatre. Others managed to draw support from the highest levels of municipal power. Along the way, they changed the course of art, pioneering a form that came to be called simply performance. Award-winning author Nancy Princenthal takes on these endurTrade Review'An important and urgent book, Princenthal's trenchant, honest, complex exploration of the radical representations of sexual violence in the 1970s delineates the upheaval of implicit assumptions about rape, bodies, silence and speech in particular works by individual artists in light of their broader artistic and political meanings and lasting consequences. I read it with breathless, captive attention' - Siri Hustvedt'Takes a tangled history and weaves it into an elegant account' - International New York Times

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Book SynopsisUniversally regarded as the father of French painting, Nicolas Poussin is arguably the greatest of all painters of that school. Yet Poussin's reputation has been founded more on the intellectual and philosophical qualities of his art than its sheer visual beauty. In Poussin as a Painter: From Classicism to Abstraction, Richard Verdi redresses the balance, describing and analyzing Poussin's outstanding gifts as a pictorial storyteller, designer and colourist - in short, on the purely aesthetic (and often abstract) aspects of his art that have inspired so many later painters, from Cezanne to Picasso. The book features more than 220 fine illustrations, the majority in colour, and encompasses all aspects of Poussin's art from the mid 1620s to his death in 1665. This ground-breaking study gives new insight into Poussin, and is essential reading for all who admire this seminal French painter.Trade Review'Poussin as a Painter traces in detail Poussin's evolving approaches to painting through invention, composition and colour, showing how they combine to make his best works both unified and unalterable. By careful forensic analysis of each composition, the author reveals how Poussin's rigour and discipline forge unity from diversity, and then demonstrates how widely these principles have influenced later painters.'-Paul Spencer-Longhurst, Editor, Richard Wilson Online, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of the 2017 PROSE Award in Art History & Criticism, Association of American Publishers "[An] eloquent and rich exploration ... based on Koerner's A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the series of talks seamlessly form a book of linked essays that discuss individual paintings, with magnifying precisions, while simultaneously advancing a broader theory on art in a Europe emerging from its dark ages... [Koerner's] observations bring Bosch's work into relevance today."--Nina Siegal, New York Times Book Review "A new book by Joseph Koerner is always an event. Here, as usual, he seems to have read everything and to have thought about everything connected with his chosen subject... But it is his ability to look and to find words for what he is looking at that sets him in the very front rank of art historians... A magnificent achievement, with something to arrest and challenge on every one of its 400-plus pages."--Gabriel Josipovici, Times Literary Supplement "Among the many publications about art I acquired or received, the most important were Bosch and Bruegel: From Enemy Painting to Everyday Life, a long-awaited, provocative study of these two key painters by Harvard art historian Joseph Leo Koerner."--Sebastian Smee, Boston Globe "A lucid and rewarding read."--Tracey Warr, Times Higher Education "More gripping than a thriller... A frightening, fascinating study... It is rare, when reading a work of scholarly criticism, to be so gripped as to feel nervous about turning the page. Be warned: there are chapters here more frightening than a thriller because they allow us to see, with Bosch, infinitely multiplying sin... This is a book to read and reread in any moment of doubt about what critical analysis can achieve. Koerner believes that every painting by Bruegel 'can sustain a lifetime of looking.' He has written a passionately attentive book that brings all life to bear on these pictures, and makes one feel that a lifetime of looking would be well spent."--Alexandra Harris, The Guardian "An extremely thoughtful, wide-ranging examination of Hieronymus Bosch (?1450-1516) and Pieter Bruegel (1525-69), who have been considered together almost from their own time, this volume attests to the layers of meaning invested in these artists and to Koerner's erudition."--Choice "At the intellectual heart of this feast of Bosch scholarship lies, without doubt, Koerner's new study, Bosch and Bruegel: from Enemy Painting to Everyday Life. Here scientific analysis and questions of attribution give way to an erudite and deeply engaging exploration of Bosch, Pieter Bruegel (around 1525-69) and rise of 'secular painting' ... [Koerner] has the ability to present familiar works--often pinned in reproduction to the walls of student dorms--in ways that send shivers down the spine."--Bridget Heal, Art Newspaper "Those tempted or even terrified by Bosch's work but elevated, in a quiet, incarnational way by Bruegel's, will now be able to fathom why and how by spending some time with Koerner's Bosch & Bruegel."--Frank Freeman, Commonweal "[A] fascinating and lavishly illustrated tome... In his audacious focus on ordinary life, Bruegel stepped out of Europe's medieval past and into modernity. And this book, by shining a laser on the 50 years during which Bruegel developed genre painting, lets readers peek into the Renaissance origins of their own thought world. Seldom has art history seemed so relevant."--Karen Sue Smith, America "Looking closely at how these two artists drew inspiration from the darker tones of life, namely in the hellish landscapes of the underworld, [Koerner] shows how they managed to bring a more accurate portrayal of peasant life to their art. Readers are compelled to view Bosch, a painter often more known for his depictions of surreal landscapes of hell, as one on par with Pieter Bruegel (1525-90), whose work depicted everyday life. Drawing on decades of research, experience, and an enormous library of illustrations, Koerner takes readers through a carefully guided tour of life in the 16th century."--Library Journal "Rich and illuminating... Koerner is a brilliant reader of pictures, whose observations, grounded in a lifetime of looking, are animated by a nonchalantly fluent grasp of concepts from aesthetics, philosophy and anthropology. His picking apart of 'the intricate machinery' of these paintings is magisterial and intensely enjoyable."--Tim Smith-Laing, Literary ReviewTable of ContentsPreface viii Acknowledgments xii Introduction Parallel Worlds Chapter 1 In the Art-Historical Museum 2 Chapter 2 Life Time 11 Chapter 3 World Time 45 Chapter 4 From Bosch to Bruegel 77 Part I Hieronymus Bosch Chapter 5 Enmity 96 Chapter 6 Among the Idols 151 Chapter 7 The Unspeakable Subject 179 Chapter 8 Self-Portraiture 223 Part II Pieter Bruegel the Elder Chapter 9 History 268 Chapter 10 Culture 305 Chapter 11 Nature 331 Notes 365 Index 401 Photography and Copyright Credits 411

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Book SynopsisChapters include: Dress of the Qing Manchu Rulers 1644-1911 Dress of the Manchu Consorts 1644-1911 Attire of Mandarins and Merchants Attire of Chinese Women Republican Dress 1912-1949 Clothing of the Lower Classes Clothing for Children Dress in New China 1950-Present DayTrade Review"Valery Garrett's research on Chinese dress, especially that worn by the local people, has been a constant inspiration to me as a fashion designer in New York." --Vivienne Tam, fashion designer"…the book is a serious, if brief, history of the period, but what sets it apart from similar academic books is that there are many background details such as where or why certain customs originated." --Journal of the Oriental Rug and Textile Society of Great Britain"…an excellent introduction into Chinese dress and Chinese history for any individual who is interested in expanding their knowledge of dress history or knowledge of Chinese culture." --The Journal of Dress History

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Book SynopsisThis concise, beautifully illustrated guide explores the enigmatic Franks Casket, carved from whalebone in 8th century northern England, and decorated with scenes from tales both pagan and Christian, as well as runic inscriptions. Leslie Webster helps the general reader to make sense of its iconography and meaning, the processes of its manufacture, and its somewhat confused history - it was rediscovered in modern times in France, whilst one panel remains in Florence.

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Book SynopsisFrom acclaimed poet and New Yorker writer Cynthia Zarin comes a deeply personal meditation on two cities, Venice and Rome—each a work of art, both a monument to the past—and on how love and loss shape places and spaces. Here we encounter a writer deeply engaged with narrative in situ—a traveler moving through beloved streets, sometimes accompanied, sometimes solo. With her, we see, anew, the Venice Biennale, the Lagoon, and San Michele, the island of the dead; the Piazza di Spagna, the Tiber, the view from the Gianicolo; the pigeons at San Marco and the parrots in the Doria Pamphili. As a poet first and foremost, Zarin’s attention to the smallest details, the loveliest gesture, brings Venice and Rome vividly to life for the reader. The sixteenth book in the expanding, renowned ekphrasis series, Two Cities creates space for these two historic cities to become characters themselves, their relationship to the writer as real as any love affair.

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Book SynopsisIn Beyond the World''s End T. J. Demos explores cultural practices that provide radical propositions for living in a world beset by environmental and political crises. Rethinking relationships between aesthetics and an expanded political ecology that foregrounds just futurity, Demos examines how contemporary artists are diversely addressing urgent themes, including John Akomfrah''s cinematic entanglements of racial capitalism with current environmental threats, the visual politics of climate refugees in work by Forensic Architecture and Teddy Cruz and Fonna Forman, and moving images of Afrofuturist climate justice in projects by Arthur Jafa and Martine Syms. Demos considers video and mixed-media art that responds to resource extraction in works by Angela Melitopoulos, Allora & Calzadilla, and Ursula Biemann, as well as the multispecies ecologies of Terike Haapoja and Public Studio. Throughout Demos contends that contemporary intersections of aesthetics and politics, as exemplifiTrade Review“T. J. Demos has for some time charted intertwining artistic and activist responses to environmental catastrophe, and here he is at his best. This book is powerful and necessary.” -- Julia Bryan-Wilson, author of * Fray: Art and Textile Politics *“Beyond the World's End rethinks the complex relationship between political ecology and artistic practice. Written in the clear, provocative prose for which T. J. Demos is already widely admired, this important book operates within the framework of environmental and, by extension, climate justice and provides a glimmer of hope in the midst of the current catastrophe.” -- Alexander Alberro, Barnard College"Amply illustrated and well indexed, the book blends nature-culture binaries and lays out the possibilities for lives beyond the world’s end. This pithy, well-researched volume includes an introduction, seven chapters, and notes, and it will interest students of Afrofuturism, art history, ecofeminism, ecology, social justice, visual culture, and myriad related subjects. Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals." -- J. Decker * Choice *“Demos...offer[s] a wealth of information on environmentalist artists and ecocritical thinkers who may not be presented to art audiences elsewhere. [His] venturesome examples of art historical ecocriticism model methodologies of engagement that challenge scholars to apply their own talents and imaginations toward new practices of art history for our time.” -- Suzaan Boettger * Art Bulletin *“Demos’ main contribution to the fields of ecology, art history, and geo-politics is the tangible methods he offers against catastrophism. . . . In Beyondthe World’s End, Demos has produced not only a timely teaching tool, but also a touchstone for the ongoing writings and makings of the not-yet.” -- Kate Keohane * Art History *“Beyond the World’s End is a text of impressive scope and depth, whose thematic urgency needs no introduction. . . . If, as in Fredric Jameson’s famous adage, it is easier to imagine the end of the world than it is the end of capitalism, Demos charts a path here for imagining both, and a different world that can be brought into being in what lies beyond these ends.” -- Matthias Kispert * Moving Image Review & Art Journal *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations vii Introduction. The World's End, and Beyond 1 1. Feeding the Ghost: John Akomfrah's Vertigo Sea 23 2. Blackout: The Necropolitics of Extraction 43 3. The Visual Politics of Climate Refugees 68 4. Gaming the Environment: On the Media Ecology of Public Studio 96 5. Animal Cosmopolitics: The Art of Gustafsson&Haapoga 116 6. To Save a World: Geoengineering, Conflictual Futurisms, and the Unthinkable 137 7. The Great Transition: The Arts and Radical System Change 163 Acknowledgments 195 Notes 199 Index 249

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Book Synopsis'One of the funniest, strangest and most revolting memoirs ever written' Sunday TimesTrade Review'The fabulous and fascinating story of the flamboyant artist/writer/poet growing up in a family of chaos, alcohol and insanity. Beautifully written and unflinchingly honest, this is a mind-blowing tale of a life out of control.' * Elle *'Consistently witty...Dandy in the Underworld is not for everyone but it is also funny, moving and the best book of its type since Lorna Sage's Bad Blood. If you can stand it, it is likely to be one of the most compelling reads of the year.' * New Statesman *'Like Salvador Dali's confessions, only far funnier and more self-deprecating, Dandy in the Underworld entertains as much as it revolts, is as tender as it is shocking, and as genuine as it is false.' * Independent *'A flat-out demented and compelling account of a life gone wrong...hilarious, sometimes beautiful' * Time Out *'[he] charts his diabolical decline and fall in rip-roaring style...a devilishly charming companion as he describes his wilfully deviant journey on the road to rack and ruin * Metro *'it is his family that make this eye-popping memoir compelling...incredibly funny' * London Paper *'Dandy in the Underworld is a compulsive autobiography that tells the blackest truths in the jauntiest tone.' * Independent on Sunday *It's great. For although very, very funny at times, it is also useful, and possibly important; which is all the more remarkable considering that the subject, while full of a self-love that makes Narcissus look like a wallflower, would scoff at the idea of his being useful and important. * Guardian *one of the funniest, strangest, most revolting memoirs you're ever likely to read. * Sunday Times - Summer Reads *

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Book SynopsisA bird-monster devouring sinners, naked bodies in tantric contortions, a pair of ears brandishing a sharpened blade: with just 20 paintings and nine drawings to his name, Netherlandish visionary Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450–1516) secured his place as a pillar of art history. To this day, the painter par excellence of hell and its demons continues to puzzle and enthrall scholars, artists, designers, and musicians alike.Based on the best-selling XXL edition, which saw TASCHEN commission new and exclusive photography of details and recently restored works, this large-scale monograph presents Bosch’s complete oeuvre. Texts from art historian and Bosch expert Stefan Fischer dissect the many compelling elements that populate each scene, from hybrid creatures of man and beast to Bosch’s pictorial use of proverbs and idioms. By tying together the elusive threads of his oeuvre into one exhaustive overview, this book reveals just what it was about Bosch and his painting that proved so immensely influential. Features: Impeccable full-page reproductions celebrating the artist’s staggering compositional scope Enlarged details unveiling the most intricate and bizarre scenes as much as the unsuspected technical minutiae, from subtle brush-strokes to the grain of the canvas A fold-out spread drawn from the legendary Last Judgement A special chapter focusing on Bosch’s most famous work, the mesmerizing and terrifying triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights Trade Review“Superb color reproductions and numerous details allow us to examine Bosch’s fantastic imagery with a clarity seldom possible, even in a museum gallery.” * The Burlington Magazine *“Bosch in breathtakingly unearthly depth of field.” * Die Welt *

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Book SynopsisLarry Shiner challenges our conventional understanding of art and asks us to reconsider its history entirely, arguing that the category of fine art is a modern invention.

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Book SynopsisStephanie Auer is Assistant Curator at the Belvedere, Vienna. Andrea Jahn is Director of the Saarlandmuseum. Saskia Bak is Director of the Museum Arnhem.

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Book SynopsisReva Wolf is Professor of Art History, State University of New York at New Paltz, USA.Alisa Luxenberg is Professor of Art History, University of Georgia, USA.Trade Review* Choice Outstanding Academic Title of 2020 * Covering an impressive range of arts, essays touch on Meissen porcelain, etchings and engravings by Hogarth and Paul Revere, paintings by Goya and Copley, photographic portraiture of African American masons, and even masonic folk art in contemporary Haitian voodooism. * Choice *The great value of this diverse, wide-ranging and beautifully illustrated collection is that it turns a spotlight onto a central aspect of the masonic experience that previous scholars have too often overlooked. Future work will no longer be able to neglect how Freemasons utilized the visual medium to generate a novel field of social life and group identity. * H-France *Readers of this book will be rewarded with a greater understanding of the history, importance, and pervasiveness of masonry over the centuries, and its important role in the development of our own country. * Journal of American Culture *This book is a wonderful, detailed scholarly work which explores the relationship between Freemasonry and the visual arts and vice versa … The book is beautifully illustrated with numerous colour and black & white images that help reveal the way the visual arts, particularly architecture, were influenced by and in turn influenced Freemasonry. * Leonardo Reviews Archive *The book is copiously illustrated with 16 color plates and roughly 9 black-and-white figures illustrating each of the essays … Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. * Choice *Explicating the vast network of interconnections between Freemasonry and the visual arts in multiple societies from the 18th century onward, this book is an invaluable resource of information and analysis. Wolf and Luxenberg have gathered a series of brilliantly insightful essays. * Edward J. Sullivan, Helen Gould Shepard Professor of the History of Art, New York University, USA *This is a much-needed book on an important subject. The links between freemasonry and the visual arts are many, but their scope has not been fully appreciated. Freemasonry and the Visual Arts from the Eighteenth Century Forward demonstrates how freemasonic symbols and ideas permeate a wide range of visual products, from architecture and urban planning to paintings and porcelain, and how freemasonry’s influence can be detected in settings far from the lodges themselves. The book presents a global perspective on its subject, offering essays on Portugal, Iran, and Haiti alongside the better-studied settings of Britain and the United States. It likewise offers models for analyzing fragmentary or hidden historical experiences. Freemasonry and the Visual Arts suggests that art offers opportunities to tap into histories that otherwise would remain lost to us. * Michael Yonan, Professor of Art History, University of Missouri, USA *The enormously rich visual culture generated by Freemasonry has not received the attention it deserves from art historians. This pioneering collection of essays provides fascinating and tantalising illustrations of the rich artistic legacy of Freemasonry in many different countries ranging from Europe and America to Haiti, Iran and India across media including paintings, prints, metalwork, jewellery, ceramics and architecture. * Andrew Prescott, Professor of Digital Humanities, University of Glasgow, Scotland *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of illustrations Introduction: The Mystery of Masonry Brought to Light Reva Wolf and Alisa Luxenberg 1. Freemasonry in Eighteenth-Century Portugal and the Architectural Projects of the Marquis of Pombal David Martín López 2. The Order of the Pug and Meissen Porcelain: Myth and History Cordula Bischoff 3. Goya and Freemasonry: Travels, Letters, Friends Reva Wolf 4. Freemasonry’s “Living Stones” and the Boston Portraiture of John Singleton Copley David Bjelajac 5. The Visual Arts of Freemasonry as Practiced “Within the Compass of Good Citizens” by Paul Revere Nan Wolverton 6. Building Codes for Masonic Viewers in Baron Taylor’s Voyages pittoresques et romantiques dans l'ancienne France Alisa Luxenberg 7. Freemasonry and the Architecture of the Persian Revival, 1843-1933 Talinn Grigor 8. Solomon’s Temple in America: Masonic Architecture, Biblical Imagery, and Popular Culture, 1865-1930 William D. Moore 9. Freemasonry and the Art Workers’ Guild: The Arts Lodge No. 2751, 1899-1935 Martin Cherry 10. Picturing Black Freemasons from Emancipation to the 1990s Cheryl Finley and Deborah Willis 11. Saint Jean Baptiste, Haitian Vodou, and the Masonic Imaginary Katherine Smith Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This indispensable collection follows Schwitters' swiftly changing thought on a diverse range of subjects from architecture and painting to graphic art and poetry. In each case Schwitters delivers his canny diagnosis with rigor, humor, and unflinching belligerence. No figure was able to reconcile Dadaist nihilism with constructivist optimism quite like Schwitters, and his striking insights about the hollow metaphysics of consumer society will not fail to resonate with anyone torn between the positions of critique and complicity today."--Devin Fore, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsList of Illustrations An Introduction to Merz-Thought A Note to the Reader 1 The Problem of Abstract Art. First Attempt (June–August 1910) 2 Problem of Pure Painting. 2nd Attempt. 1. Beginning (before December 1910) 3 Materials for My Work on the Problem of Pure Painting. 3rd Attempt (November 1910) 4 2nd Beginning to the Problem of Pure Painting. 2nd Attempt (December 1910–January 1911) 5 Abstract Painting. 1918. A. (February 1918) 6 Merz-Painting (July/November 1919) 7 A Solid Article: A Wienerization in Sturm (August 1919) 8 The Merz-Theater / To All the Theaters of the World (1919) 9 Artists’ Right to Self-Determination (1919) 10 Thou Me, I Thee, We Mine (and Sun Infinity Thin Out the Stars) (December 1919) 11 Nothing Kills Quicker Than Ridicule (February 1920) 12 Berliner Börsenkukukunst (February 1920) 13 Tran Number 7. General Amnesty for My Hannoverian Critics in the Style of Merz (April 1920) 14 What Art Is: A Guide for Great Critics (April 1920) 15 Statement (April 1920) 16 [I divide my poetry into three types . . .] (April 1920) 17 Hannover (June 1920) 18 Extension (June 1920) 19 Tran Number 11. German Popular Criticism, the Criticism of Reconstruction (August 1920) 20 Tran No. 12. Criticism as Artwork (September 1920) 21 Tran Number 13. The Private Scouring Cloth: Contribution to a Phenomenology of Critical Enjoyment (October 1920) 22 Tran No. 14. Dr. Frog Starves the Intellect (October 1920) 23 Tran Number 16. Life on Blind Feet (December 1920) 24 Kurt Schwitters (1920) 25 Tran Number 17. The Fettered Paul Madsack (December 1920) 26 MERZ (Written for the Ararat, 19 December 1920) (January 1921) 27 Tran No. 15. The Average Phenomenon with Clear Eyes (January 1921) 28 Why I Am Dissatisfied with Oil Painting (January 1921) Translated from Hungarian by John Batki 29 Tran 18 (February 1921) 30 Evening Reading (ca. February 1921) 31 My Views on the Value of Criticism (for the Ararat) (May 1921) 32 Cleanliness (for People Who Don’t Know It Yet) (May 1921) 33 Tran 19 (August 1921) 34 Castle and Cathedral with Courtyard Fountain (1922) 35 Tran 21. Speech at the Grave of Leo Rein (in the Berliner Börsenzeitung 547 on 27 November 1921) (January 1922) 36 Tragedy. Tran No. 22, against Dr. Weygandt, PhD and MD (May 1922) 37 i (A Manifesto) (May 1922) 38 Tran No. 26 (1922) 39 Tran 23 (September 1922) 40 Introduction to Tran No. 30: Auguste Bolte (1923) 41 The Self-Overcoming of Dada (January 1923) Translated from Dutch by Michael White 42 [Introduction to Merz 1. Holland Dada] (January 1923) 43 Dadaism in Holland (January 1923) 44 [Editorial note to Vilmos Huszár, Mechanische Dansfiguur] (January 1923) 45 Style (ca. January–April 1923) 46 i (April 1923) 47 WAR (April 1923) 48 War (April 1923) 49 Manifesto Proletarian Art (April 1923) 50 From the World: “MERZ” (April–June 1923) 51 Banalities (3) (July 1923) 52 dada complet. 1 (July 1923) 53 Banalities (4) / [Tristan Tzara] (July 1923) 54 DADA NEWS (July 1923) 55 WATCH YOUR STEP! (October 1923) 56 Merz (1924) 57 i (January 1924) 58 DADA COMPLET No. 2. / TRAN 50 (January 1924) 59 Dadaists (January 1924) 60 [Advertisement for Merz 8/9. Nasci] (January 1924) 61 Tran 35. Dada Is a Hypothesis (March 1924) 62 Rigorous Poetry (June 1924) 63 Dadaism (1924) Translated from Polish by Kamila Kuc 64 National Feeling (August 1924) 65 The Westheim Threat, Again (December 1924) 66 National Art (1925) 67 [What Is Madness?] (ca. mid-1920s) 68 Theses on Typography (1925) 69 [The Standard Merz Stage] (1925) 70 STANDARD MERZ STAGE (July 1925) 71 Religion or Socialism (July 1925) 72 STANDARD MERZ STAGE (Some Practical Suggestions.) (July 1925) 73 The ABC of the Standard Merz Stage (July 1925) 74 Language (November 1925) 75 Standard Stage by Kurt Schwitters (December 1925) 76 Gut Garkau (ca. late 1925/early 1926) 77 FANTASTIC THOUGHTS (ca. 1926) 78 Art and the Times (March 1926) 79 The New Architecture in Germany (March 1926) 80 Life’s Path (May 1926) 81 Facts from My Life (June 1926) 82 Rhythm in the Work of Art (October 1926) 83 Merz-Book (October 1926) 84 Standard Stage (October 1926) 85 My Merz and My Monster Merz: Model Marketplace at Sturm (October 1926) 86 Call It Coincidence (ca. mid-1920s) 87 The Artist and His Titles (1926) 88 Merz 20. Kurt Schwitters Catalogue (1927) 89 [Ella Bergmann-Michel] (March 1927) 90 [Letter to Wassily Kandinsky] (April 1927) 91 Elementary Knowledge in Painting (ca. 1927) 92 Style or Form-Creation (1927) 93 typography and orthography: lowercase (ca. 1927) 94 Sensation (July 1927) 95 Front against Fronta: Afterword to the Foreword of Fronta (July–August 1927) 96 Proposals for a Systematic Typeface (August–September 1927) 97 Sense of Duty (September 1927) 98 Stuttgart, The Home—Werkbund Exhibition (October 1927) 99 My Sonata in Ur-Sounds (November 1927) 100 Kitsch and Dilettantism (December 1927) 101 Good or Bad Fortune (December 1927) 102 On Greek Temples (April 1928) 103 Appearance (ca. spring 1928) 104 Third Prague Letter (May 1928) 105 The New Architecture in Celle: The Architect Otto Haesler (August 1928) 106 Form-Creating Typography (September 1928) 107 Modern Advertising (October 1928) 108 Werkbund Congress in Munich, 1928 (November 1928) 109 Stories That Have Run Their Course (November 1928) 110 Revue by Three Reviewed (December 1928) 111 [Review of Hans Hildebrandt, Woman as Artist] (December 1928) 112 Hannover and the Abstract Room by Lissitzky (April 1929) 113 About Me by Myself (May 1929) Originally published in English, translator unknown 114 A Layman’s Judgment of New Architecture (June 1929) 115 The Style of the Age and the Dammerstock Housing Estate (September 1929) 116 Facts from My Life (December 1929) 117 [The art of today is a strange thing . . .] (March 1930) Translated from French by Eva Morawietz 118 the ring neue werbegestalter (1930) 119 Advertising Design (1930) 120 Form-Creation in Typography (February and April 1930) 121 Painting (ca. late 1920s/early 1930s) 122 On the Uniform Design of Print Materials (1930) 123 Kurt Schwitters (1930) 124 [The Big E is finished . . .] (ca. 1930–33) 125 Myself and My Aims (1931) 126 [We know the Doesburg of “Stijl” . . .] (June 1931/January 1932) 127 merz-paintings (1932) Translated from French by Eva Morawietz 128 [Statement about the Merzbau] (1933) Translated from French by Eva Morawietz 129 [Excerpts from letters to Susanna Freudenthal-Lutter about the Merzbau] (February and March 1935) 130 [Excerpt from a letter to Susanna Freudenthal-Lutter about landscape painting] (July 1935) 131 The Work of Art (ca. 1937–40) 132 Impressionism/Expressionism (ca. 1937–40) 133 The Tin Palm Tree (July 1937) 134 [I once saw a famous singer in a film . . .] (December 1937) 135 [Anyone who wants to write about people . . .] (December 1937) 136 Sheet 1. For My New Studio (April 1938) 137 Sheet 2 (April 1938) 138 Merz (April 1938) 139 [I first saw the light of the world in the year 1887 . . .] (June 1938) 140 [Once we realize that, basically, everything is futile . . .] (after 16 December 1939) 141 Truth (ca. 1930s) 142 Art (January 1940) 143 Mixing of Artistic Genres (ca. 1940) 144 Theory in Painting (January 1940) 145 Painting (Pure Painting) (October 1940) 146 [The Portrait] (October 1940) 147 European Art of the 20th Century (between 17 July 1940 and 22 November 1941) 148 [Statement declining membership in the Freier Deutscher Kulturbund] (after November 1941) 149 Abstract Art (after November 1941) Original in English 150 Material and Aims (after November 1941) Original in English 151 [Kurt Schwitters] (after November 1941) Original in English 152 The Origin of Merz (after November 1941) 153 [Kurt Schwitters] (after November 1941) Original in English 154 [Renaissance] (after 30 October 1945) 155 [Answers to a questionnaire for La savoir vivre] (1946) Translated from French by Eva Morawietz 156 Key for Reading Sound Poems (September 1946) Original in English 157 My Art and My Life (ca. 1946–47) Original in English Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA riveting tale, brilliantly told'' Philippe SandsThe little-known story of Hitler's war on modern art and the mentally ill.In the first years of the Weimar Republic, the German psychiatrist Hans Prinzhorn gathered a remarkable collection of works byschizophrenic patients that would astonish and delight the world.The Prinzhorn collection, as it was called, inspired a new generation of artists, including Paul Klee, Max Ernst and Salvador Dali. What the doctor could not have known, however, was that these works would later be used to prepare the ground for mass-murder.Soon after his rise to power, Hitlera failed artist of the old schooldeclared war on modern art. The Nazis staged giant Degenerate Art' shows to ridicule the avant-garde, and seized and destroyed the cream of Germany''s modern art collections. This action was mere preparation, however, for the even more sinister campaign Hitler would later wage against so-called degenerate people, and Prinzhorn''s artists were caught upin bTrade Review‘A superbly told story of worlds colliding …There’s so much that’s wonderful about this book; it’s hard to know where to start heaping praise. It is by turns intriguing, tragic, horrifying and occasionally funny’The Times ‘English has written a terrific book, taut and thematic … As beautiful as it is bleak’Guardian ‘Engrossing …The work of these artists, much of which miraculously survived the war, lives on as testament to the variety of human experience, and of ways to communicate what it feels like to be alive’Economist ‘Compelling … The twin strands of Hitler’s thinking on art and racial purity draw remorselessly together … Memorable’Literary Review ‘A riveting tale, brilliantly told'Philippe Sands ‘A fascinating new book’Daily Mail ‘Fascinating … Journalist English unpacks Hitler’s mad campaign against mentally ill artists … English’s story feels strikingly relevant. While shedding new light on this piece of history, English also provides a cautionary tale for the future’Publishers Weekly ‘An extraordinary, deeply researched work which is a testament to the Prinzhorn artists’The Tablet ‘Perhaps only in 1920s Weimar Germany where expressionism and dadaism were exploring the dark sides of sex and fantasy could the art of the mentally ill first get its due. And perhaps only in Germany could the story Charlie English tells so well have ended in such horror. English takes us through uncharted artistic waters in a narrative of great humanity: a gripping journey into art, madness and modern history’Jonathan Jones, author of Sensations ‘Dazzling … This poignant narrative centres on the complicated psychiatrist Hans Prizhorn and the eccentric patient artists whose work helped usher in a new epoch of the modernist avant-garde only to become fodder for Hitler's hateful ideology of “degeneration”. Richly wrought, and deeply researched’Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Stuart dynasty is a breathless soap opera played out in just a hundred years in an array of buildings that span Europe from Scotland, via Denmark, Holland and Spain to England.Life in the court of the House of Stuart has been shrouded in mystery: the first half of the century overshadowed by the fall and execution of Charles I, the second half in the complete collapse of the House itself. Lost to time is the extraordinary contribution the Stuarts made to the fabric of sovereignty.Every palace they built, painting they commissioned, or artwork they acquired was a direct reflection of the lives that they led and the way that they thought. Palaces of Revolution explores this rich history in graphic detail, giving a unique insight into the lives of this famous dynasty. It takes us from Royston and Newmarket, where James I appropriated most of the town centre as a sort of rough-and-ready royal housing estate, to the steamy Turkish baths at Whitehall where Charles II seducedTrade Review‘Simon Thurley may be congratulated on a splendid achievement, which serves several different branches of history at once, as well as those who appreciate a clear and lively literary style … An important addition to knowledge’ Ronald Hutton, Times Literary Supplement ‘A hugely impressive, readable book that covers its broad canvas with assurance … Thoughtfully illustrated and furnished with plans of the buildings, itself a huge accomplishment.’ John Goodall, Country Life ‘In his admirably readable new book, Simon Thurley, who probably knows more about the palaces of the 16th and 17th centuries than anyone alive, has written a chronological survey of the royal residences of the Stuarts, a period of just over 100 years. You almost can read it as an alternative history of the dynasty … Lively and authoritative’ Andrew Taylor, The Times ‘Palaces of Revolution is far more than just a history book … The author’s knowledge … is unprecedented, elevating the historical survey into an alternative reading of the Stuart Dynasty … one only has to read this book to hear the walls talking. From secret seductions to fierce fighting, Thurley writes with great detail, invigorating the historical narratives we know and presenting new stories’ The Scottish Field ‘There can be few as well-placed to write about the buildings associated with the Stuart monarchy as Simon Thurley … This book – engagingly written and beautifully illustrated – is a comprehensive account of those achievements, and of the role that buildings played in the political life of early modern Britain.’ Historic House magazine ‘The culmination of nearly 30 years of research, [Palaces of Revolution] takes us back in time to bring these “hollow citadels of ceremony” and those who occupied them to life once again.’ Apollo

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Book SynopsisCelebrating 100 years, Belstaff has been dubbed the coolest British outerwear brand of all time' by Maxim magazine.Belstaff: Our First 100 Years is a celebratory, visual exploration of the people, designs, and story behind the iconic brand.With historical prestige, Belstaff has been worn by the likes of Hollywood icon Steve McQueen, explorer Ranulph Fiennes, and aviator Amy Johnson when she became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia in 1930. And today Belstaff prides itself and its iconic logo as being synonymous with independent spirits and as the adventurers' clothier of choice worn by Brad Pitt, David Beckham, John Boyega, and Ewan McGregor.Belstaff is about the people, passion, and pioneers who have made the company the British beacon that it is today, featuring archive adverts, iconic photos, and the story of British design and innovation. Begun as a family business in 1924 in Stoke-on-Trent, Belstaff put themselves on the fashion map with the novel idea of wa

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The new must-have book for Audrey Hepburn fans" -- Town & Country "...the Hollywood screen legend like we've never seen her before." -- Vogue

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Book SynopsisPeter Gay is Sterling Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University and former director of the New York Public Library's Center for Scholars and Writers. He is the author of more than twenty-five books, including the National Book Award winner, The Enlightenment, the best-selling Weimar Culture, and the widely translated Freud: A Life for Our Time.Trade ReviewBeautifully written, wide-ranging and psychologically acute, Modernism: The Lure of Heresy is a celebration of the subversive energies that decisively transformed art and culture in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At once bracingly intelligent and elegiac, Gay's magisterial book is richly rewarding for anyone who wants to understand the fractured world we have all inherited -- Stephen GreenblattSuperbly researched and well recounted. The extent to which many [modernists] "sold out" to their wealthy patrons, adopting the values they once scorned, makes for some engrossing reading * Scotsman *Highly readable, well-illustrated...an intelligent and exciting account of creative individuals and the times in which they worked... An enormous achievement * New Statesman *An exhaustive and lively summary -- James Urquhart * Financial Times *Written... with a polymathematical verve which carried me with him to the end -- Nicholas Bagnall * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisAlexandra Lapierre is a novelist and biographer. Her book, Fanny Stevenson, won Grand Prix Litteraire des Lectrices de Elle. She currently lives in Rome.

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Book SynopsisSelected as a book of the year 2017 by The Times and Sunday TimesWhat is it about Adam and Eve’s story that fascinates us?Trade ReviewA compelling, all-encompassing story of myth, theology and belief ... He delves deftly and lucidly into theology... Fascinating -- Sam Leith * Spectator *Thrilling … a study of western disenchantment, of intellectual progress, of the fading powers of the myths of a simpler age. But it is a more complex study than that. It is also an ode to human creativity and to the powerful grip of narrative -- Tim Whitmarsh * Guardian *Fascinating -- Christina Borg * Sunday Times *Enthralling, thrilling… Along the way, there is an often hilarious account of scholastic efforts to rationalise the myth’s illogic, and an array of entertaining heresies… What gives Greenblatt’s “intellectual adventure” its tension and excitement is a sense of his own divided loyalties -- Peter Conrad * Observer *Erudite, wide-ranging, thought-provoking and elegantly fashioned -- Darragh McManus * Irish Independent *Greenblatt, on excellent form here, visits familiar destinations ... with fresh eyes, and opens up new interpretative vistas ... Hefty themes are covered in this spellbinding book, but the learning is worn lightly. -- Jonathan Wright * BBC History magazine *This is a learned book, but Greenblatt’s passion for story-telling makes it read like a series of fascinating anecdotes… The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve is exhilarating to read and a feast for the mind -- John Carey * Sunday Times *Greenblatt is utterly engaging. -- Miri Rubin * Prospect *Greenblatt's inexhaustible curiosity goes without saying; what makes this book a wonder is its passion … nothing less than a love story, a hymn. Who would have thought scholarship could be so ardent or so poignant? -- Howard Jacobson, winner of the MAN Booker PrizePellucid, absorbing and for many contemporary readers surely definitive account -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to the world of the sharp-suited faces'. The Italianistas. The scooter-riding, all-night-dancing instigators of what became, from its myriad sources, a very British phenomenon.Mod began life as the quintessential working-class movement of a newly affluent nation a uniquely British amalgam of American music and European fashions that mixed modern jazz with modernist design in an attempt to escape the drab conformity, snobbery and prudery of life in 1950s Britain. But what started as a popular cult became a mainstream culture, and a style became a revolution.In Mod, Richard Weight tells the story of Britain's biggest and most influential youth cult. He charts the origins of Mod in the Soho jazz scene of the 1950s, set to the cool sounds of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. He explores Mod's heyday in Swinging London in the mid-60s to a new soundtrack courtesy of the Small Faces, the Who and the Kinks. He takes us to the ModRocker riots at Margate Trade ReviewThis [is a] highly entertaining and discursive mixture of social history and cultural theory… As an analysis of Britain’s youth tribes of the past 50 years…Mod: A Very British Style is definitive -- Mick Brown * Daily Telegraph *Richard Weight’s splendid new book… The writing is witty…the judgments are pinpoint accurate… The research is formidable in its scope and detail -- Alwyn W Turner * New Statesman *MOD is an important book because it shows how a style so often dismissed as trivial is in fact an important determinant of Britishness... This is a great book because it has the courage to celebrate what is wonderfully modern -- Gerard DeGroot * Sunday Telegraph *Well-written throughout, crackles with reflection on fashion, music and film -- Ian Thompson * Observer *A serious and worthwhile insight into a fascinating aspect of youth identity -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *

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Book SynopsisSuperb...Gopnik persuasively assembles his case over the course of this mesmerising book, which is as much art history and philosophy as it is biography Kathryn Hughes, The GuardianWhen critics attacked Andy Warhol''s Marilyn paintings as shallow, the Pop artist was happy to present himself as shallower still: He claimed that he silkscreened to avoid the hard work of painting, although he was actually a meticulous workaholic; in interviews he presented himself as a silly naïf when in private he was the canniest of sophisticates. Blake Gopnik''s definitive biography digs deep into the contradictions and radical genius that led Andy Warhol to revolutionise our cultural world.Based on years of archival research and on interviews with hundreds of Warhol''s surviving friends, lovers and enemies, Warhol traces the artist''s path from his origins as the impoverished son of Eastern European immigrants in 1930s Pittsburgh, through his early succeTrade ReviewJohn Lennon and I once hid from Andy in a closet at the Sherry-Netherland hotel. I wish I'd known him better. This fantastic new biography makes me feel that I do. It really reveals the man - and the genius - under that silver wig. * Elton John *Superb...Gopnik persuasively assembles his case over the course of this mesmerising book, which is as much art history and philosophy as it is biography -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *A major biography based on hundreds of interviews, which considers the artist as a symbol of gay achievement and explodes the myth of his asexuality. * Guardian *Monumental... rollicking... a formidable achievement -- Mick Brown * The Telegraph *Gripping * The Daily Mail *Full of irresistible titbits...Gopnik leaves us little doubt of the significance of Warhol at his best: the links between serial production in his Pop paintings and minimal avant-garde music; the Death & Disaster series identifying tragedy as a new form of mass entertainment; voyeuristic films occluding the line between art and life; portraits that presented America's elite like a range of luxury goods. To borrow a favourite Warholism: Wow. -- Hettie Judah * i newspaper *Gopnik's exhaustive but stylishly written and entertaining account is Warholian in the best sense-raptly engaged, colorful, open-minded, and slyly ironic. ("He had become his own Duchampian urinal, worth looking at only because the artist in him had said he was.") Warhol fans and pop art enthusiasts alike will find this an endlessly engrossing portrait * Publisher's Weekly *Serves up fresh details about almost every aspect of Warhol's life in an immensely enjoyable book that blends snappy writing with careful exegeses of the artist's influences and techniques...a fascinating, major work that will spark endless debates. * Kirkus Reviews *Blake Gopnik's incisive, richly detailed bio puts you in Andy's inner circle and sanctum from beginning to end. It breaks down how, for decades, Andy strategically defined the pop culture zeitgeist as the world's most renowned artist -- Fab 5 Freddy, graffiti and hip-hop pioneerAn excellent inside view of Andy's life, personality, and genius. -- Diane von FurstenbergArt and art history jumped the tracks with Andy Warhol. Blake Gopnik's lucid account of the artist and the wild times puts all that back on track again. An eye-opening biography that reads like a potboiler * Jerry Saltz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe author's writing style is conversational and engaging, and Kurt Shaffer's illustrations are quite amusing,...Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Chapter 1: The Category of Comics Chapter 2: Formal Definitions of Comics Chapter 3: The Media of Comics Chapter 4: Narrative, Time, and Space Chapter 5: Adaptation Chapter 6: Evaluating Comics Chapter 7: Social and Moral Problems Afterword References

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Book SynopsisThe Pacific Ocean covers one-third of the earth''s surface. Comprising thousands of islands and hundreds of cultural groups, Polynesia and Micronesia cover a large part of this vast ocean, from the dramatic mountains of Hawaii to the small, flat coral islands of Kiribati. Including both traditional and contemporary arts, this book introduces the rich artistic traditions of these two regions, traditions that have had a considerable impact on western art in the twentieth century through the influence of artists such as Gauguin. Instead of looking at Polynesia and Micronesia separately, the book focuses on the artistic types, styles, and concepts that they share, placing each in its wider cultural context. From the textiles of Tonga to the canoes of Tahiti, Adrienne Kaeppler looks at religious and sacred rituals and objects, carving, architecture, tattooing, personal ornaments, basket-making, clothing, textiles, fashion, the oral arts, dance, music and musical instruments - even canoe-construction - to provide the ultimate introduction to the rich and vibrant artistic cultures of the Polynesian and Micronesian islands.Trade ReviewBeautifully illustrated and important... the quintessential introduction to the Pacific arts.Table of Contents1. An Introduction to Polynesian and Micronesian Art ; 2. Artistic Visions: Rituals and Sacred Containers ; 3. Aesthetics: Carving, Metaphor, and Allusion ; 4. Genealogical Connections: The Texts of Textiles ; 5. Adorning the Adorned: Tattoo, Ornaments, Clothing, Fashion ; 6. Ritual Spaces, Cultural Landscapes, Space, and the Aesthetic Environment ; Bibliography ; Further Reading ; Timeline ; List of Museums and Galleries

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Book SynopsisThis new history of over 5000 years of African art reveals its true diversity for the first time. Challenging centuries of misconceptions that have obscured the sophisticated nature of African art, Peter Garlake uses the latest research and archaeological findings to offer exciting new insights. All the main regions are covered: southern Africa, Nubia, Aksum, the Niger River, West Africa, Great Zimbabwe, and the East African coast.Acknowledging the universal allure of the African art object, this book restores it to its original social and historical context, helping us to understand more about the ways in which this art was produced, used, and received.Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Rock Art of Southern Africa ; 3. Nubia ; 4. Aksum ; 5. The Niger River ; 6. West African Forests ; 7. Great Zimbabwe and the Southern African Interior ; 8. The East African Coast ; Notes ; List of Illustrations ; Further Reading ; Timeline ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn today''s art world many strange, even shocking, things qualify as art. In this book, Cynthia Freeland explains why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts, weaving together philosophy and art theory with many fascinating examples. She discusses blood, beauty, culture, money, museums, sex, and politics, clarifying contemporary and historical accounts of the nature, function, and interpretation of the arts. Freeland also propels us into the future by surveying cutting-edge web sites, along with the latest research on the brain''s role in perceiving art. This clear, provocative book engages with the big debates surrounding our responses to art and is an invaluable introduction to anyone interested in thinking about art.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition So many of the questions that define us as a culture have been raised through and by the art of recent decades, that without coming to terms with our art, we can scarcely understand ourselves. Cynthia Freeland has written a very smart book, in which high philosophical intelligence is applied to difficult questions raised by real works of art. It immediately situates the reader where thought and action meet, and since the issues are inescapable, it should be required reading for everyone. 'I know of no work that moves so swiftly and with so sure a footing through the battle zones of art and society today.' * Arthur C. Danto, Columbia University, author of After the end of art *This pocket potboiler provides some answers, a lot of questions and plenty of entertainment along the way * TNT Magazine 25/03/2002 *this is a pacy and readable introduction to art history * Independent on Sunday 10/03/2002 *admirable for its scope, compactness and exceptional clarity. Reader-friendly and thought-provoking * The Independent, 23/02/2002 *a book of simplicity and clarity that may well come to rival John Berger's Ways of Seeing as a reader's digest of the rubric of theories that make up contemporary art criticism . . . This is a valuable book for anyone perplexed by the arcane theorising of contemporary art * Sue Hubbard, The Independent 14/03/01 *.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations ; 1. Blood and Beauty ; 2. Paradigms and Purposes ; 3. Cultural Crossings ; 4. Money, Markets, Museums ; 5. Gender, Genius, and Guerrilla Girls ; 6. Cognition, Creation, Comprehension ; 7. Digitizing and Disseminating ; Conclusion ; References ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisJohn Heskett wants to transform the way we think about design by showing how integral it is to our daily lives, from the spoon we use to eat our breakfast cereal, and the car we drive to work in, to the medical equipment used to save lives. Design combines ''need'' and ''desire'' in the form of a practical object that can also reflect the user''s identity and aspirations through its form and decoration.This concise guide to contemporary design goes beyond style and taste to look at how different cultures and individuals personalize objects. Heskett also reveals how simple objects, such as a toothpick, can have their design modified to suit the specific cultural behaviour in different countries. There are also fascinating insights into how major companies such as Nokia, Ford, and Sony approach design. Finally, the author gives us an exciting vision of what design can offer us in the future, showing in particular how it can humanize new technology. 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.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition 'Erudite and well-researched...should be essential reading for students, educationalists, practising designers, industrialists and government.' * Terence Conran *Table of ContentsFURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe princeps Augustus (63 BCE - 14 CE), recognized as the first of the Roman emperors, looms large in the teaching and writing of Roman history. Major political, literary, and artistic developments alike are attributed to him. This book deliberately and provocatively shifts the focus off Augustus while still looking at events of his time. Contributors uncover the perspectives and contributions of a range of individuals other than the princeps. Not all thought they were living in the Augustan Age. Not all took their cues from Augustus. In their self-display or ideas for reform, some anticipated Augustus. Others found ways to oppose him that also helped to shape the future of their community. The volume challenges the very idea of an Augustan Age by breaking down traditional turning points and showing the continuous experimentation and development of these years to be in continuity with earlier Roman culture. In showcasing absences of Augustus and giving other figures their due, the papers here make a seemingly familiar period startlingly new.Trade Review...so great and distinct... * Lindsay Powell, Ancient Warfare *The Alternative Augustan Age, has the desire to explore the 'underside' of this crucial period, and is appropriately dedicated to the memory of Powell...this long period of history has subsequently been treated in either a homogenized or a linear way, which not only flattens out nuance, but promotes teleological interpretations. This volume instead shifts the spotlight onto other actors, not just by giving them their moment in the sun, but by not defining their importance in relation to Augustus. This allows us to see a 'a series of alternatives- alternative spaces, alternative worldviews, and alternative narratives'. * Greece & Rome *Table of ContentsPreface List of contributors Table of figures 1. The alternative Augustan age Hannah Mitchell, Kit Morrell, Josiah Osgood, and Kathryn Welch 2. Augustus as magpie Kit Morrell 3. Hopes and aspirations: res publica, leges et iura, and alternatives at Rome Eleanor Cowan 4. Rebuilding Romulus' Senate: The lectio senatus of 18 BCE Andrew Pettinger 5. The good wife: fate, fortune, and familia in Augustan Rome Bronwyn Hopwood 6. At magnus Caesar, and Yet! Social resistance against Augustan legislation Werner Eck 7. C. Asinius Pollio and the politics of cosmopolitanism Joel Allen 8. For Rome or for Augustus? Triumphs beyond the imperial family in the post-civil war period Carsten Hjort Lange 9. Egyptian victories: the praefectus Aegypti and the presentation of military success in the age of Augustus Wolfgang Havener 10. African alternatives Josiah Osgood 11. The reputation of L. Munatius Plancus and the idea of "serving the times" Hannah Mitchell 12. How do you solve a problem like Marcus Agrippa? James Tan 13. Acting "republican" under Augustus: the coin types of the gens Antistia Megan Goldman-Petri 14. Saecular discourse: qualitative periodization in first century BCE Rome Paul Hay 15. Maecenas and the Augustan poets: the background of a cultural ambition Philippe Le Doze 16. Gauls on top: provincials ruling Rome on the shield of Aeneas Geraldine Herbert-Brown 17. The rise of the centumviral court in the Augustan age: an alternative arena of aristocratic competition Matthew Roller 18. Shields of Virtue(s) Kathryn Welch 19. The popular reception of Augustus and the self-infantilization of Rome's citizenry Tom Hillard 20. Inventing the imperial Senate Amy Russell Bibliography

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Book SynopsisJohannes Vermeer''s luminous paintings are loved and admired around the world, yet we do not understand how they were made. We see sunlit spaces; the glimmer of satin, silver, and linen; we see the softness of a hand on a lute string or letter. We recognise the distilled impression of a moment of time; and we feel it to be real.We might hope for some answers from the experts, but they are confounded too. Even with the modern technology available, they do not know why there is no evidence of any preliminary drawing; why there are shifts in focus; and why his pictures are unusually blurred. Some wonder if he might possibly have used a camera obscura to capture what he saw before him. The few traces Vermeer has left behind tell us little: there are no letters or diaries; and no reports of him at work.Jane Jelley has taken a new path in this detective story. A painter herself, she has worked with the materials of his time: the cochineal insect and lapis lazuli; the sheep bones, soot, earthTrade ReviewThis is not another speculative Vermeer biography, a fill-in-the-gaps, guesswork life. This is Vermeer the painter, by a painter.... Jelley's meticulous approach yields fascinating insights. * Laura Freeman, Literary Review *Well-researched... vivid... fascinating. * Lynn Roberts, Tablet *The exquisitely luminous paintings of Johannes Vermeer have long stirred debate over whether the seventeenth-century Dutch master used optical aids. Artist Jane Jelley probed the issue pragmatically. * Barbara Kiser, Nature *The appeal of Jelley's elegant book is the product of her literary style and the abundant reproductions of Vermeer's work and that of his contemporaries. Jelley's volume is a work of art in itself. * New York Journal of Books *Fascinating. Jelley brings a vast knowledge, and, more importantly, practice, of traditional painting techniques... she proposes a novel suggestion as to how exactly Vermeer could have used a camera obscura... A boon to both scholars and casual art appreciators. * Politics and Prose, Washington DC *Along the way... Jelley infuses her descriptions of Vermeer's world with a vivid immediacy, taking readers into the hustle and bustle of market day in Delft... It quickly becomes an immersive reading experience, like an excellent historical novel with 62 pages of fine-type end notes attached to help with further inquiries. * Simon Donoghue, Christian Science *In this overtly investigative yet very readable book [Jane Jelley] bequeaths the reader with an inexorable intrigue that is altogether contagious. * David Marx, David Marx Book Reviews *Magnificent. * Anna Maria Polidori, Al Femminile *Sensational... revelatory and wholly convincing. * Simon Jenkins, Guardian *A fascinating approach that throws up a plethora of intriguing details that add to the texture of Vermeer's life and technique... Jelley's ingenious experiment offer[s] a plausible suggestion as to how he set about his magical paintings. * Michael Prodger, Sunday Times *Traces of Vermeer is an intriguing account of artistic practice... [Jane Jelley's] writing is fluid and poetic, and this publication is an enjoyable read, feeling like a detective story from the outset... [the] discoveries made by the author in this book... give us valuable insights that will influence the way we view and interpret Vermeer's paintings and mysterious working practices. * Laura Hinde, The Picture Restorer *An absolute delight. A rich and highly original exploration of Vermeer's life and work seen through the eyes of a practising painter. * Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe *Featuring wonderful illustrations, engaging prose, and a deep knowledge of the craft, this is a study in art history and methodology to delight an audience beyond just visual artists. * Kirkus, Starred Review *Jane Jelley adds a unique perspective on Vermeer's techniques and style. * Johan Wagemans, University of Leuven *Table of ContentsMap of Central Delft in 1675 Chronology of Vermeer's Paintings Prelude1. A Painter at Home2. Colours of Delft3. Substance and Supports4. Working in the Studio5. Layers and Layers6. Through the Lens7. A Glimpse of Vermeer8. The Brightness of Day9. Into the Dark10. Printed LightCodaNotes Suppliers of Materials Bibliography Picture Credits Index

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Book SynopsisIn Making Dystopia, distinguished architectural historian James Stevens Curl tells the story of the advent of architectural Modernism in the aftermath of the First World War, its protagonists, and its astonishing, almost global acceptance after 1945. He argues forcefully that the triumph of architectural Modernism in the second half of the twentieth century led to massive destruction, the creation of alien urban landscapes, and a huge waste of resources. Moreover, the coming of Modernism was not an inevitable, seamless evolution, as many have insisted, but a massive, unparalled disruption that demanded a clean slate and the elimination of all ornament, decoration, and choice. Tracing the effects of the Modernist revolution in architecture to the present, Stevens Curl argues that, with each passing year, so-called ''iconic'' architecture by supposed ''star'' architects has become more and more bizarre, unsettling, and expensive, ignoring established contexts and proving to be stratospheTrade Reviewin this remarkable work [Curl] sets the historical record straight by demythologizing architectural Modernism, its progenitors and heroes...This is a book that needed to be written... superb writing and meticulous research. * James C. McCrery, II, Humanum *Curl's Making Dystopia is a wake-up call to architects and urbanists to reexamine what we hold true in light of the dystopias we claim as our heritage in the making. Every committed architect and urbanist interested in the roots of their profession needs to read Curl's book now. * Nir Buras *Almost perfect analysis of how modernism in Western cities ended in a huge flop. * Bernard Hulsman, NRC Online, Best Books of 2019 *An important and necessary book... Professor Curl has dug behind and chiseled away at the details of a history veneered over by decades of received modernist mythmaking. * Graham Cunningham, The New Criterion *Curl's magnum opus... a polemical, but deeply scholarly, history of architectural modernism, its antecedents and its results. * Anthony Daniels, Quadrant *A book that will stimulate and provoke, and also inform through its awe-inspiring scholarship... It has all the punch and immediacy of the best of campaigning eighteenth-century pamphlets and at the same time is an intellectually forceful work of scholarship. * Lord Cormack, The House magazine *Excellent book... Prof. Curl traces the history of dystopian modernism from its origins in the early 20th century up to the present day, giving numerous examples of its horrendous consequences. But Curl's book is not merely a lament... he makes some important suggestions for reforming the syllabus in schools of architecture so as to lay the basis for a better built environment in the future. It is to be hoped that his message will be heeded, as much is at stake here for the future of our civilisation. * Christopher McIntosh, GoodReads *Anyone interested in the ideological foundations, as well as effects, of architectural modernism should read James Stevens Curl's recently published Making Dystopia... a magisterial and to me unanswerable account of one of the greatest aesthetic disasters to have befallen Europe in all its history * Theodore Dalrymple, takimag.com *Stevens Curl gets his teeth into "the disaster that has been post-1945 British architecture and town planning", tackling the thorny subject with verve, wit and tremendous erudition... This great book, in showing categorically, and cogently, what went wrong, makes an unarguable case for the conservation of the little that remains. * Patricia Craig, The Times Literary Supplement *... an essential, uncompromising, learned ... critique of one of the worst and most significant legacies of the 20th century * Anthony Daniels, The Jackdaw *Written with passion and eloquence, Making Dystopia is a work of rare intellectual magnitude, to be recognized as an important ... contribution to the culture of our times. It promises to become essential reading to students of architecture... * Giovanna L Costantini, Leonardo *An impassioned but informed case... meticulously researched and convincingly argued: it is an undoubtedly controversial book that empties out the contents of modernism for all to see and holds them up to the light for judgement... This book is a must-read for students of architecture: a contentious, highly thought-provoking study... * Patrick O'Keeffe, Architecture Today *Curl, a veteran architectural historian with a string of big books to his name, certainly tells us what he thinks... * Richard Morrison, The Times *Whatever you may think of its argument, this book's scholarship is precise. * Clive Aslet, Country Life *A storm is brewing in the world of architecture thanks to James Stevens Curl's lightning bolt of a book ... although Curl's polemic is fierce, and well-written to boot, it is far from a blinkered rant. * Jonathan Glancey, The Daily Telegraph *... a scholarly, encyclopaedic, meaningful, and exceptionally frank book that is lucidly written, meticulously researched... it pulls forcefully on our own relationship with buildings and design, and raises our consciousness as to whether modern architecture lacks empathy and fails to respect its surroundings. It is much more than the age-old pilaster vs pilotis debate, and as such it should be mandatory reading for all students of architecture or design. [It] lets a thousand cats out of a thousand bags. Of that there can be no doubt. * Paul Holden, The Antiquaries Journal *Polemic, impassioned plea or potent sting of an angry wasp with an interest in architectural history - describe it how you will but this is a book to be read, discussed and debated by anyone with an interest in our built environment... This is a full-blooded, no-holds-barred, scholarly treatise stemming from a lifetime of study and experience... a passionate argument meticulously backed up by detailed notes and a vast range of source material much of which is new... * Karen Latimer, Perspective *Can a text on architectural history, however thoroughly researched and brilliantly written, trigger an architectural revolution? For a discipline in ferment, this might just provide the jolt to set off an avalanche... This iconoclastic landmark book might change the way we build from now on. Its an outstanding work of scholarship that needs to be read by every architect and architecture student who still possesses a conscience. * ikos Salingaros, Traditional Building (US) *Making Dystopia, the most gripping and complete account of how architecture and urban planning were corrupted in the 20th and 21st century leading to a catastrophic deterioration of the built environment, is a brilliant, thoroughly researched, and completely novel book... This book, surely the greatest of the many written by Professor Stevens Curl, should be read by staff and students in all schools of architecture who are still pursuing destructive, irrelevant, outdated paths, as well as by everyone concerned about the erosion of civilisation itself. * The late David Watkin, Emeritus Professor of the History of Architecture, University of Cambridge *This is a book to be read, discussed and debated by anyone with an interest in our built environment... This is a full-blooded, no-holds-barred, scholarly treatise stemming from a lifetime of study and experience and an unwillingness to bow down to popular but often unsubstantiated opinion. [He] ramps up the debate with a passionate argument meticulously backed up by detailed notes and a vast range of source material much of which is new... This scholarly and challenging book deserves to be widely read. * Karen Latimer, Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects *One of the strengths of this book is reflected in the fact that a traditional review format is not a fitting one to communicate either the scale of the authority on offer here or the challenges laid down ... [The] author forensically dissects [his] target and mercilessly promotes [his position] across a raft of informed, erudite and insightful historically led deconstructions of the dominant architectural languages of [his] day. His position is boldly stated and argued in depth. The scale of scholarship is easily recognisable. * Sean O'Reilly, Context *This brilliant text is a timely marvel... Making Dystopia is unquestionably a major contribution to the history of architecture and quite possibly the most important publication in Stevens Curl's enormously prodigious oeuvre. * Frank Albo, Adjunct Professor of History, University of Winnipeg *A coruscating, driven, and passionately committed book which should be read by anyone who believes that a house is more than a machine for living. * Katharine Wilson, author of Fictions of Authorship in Late Elizabethan Narratives: Euphues in Arcadia *I just finished reading Making Dystopia and I want to thank you for an excellent book. I've often wondered why dreadful architecture became so popular and influential. Your explanations of the history of the Modern Movement, especially of its spread to America and its bullying attitude, were very helpful. I applaud your frankness and willingness to confront many sacred cows. * Todd Hartch, Professor of History, Eastern Kentucky University *Table of ContentsTimothy Brittain-Catlin: Prolegomenon Preface & Acknowledgements 1: Origins of a Catastrophe 2: Makers of Mythologies & False Analogies 3: Modernism in Germany in the Aftermath of the 1914-18 War 4: The International Style 1920s & 1930s 5: The International Style Truly International 6: Universal Acceptance of the International Style: A Surprising Aftermath of 1945 7: Descent to Deformity 8: Dangerous Signals 9: Some Further Reflections 10: Epilogue Select Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA bold and imaginative volume on the constituent elements of the Book, from the pre-print era through to the digital. The twenty-two chapters written by an international team delve into all elements of the book from title pages to endpapers, from dust jackets to indices, and everything else in between.Trade Reviewan engaging work of "book history as anatomy" ... each of the contributors to Book Parts finds their own metaphorical vocabulary to describe the relationship between book part and main text. * James Waddell, Times Literary Supplement *...a Gray's Anatomy for the bookish * Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal *For making us think about the elements of which a book is comprised, and making us reflect on their long histories - and for doing so with intelligence, learning and wit - this book is to be greatly welcomed...It is rarely less than fascinating and sometimes hugely entertaining. * Mathew Lyons, The Author *Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. * M. C. Cohen, CHOICE *Duncan and Smyth contextualize their undertaking with an unusually self-conscious introduction that does not spend time giving us synopses of each chapter ... There is little need to speak of the whole collection when it is this well edited and each part feels in concert with the others ... It is the drama of this shadowy realm that Smyth and Duncan's collection, both in whole and in part, demonstrates for us. * Nicholas D. Nace, The Book Collector *a vast body of expertise... engrossing, inviting, and, surprisingly, often entertaining * Libraries: Culture, History, and Society *Book Parts is a lively and wide-ranging contribution to book history and will surely prove to be a standout introduction (and inducement) to bibliographical scholarship * Caroline Curtis, The Library *Rich, odd, interesting * Ian Sansom, The Spectator *Table of Contents1: Adam Smyth and Dennis Duncan: Introductions 2: Gill Partington: Dust-jackets 3: Luisa Calè: Frontispieces 4: Whitney Trettien: Title Pages 5: Shef Rogers: Imprints, Imprimaturs, and Copyright Pages 6: Joseph Howley: Tables of Contents 7: Meaghan J. Brown: Addresses to the Reader 8: Helen Smith: Acknowledgements and Dedications 9: Hazel Wilkinson: Printer's Ornaments and Flowers 10: Tamara Atkin: Character Lists 11: Daniel Sawyer: Page Numbers, Signatures, and Catchwords 12: Nicholas Dames: Chapter Heads 13: Rachel Sagner Buurma: Epigraphs 14: Tiffany Stern: Stage Directions 15: Claire M. L. Bourne: Running Titles 16: Alexandra Franklin: Woodcuts 17: Sean Roberts: Engravings 18: Jenny Davidson: Footnotes 19: Adam Smyth: Errata Lists 20: Dennis Duncan: Indexes 21: Sidney Berger: Endleaves 22: Abigail Williams: Blurbs Bibliography

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Book SynopsisPiecing together the story of Piero's artistic and mathematical achievements with the story of his life for the first time, a book that at last brings this fascinating Renaissance enigma to life.Trade ReviewThanks to Banker we have an enormously clearer idea of just how common it was for Renaissance people to stay connected and use their connections in new places and for new ventures. * Gary Radke, Syracuse University, The American Historical Review *[A] remarkable biography ... This compact, clearly written book rescues Piero from the dangerous fate of being an enigma. * Caroline Campbell, Burlington Magazine *A vitally important contribution to Piero studies. * Julian Bell, New York Review of Books *Banker's scholarship and research are impeccable and should be celebrated. * Literary Review *Fascinating insight. * Good Book Guide *making compelling claims about the dating of certain works, and offering a new interpretation of the enigmatic Flagellation of Christ. * Apollo *insightful * Art & Collections *This publication is beautifully produced and is a joy to read. * The Art Newspaper *a carefully argued, highly accessible volume ... [Banker] masterfully summarizes and analyzes the sometimes daunting art historical and technical scholarship on Piero's visual and written works, offering a compelling portrait of the artist and the world in which he lived. * Gary Radke, American Historical Review *James R. Banker's magisterial study, Piero della Francesca: Artist and Man, represents a major contribution to the scholarship on this Renaissance painter and mathematician and has a grounded keel and quiet strength that is evocative of the timeless quality of Piero's paintings themselves ... Banker's study serves as the culmination of a lifetime of scholarly work that will be welcomed by serious readers looking for a detailed study of one of the most complex of Renaissance artists, Piero della Francesca. * Journal of Modern History *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Piero's Formation in Sansepolcro ; 2. Piero the Incessant Learner and Traveler, 1439-1450 ; 3. Piero in the Court of Sigismondo Malatesta in Rimini ; 4. Piero in Arezzo: The Legend of the True Cross ; 5. The Confraternity and the Altarpiece of Madonna della Misericordia ; 6. Greek Geometry in Rome and Piero's Trattato d'abaco ; 7. Piero's Return to Patria and Family ; 8. An Arezzo Interlude ; 9. The Practice of Perspective: The Sant'Antonio and Sant'Agostino Altarpieces and the Flagellation ; 10. Piero della Francesca in Urbino in the Early 1470s ; 11. Piero in Sansepolcro, 1472-1475 ; 12. Piero in Urbino in 1475-1476 ; 13. The Persuasiveness of Paternal Authority, 1477-81 ; 14. Piero in the Last Decade of His Life ; Conclusion ; Chronology of Piero's Life and Work ; Index

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Book SynopsisFrom Berlin to Boston, and St Petersburg to Sydney, ancient Egyptian art fills the galleries of some of the world''s greatest museums, while the architecture of Egyptian temples and pyramids has attracted tourists to Egypt for centuries. But what did Egyptian art and architecture mean to the people who first made and used it - and why has it had such an enduring appeal? In this Very Short Introduction, Christina Riggs explores the visual arts produced in Egypt over a span of some 4,000 years. The stories behind these objects and buildings have much to tell us about how people in ancient Egypt lived their lives in relation to each other, the natural environment, and the world of the gods. Demonstrating how ancient Egypt has fascinated Western audiences over the centuries with its impressive pyramids, eerie mummies, and distinctive visual style, Riggs considers the relationship between ancient Egypt and the modern world.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 Contents1. Four little words ; 2. Egypt on display ; 3. Making Egyptian art and architecture ; 4. Art and power ; 5. Signs, sex, status ; 6. Out of Egypt ; Further reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisDiane Arbus was one of the greatest photographers of the last century. Her portraiture of freaks, circus performers, twins, nudists and others on the social margins connected with a wide public at a deep psychological level. Her suicide in New York in 1971 overshadowed the reception to her work. Her posthumous exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art a year later drew lines around the block.She was born into a Russian-Jewish family, the Nemerovs, who owned a department store on Fifth Avenue. They were family friends with the Avedons. Richard Avedon later championed Arbus's work. Avedon rose to greater and greater commercial success through the magazine world. Arbus died in a rent-protected apartment scrambling to earn her keep with odd teaching assignments. Lubow's biography begins at the moment Arbus quit the world of commercial photography to be an artist. She was uncompromising in that ambition. The book ends with her death. The entire narrative is a slow march towards thaTrade Review[A] fascinating biography… Lubow has performed miracles in gleaning so much fascinating material from Arbus’s friends, colleagues and assistants -- Lynn Barber * Sunday Times *[A] Deeply researched, sometimes prurient, new biography. -- Sean O'Hagan * Observer *Lubow’s excavation of the private life of a great artist is...welcome. -- Olivia Cole * New Statesman *It paints a convincing picture of a lost soul. -- Bryan Appleyard * Spectator *

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

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Book SynopsisOne of the most important avant-garde movements of postwar Paris was Lettrism, which crucially built an interest in the relationship between writing and image into projects in poetry, painting, and especially cinema. This is a monograph in English on the Lettrists.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"With this deeply researched and engagingly written book, Harren gracefully erases boundaries between art history and musicology. In the discussion of George Brecht and the event score, she reveals the ambiguous double power of the score: as both action and potential. Over the course of the book she slows down the explosive event of Fluxus just enough to draw the personal and conceptual chain reactions that made the movement into a turning point in twentieth-century art, but she does not lose its FLUX."--Michael Pisaro, California Institute of the Arts "Fluxus took inspiration from music, but not because of its abstract forms or its affective power. Rather, these artists saw potential in music's philosophically powerful technology: the score. Experimental scores enabled Fluxus to provoke audiences with endlessly novel and open-ended linkages between concepts, materials, and forms. Harren's tour-de-force narrative dramatically reframes the way we understand the cross-fertilization of the postwar avant-garde."--Michael Gallope, author of Deep Refrains: Music, Philosophy, and the Ineffable "From Byzantine studies to theories of representation in the digital age, a wave of historical and critical thinking is now devoted to questions surrounding the identity of the artwork and the status of the object. Harren's remarkable book is a deep dive into the intermedial history of Fluxus from that vantage. Grounded in an intensive examination of means, her account brings new clarity to the terms of a practice that, long elusive, emerges in her hands as utterly indispensable to a historical and conceptual investigation of the ontology of art."--Jeffrey Weiss, curator and critic "What a terrific book! Fluxus Forms is beautifully written, lovingly detailed, intelligent, groundbreaking, and will be a field-defining text for many years. Nuanced and muscular in both argument and prosody, the book presents a long overdue formal and critical analysis of Fluxus. It is Harren's insistence on the variabilities, the very fluxiness, of the virtual and its attentive materializations in the actual that is at the heart of this historical account. Showing an intimate knowledge of the material, her exegesis of the diagrammatic aspect of Fluxus complicates and deepens the urgency of this work today. The enormous value of this project is its eschewal of a general theory in favor of a working theory--a brilliant diagramming, in fact--of something that 'refuses to work.'"--Judith Rodenbeck, author of Radical Prototypes: Allan Kaprow and the Invention of Happenings "Fluxus Forms offers an original perspective by focusing on the diagram and the musical score as key components of Fluxus. In shaping her discussion of Fluxus around the idea of 'artworks in flux, ' Harren opens up connection between the abstract and the concrete. Using Andreas Huyssen's idea that Fluxus is the 'master code of postmodernism, ' she presents the movement with fresh eyes and reveals how the collective's multisensory engagement with the debris of capitalist production--found in the form of Fluxus boxes as well as the notational objects that link things and events--functions as instructional signposts for a newly imagined postindustrial politics that avoid commoditization of the art spectacle."--Hannah Higgins, author of Fluxus Experience

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Book SynopsisThe work of German sculptor Isa Genzken is brilliantly receptive to the ever-shifting conditions of modern life. In this first book devoted to the artist, Lisa Lee reflects on Genzken's tendency to think across media, attending to sculptures, photographs, drawings, and films from the entire span of her four-decade career, from student projects in the mid-1970s to recent works seen in Genzken's studio. Through penetrating analyses of individual works as well as archival and interview material from the artist herself, Lee establishes four major themes in Genzken's oeuvre: embodied perception, architecture and built space, the commodity, and the body. Contextualizing the sculptor's engagement with fellow artists, such as Joseph Beuys and Bruce Nauman, Lee situates Genzken within a critical and historical framework that begins in politically fraught 1960s West Germany and extends to the globalized present. Here we see how Genzken tests the relevance of the utopian aspirations and formal in

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Book SynopsisA look at Aby Warburg and his great work Mnemosyne Atlas.

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

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Centering her study on Finn Juhl’s Chieftain Chair and Hans Wegner’s Round Chair, Taft shows how a small segment of the Danish furniture market—soon folded into a broader “Scandinavian” aesthetic, cannily developed and marketed for the booming American economy—came to rule both sides of the Atlantic." * New Criterion *"The Wegner chair is one of two pieces that Maggie Taft considers in her new book The Chieftain and the Chair: The Rise of Danish Design in Postwar America. The other is the Chieftain chair designed by Finn Juhl. Together, the two seem to capture two different forms of aspiration. . . .The most famous Scandi furniture now comes in flat packs, bought cheaply with a stop-off to the cafeteria for a helping of frozen meatballs with lingonberry jam. But the original appeal of Danish furniture was deeper: It promised craftsmanship at a time of ramped-up assembly line production and the pared-down aesthetic of natural wood when the space age look of new materials was ascendant. As Taft shows, these qualities were closely linked to Danish political culture in the postwar years—to its progressive thinking, vibrant democratic principles, and above all its emerging welfare state." * New Republic *“Danish design (or at least stuff that looks like it) has been a fixture of American interior decoration since it was first imported in the 1950s. Pieces like Hans Wegner’s Round Chair and Finn Juhl’s Chieftain are ubiquitous, so it’s easy to forget that someone had to make people believe they were emblems of middle-class good taste before, you know, they actually were. Taft, an art historian and writer, uses this clear, tight book to trace the origins of these objects and in doing so demolishes some of the many myths about a field you know and (might) love.” * Bloomberg * “A prolific author with contributions to national arts and design publications, Taft presents a deeply researched yet thoroughly accessible examination of the multidimensional impact of two reigning chairs and, more broadly, inspired artistic expression.” * Booklist *"Succinct and engaging. . . essential for an understanding of post-war Danish and American design." * Art Newspaper *"[Taft's] story is not one of heroic artistic choices, but of compromises made for manufacturing at scale, successive counterfeits, the dispersal of a once-original style. . . . Taft tells the story with quick, fluid prose and a plethora of period texts, photographs, and scenes, taking us from the craftsmanship of the Copenhagen Museum of Industrial Art’s Cabinetmaker Day School, where Wegner trained as a joiner in the thirties, to the TV appearance of a pair of Wegner’s chairs in the Kennedy-Nixon debate in 1960." * Book Post *"How did Danish Modern become a byword for mid-century cool in the United States? This study of two chairs made in 1949—The Chieftain by Finn Juhl and Round Chair by Hans Wegner—explores this tale of transcontinental tastemaking." * Apollo *"We may take Danish Modern for granted. But as Taft shows in her absorbing story, the furniture aesthetic was less an expression of national spirit than a complex product of colonial relationships, protectionism, state intervention, and transatlantic salesmanship." -- Edward Tenner * Milken Institute *"This fascinating book makes a great addition to the literature of modern design and the small scale of the book makes it possible to carry." * Daniella on Design *"Taft explores the history of Danish modern design through two pieces of furniture: Hans Wegner’s Round Chair, better known as simply “the Chair,” and Finn Juhl’s Chieftain reading chair. The former is a basic dining chair, designed as part of a set, whose defining element is a single, semicircular wooden form that serves as both back and armrests—hence the “Round” in its moniker. The latter is a cushioned chair upholstered in leather, with wide armrests and a high, regal back rising above its seat. Their differences—the Chair’s slight size and the Chieftain’s heftiness; the Chair’s huge popularity in America and the Chieftain’s relative lack thereof; Juhl’s architectural education and Wegner’s training in cabinetmaking—allow Taft to develop a succinct but multilayered history of Danish Modernism." * Nation *"In this thorough exploration of two iconic Danish chairs, Taft looks to debunk old myths and makes a convincing case for a reexamination of Danish design and how it shaped the story of not only Danish modern, but also the evolution of modern design from New York to Chicago, North Dakota to Los Angeles, in post-war America." -- Zoë Ryan, Daniel W. Dietrich, II Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania"This book is a clever conceit—it uses two exceedingly famous chairs, Finn Juhl’s the Chieftain and Hans Wegner’s the Chair, to narrate a specific history about the creation, consumption, marketing, and reception of Danish Modern in the United States. These chairs are diplomatic actors in the drama that unfolds surrounding the small, but mighty country of Denmark making furniture for an export market in the United States, in which one could not exist without the other. The Chieftain and the Chair is a fresh and succinct contribution to Nordic design studies." -- Monica Obniski, curator of decorative arts and design, High Museum“In The Chieftain and the Chair, Taft provides a rich backstory to two fundamentally familiar mid-century furniture forms. By mining Danish-language archives and obscure American repositories, Taft makes the history of these chairs accessible to an English-speaking audience. Danish design was constructed to appeal to American consumers and American taste, as The Chieftain and the Chair deftly demonstrates.” -- Bobbye Tigerman, Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross Curator for Decorative Arts and Design, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

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Book SynopsisIn addition to the 22 original essays, this edition includes 9 new ones as well as new introductory material. All help expand the book's scope while retaining its central goal of stimulating discussion of theoretical issues in art history and making it accessible.

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