History of art Books

Book SynopsisThis is a new collection of art from one of the UK's most acclaimed sci-fi artists featuring everything from his initial sketches to his final works and published book covers. It includes covers from the SF greats - Greg Bear, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Silverberg, Joe Haldeman, John Meaney, Ricardo Pinto, Peter F Hamilton, and Timothy Zahn and many more.Trade Review"Sci-Fi and Fantasy artist looking for the next big thing to draw or paint, look no further than "The Art of Jim Burns."" - Retrenders "Visually stunning" - The Last Thing I See "Yet another visually stunning, well put together offering from Titan Books" - Giant Freakin' Robot

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Book SynopsisIdeas in Profile: Small Introductions to Big Topics Art has always been part of history. But we often think of it as outside history. When we look at a painting by Raphael, Rembrandt or Rubens it speaks to us directly, but it's also an historical document, part of a living world. Renowned art historian Martin Kemp takes the reader on an extraordinary trip through art, from devotional works to the revolutionary techniques of the Renaissance, from the courtly Masters of the seventeenth century through to the daring avant-garde of the twentieth century and beyond. Along the way we encounter the great names of art history: Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo; Vermeer and Velasquez; Picasso and Pollock. We get under the skin of the many 'isms', schools, styles and epochs. We see the complex sweep of art history with its innovations, collaborations, rivalries, break-throughs and masterpieces. Above all, Kemp puts art in context; art isn't about disembodied images, art itself is history. Part of the Ideas in Profile series, uniquely enlivened with animations and illustrations from the award winning studio Cognitive Media, Art in History is an indispensable, accessible and richly detailed guide to our culture, our history, our heritage and our art. Also available in two ebook formats. Please note that ISBN 9781782831020 is for the usual ebook format and 9781781254110 is for an enhanced edition with additional video and audio which should be used only with tablet devices that are capable of playing this additional content.Trade ReviewA succinct subjective history of art. * Art Quarterly *

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Book SynopsisWhat is contemporary art, and how did art come to be what it is today? How can we understand what a work of art means; and can't just about anything be called art these days?Contemporary Art Decoded takes ten key questions about contemporary art and uses them to what you're looking at, how it works, and why it matters. Steering clear of jargon, this book digs deep into the core ideas and concepts behind the art. It features some work you'll recognise, and some you won't, from some of the most exciting artists working today, such as Olafur Eliasson, Anish Kapoor, Yayoi Kusama and Zanele Muholi.This book is guaranteed to make your next trip to a gallery more rewarding.Chapters include:- What is contemporary art?- Where did it come from?- Where do you draw the line?- Does it matter who makes it?- Does it have to mean something?- Can anything be art?- What about art for art's sake? - Has it all been done before?- Does it have to be so serious?- What's next?

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Book SynopsisPioneering investigation of the popular "double tomb" effigies in the Middle Ages. 2022 Historians of British Art Book Award for Exemplary Scholarship on the Period before 1600 2021 International Center of Medieval Art Annual Book Prize Medieval tombs often depict husband and wife lying side-by-side, and hand in hand, immortalised in elegantly carved stone: what Philip Larkin's poem An Arundel Tomb later described as their "stone fidelity". This first full account of the "double tomb" places its rich tradition into dialogue with powerful discourses of gender, marriage, politics and emotion during the Middle Ages. As well as offering new interpretations of some of the most famous medieval tombs, such as those found in Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral, it draws attention to a host of lesser-known memorials from throughout Europe, providing an innovative vantage point from which to reconsider the material culture of medieval marriage. Setting these twin effigies alongside wedding rings and dresses as the agents of matrimonial ritual and embodied symbolism, the author presents the "double tomb" as far more than mere romantic sentiment. Rather, it reveals the careful artifice beneath their seductive emotional surfaces: the artistic, religious, political and legal agendas underlying the medieval rhetoric of married love. Published with the generous financial assistance of the Henry Moore Foundation.Trade Review[Richly] satisfying [...] Handsomely produced [...] Overall, it is a remarkable achievement, itself a successful marriage of different approaches which are brought together with clarity and perception. * THE RICARDIAN *[This] attractively-produced and well-illustrated volume is thoroughly researched. * ECCLESIOLOGY TODAY *[A] magnificent and original study. -- Christopher Howse * DAILY TELEGRAPH *[This book] leads the way in the current movement urging the reappraisal of pre-Reformation monuments by what is regarded as a holistic art-historical contextualisation. . . . It is certainly essential reading for all interested in medieval church monuments. * Peregrinations *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Double Tomb: Marriage, Symbol and Society Love's Rhetorical Power: The Royal Tomb Gender, Agency and the Much-Married Woman Holding Hands: Gesture, Sign, Sacrament Epilogue Gazetteer of Hand-Joining Monuments Bibliography

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Book SynopsisBased on a lifetime's work in the field, Sir Roy Strong offers an expert and engaging new look at portrait painting in Stuart England, studying the sitters as much as the artists. Sir Roy Strong has been writing for over half a century on the painters of the courts of James I and Charles I. While taking account of the mass of scholarly work that has appeared during that time, this book offers a very different approach to the subject. Until now, the universal method has been to look at the artists, in particular van Dyck, and to see half a century of painting through the six years when the latter was in England. Instead, we are offered a view based on portraits and their sitters, and particularly on the dramatic change in their attitudes, from the still medieval (if Protestant) aesthetic of the Elizabethan age to the ambiguity of one which replaced that aesthetic by one based on the Catholic baroque of European art. Portraits after all are permanent records of how a sitter wished to be seen by posterity as well as in his or her own period. The obsession with the painter and with attribution has tended to obscure that very basic fact. They are inevitably self-fashioning images that chart the new mythology not only of a new dynasty, the Stuarts, but also of a burgeoning and assertive aristocracy. Unlike their spectacular court masques, however, which were gone in an evening of glory, the portraits are still with us - or, rather, those that have survived. Through them we are able to trace a new iconography for a new dynasty and also an aesthetic revolution which moved away from the Elizabethan world of ambiguity and hieroglyphs to one set in space defined by the new optics of the Renaissance. But the title, The Stuart Image, is designed to emphasise that above all what we see is the image and not the reality.Trade ReviewFans of Strong's original publications and of The Elizabethan Image, will find this latest book a treasure trove. Elegantly written, it is also an exceptionally handsome volume. -- Elizabeth Goldring * The Spectator *Table of ContentsPrologue: The Empire of Great Britain  1 The Scene Changeth: The Optical Revolution  2 The Temple of St George: Jacobean and Caroline Chivalry  3 'I ame much in loofe with pictures': The Discovery of Art and Artists  4 Honour and Virtue: The Creation of Dynasties 5 In Heroic Virtue is Figured the King's Majesty: Platonic Fables and Van Dyck Epilogue: 'I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown': King Charles the Martyr

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Book SynopsisThe perfect compact reference guide for all would-be art buffs. Art historian Susie Hodge takes you on a whistle-stop international tour of all the major artistic cultures, movements, phases, developments, artists and themes, from Prehistoric art to Hyperrealism. Contents also include Greek classicism, Gothic art, the Renaissance, Baroque, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Cubism, surrealism, Pop art and Minimalism.

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Book Synopsis'The kind of history deserving of a cinematic blockbuster' Julia Lovell, Literary Review'[A] gripping and meticulously researched account of an epic effort to transport delicate scrolls, paintings and carvings thousands of miles under the threat of bombing and invasion' Rana Mitter, Times Literary Supplement'Brilliant and thrilling... A tale of daring and adventure... A desperate race against time' Paul French, South China Morning Post_____The gripping true story of the intrepid curators who saved China's finest art from the ravages of the Sino-Japanese War and World War II.Spring 1933. The silent courtyards and palaces of Peking's Forbidden City are tense with fear and expectation. Japan's aircraft drone overhead; its troops and tanks are only hours away. All-out war between China and Japan is coming, and the curators of the Forbidden City are faced with an impossible question: how will they protect the vast imperial art collections in their charge?The magnificent collections contain a million pieces of art - objects that carry China's deepest and most ancient memories. Among them are irreplaceable artefacts: exquisite paintings on silk, vanishingly rare Ming porcelain and the extraordinary Stone Drums of Qin, which are adorned with 2,500-year-old inscriptions of crucial cultural significance.For sixteen terrifying years, under the quiet leadership of museum director Ma Heng, the curators would go on to transport the imperial art collections thousands of miles across China - up rivers of white water, across mountain ranges and through burning cities. In their search for safety the curators and their fragile, invaluable cargo journeyed through the maelstrom of violence, chaos and starvation that was China's Second World War.Told for the first time in English and playing out across a vast historical canvas, this is the exhilarating story of a small group of men and women who, when faced with war's onslaught on civilisation, chose to resist.'Fascinating... Brookes marries a reporter's grasp of detail with a novelist's narrative flair to bring clarity and readability to a complicated period of China's troubled history' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewA compelling story of art, war and adventure. An extraordinary odyssey of the imperial treasures of the Forbidden City, protected by heroic and remarkable curators... Superb -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of STALIN: THE COURT OF THE RED TSARA story of bravery and ingenuity, and equally of the critical role cultural heritage plays in forming and maintaining national identity. * Wall Street Journal *So much more than a work of art history, Brookes's book illuminates the exceptional dramas of the Chinese front in the Second World War, a theatre of the conflict that is still insufficiently understood -- Julia Lovell * Literary Review *Adam Brookes has an eye for a great story and knows how to tell it. Fragile Cargo cannot fail to delight... I enjoyed it enormously -- John Keay, author of CHINA: A HISTORYA riveting read... With his meticulously researched and detailed writing, Adam Brookes takes us on a compelling journey through this extraordinary chapter of Chinese history. Fragile Cargo reads like a thriller... Gripping stuff -- Alexi Kaye Campbell, writer of feature film WOMAN IN GOLD

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Book SynopsisSince the beginning of Gandhāran studies in the nineteenth century, chronology has been one of the most significant challenges to the understanding of Gandhāran art. Many other ancient societies, including those of Greece and Rome, have left a wealth of textual sources which have put their fundamental chronological frameworks beyond doubt. In the absence of such sources on a similar scale, even the historical eras cited on inscribed Gandhāran works of art have been hard to place. Few sculptures have such inscriptions and the majority lack any record of find-spot or even general provenance. Those known to have been found at particular sites were sometimes moved and reused in antiquity. Consequently, the provisional dates assigned to extant Gandhāran sculptures have sometimes differed by centuries, while the narrative of artistic development remains doubtful and inconsistent. Building upon the most recent, cross-disciplinary research, debate and excavation, this volume reinforces a new consensus about the chronology of Gandhāra, bringing the history of Gandhāran art into sharper focus than ever. By considering this tradition in its wider context, alongside contemporary Indian art and subsequent developments in Central Asia, the authors also open up fresh questions and problems which a new phase of research will need to address. Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art is the first publication of the Gandhāra Connections project at the University of Oxford’s Classical Art Research Centre, which has been supported by the Bagri Foundation and the Neil Kreitman Foundation. It presents the proceedings of the first of three international workshops on fundamental questions in the study of Gandhāran art, held at Oxford in March 2017.Trade Review'This book is therefore an essential contribution to Gandhāran studies, by favouring an approach through various disciplines and paving the way for further studies.' -- Olivier Bordeaux * Ancient West & East *Table of ContentsIntroduction – by Wannaporn Rienjang and Peter Stewart; Numismatic evidence and the date of Kaniṣka I – by Joe Cribb; Positioning Gandhāran Buddhas in chronology: significant coordinates and anomalies – by Juhyung Rhi; A framework for Gandhāran chronology based on relic inscriptions – by Stefan Baums; On Gandhāran sculptural production from Swat: recent archaeological and chronological data – by Luca Maria Olivieri and Anna Filigenzi; The chronology of stūpa relic practice in Afghanistan and Dharmarājikā, Pakistan, and its implication for the rise in popularity of image cult – by Wannaporn Rienjang; Buddhist art’s late bloomer: the genius and influence of Gandhāra – by Monika Zin; On the relationship between Gandhāran toilet-trays and the early Buddhist art of northern India – by Ciro Lo Muzio; Is it appropriate to ask a celestial lady’s age? – by Robert Bracey; Architectural evidence for the Gandhāran tradition after the third century – by Kurt Behrendt

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Book SynopsisEdward Schroder Prior designed the cathedral of the Arts and Crafts Movement (St Andrew's Church, Roker), perfected the popular butterfly plan in his houses, and published what is still the seminal work on medieval gothic art in England in 1900. Highly regarded by critics such as Ian Nairn, Prior is sometimes considered to have narrowly missed out on a place in the architectural pantheon of his age, alongside contemporaries such as Charles Voysey and William Lethaby. The result of extensive archival and field research, Edward Prior - Arts and Crafts Architect sheds new light on Prior's architecture, life and scholarship. Extensively illustrated, it showcases Prior's work in colour, including many of his architectural drawings and photographs of most of his extant buildings. Prior is the missing link of the Arts and Crafts Movement, in both a theoretical and a practical sense, as he was possibly the only practitioner who genuinely translated the artistic theories of Ruskin and Morris into architectural reality. He went on to found the School of Architecture at the University of Cambridge in 1912.

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Book SynopsisA Western Marxist reading of contemporary art, focusing on the question of the continued presence (or absence) of the avant-garde’s transgressive impulse. Taking art’s ability to contribute to radical social transformation as its point of departure, Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen's new title from Zero Books analyses the relationship between the current neoliberal hegemony and contemporary art, including relational aesthetics and interventionist art, new institutionalism and post-modern architecture. '...a trenchant critique of neoliberal domination of contemporary art.' Gene Ray, author of Terror and the Sublime in Art and Critical Theory

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Book Synopsis"Hall’s consummate history is not just the story of the evolution of one of the world’s great collections… The book is also a through-the-keyhole insight into the shifting tastes, good or bad, of 1,000 years of monarchs."- The TimesThe Royal Collection is the last great collection formed by the European monarchies to have survived into the twenty-first century. Containing over a million artworks and objects, it covers all aspects of the fine and decorative arts, from paintings by Rembrandt and Michelangelo to grand sculpture, Fabergé eggs and some of the most exquisite furniture ever made. The Royal Collection also offers a revealing insight into the history of the British monarchy from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II, recording the tastes and obsessions of kings and queens over the past 500 years. With unprecedented access to the royal residences of St James' Palace, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, Art, Passion & Power traces the history of this national institution from the Middle Ages to the present day, exploring how royalty used the arts to strengthen their position as rulers by divine right and celebrating treasures from the Crown Jewels to the "Abraham" tapestries in Hampton Court Palace. Author Michael Hall examines the monarchy's response to changing attitudes to the arts and sciences during the Enlightenment and celebrates the British monarchy's role in the democratisation of art in the modern world. Packed with glimpses of rarely seen artworks, Art, Passion & Power is a visual treat for all art enthusiasts. Accompanying the BBC television series and a major exhibition at the Royal Academy, Art, Passion & Power is the definitive statement on the British monarchy's treasures of the art world.

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Book SynopsisThe perfect introduction to the city’s architectural heritage, Barcelona Sketchbook gives visitors and residents insight into a wealth of sights, both grand and intimate in scale. Many facets of the Catalonia capital and surroundings are recorded here, as Graham Byfield strolls with his sketchpad through the Ramblas, the glories of Antoni Gaudí, the great ceremonial buildings, and cafés and parks full of character. On the way, with a few pencil strokes and splashes of watercolour, he captures scenes of daily life, as well as a plethora of architectural wonders dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona in the Middle Ages. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, it continued to be an important city as an economic and administrative centre and the capital of the Principality of Catalonia. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today a major tourist destination being one of the world’s most visited cities. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is also an important port, has hosted two International Exhibitions and is known for its successful Summer Olympics in 1992. Accompanying the paintings and sketches are observations and notes handwritten by the artist, as well as a learned and informative introduction to Barcelona and its various areas by heritage expert Marcus Binney.

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Book SynopsisThe best-selling Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones presents a radical new story of British art. "Sensations is a riveting story of art and science: thoughtful, provocative and persuasive" - The Times "Erudite, impassioned, fascinating" - Financial Times “Sensations brilliantly marshals Jones’s extensive research into engaging narratives of British intellectual history… Compelling.” Times Literary Supplement “I even loved Jonathan’s writing when he slagged my work off! He is a true thinker, a brilliant art historian who can back up his criticism with more than just opinion.” – Tracey Emin “Sensations presents a radically new story of British art. It connects the artists of today with British culture more than three hundred years ago as it finds an unexpected thread that links William Hogarth and Tracey Emin, Thomas Gainsborough and Lucian Freud. What they share is an eye for the real world. I hope this book will change how you see Britain, and its art.” – Jonathan Jones What is the artistic impulse uniting Robert Hooke's drawings of insects, George Stubbs's studies of horses and Damien Hirst's pickled shark? In this new and spirited account of British art, Jonathan Jones argues for empiricism. From the Enlightenment to the present, British artists have shared a passion for looking hard at the world around them. Jones shows how this zeal for precision and careful observation paved the way for Realism, Impressionism and the birth of modern art. This essential art book is a must-read for fans of Gombrich’s The Story of Art and the perfect introduction to British art history. Also by Laurence King Publishing: - A World History of Art by John Fleming and Hugh Honour (9781856695848) - The Short Story of Art by Susie Hodge (9781780679686)

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Book SynopsisWritten by Musa Mayer - Philip Guston's daughter and President of The Guston Foundation - this book brings Guston's life and his hugely rich and diverse output together into one succinct volume. Split into three sections covering Guston's early career, his mid-century Abstract Expressionist work, and his controversial but now hugely influential late period, the book offers a complete introduction and overview of a mercurial figure.

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Book SynopsisArtemisia Gentileschi was the greatest female artists of the Baroque age. In Artemisia Gentileschi, critic and historian Jonathan Jones discovers how Artemisia overcame a turbulent past to become one of the foremost painters of her day.As a young woman Artemisia was raped by her tutor, and then had to endure a seven-month-long trial during which she was brutally examined by the authorities. Gentileschi was shamed in a culture where honour was everything. Yet she went on to become one of the most sought-after artists of the seventeenth century. Yet she went on to become one of the most sought-after artists of the seventeenth century. Gentileschi's art communicated a powerful personal vision. Like Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois or Tracey Emin, she put her life into her art.'Lives of the Artists'is a new series of brief artists biographies from Laurence King Publishing. The series takes as its inspiration Giorgio Vasari's five-hundred-year-old masterwork, updating it with modern takes on the lives of key artists past and present. Focusing on the life of the artist rather than examining their work, each book also includes key images illustrating the artist's life.Trade Review"In the world and words of Jones’s book, the 17th century could have happened yesterday, it is urgent, immediate and very compelling." -- Irish Times"Jonathan Jones’s highly readable Artemisia Gentileschi is the latest in the publisher Laurence King’s ‘Lives of the Artists’ series. (...) Jones gives a lively account of her life and career, and his enthusiasm for her work permeates his writing: the descriptive passages on her paintings are especially evocative." -- Apollo Magazine

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Book SynopsisStep into the world of Frida Kahlo: behind the portraits and the surrealist art discover the fascinating woman who has transfixed the world.Fridamania has made Frida Kahlo's image ubiquitous: she has been reborn as a Halloween costume, Barbie doll, children's book character, textile print, phone cover and the inspiration for everything from cocktails to fashion shoots. But it is more difficult to get a clear vision of this bold and brilliant, foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking, hard-smoking, husband-stealing, occasionally bisexual, often bed-bound, wheelchair-using, needy, forthright and passionate woman. Hettie Judah sets out to correct that with this superb biography of one of the most charismatic artists of the last hundred years.Follow Frida's life through tumultuous love and life-altering accidents, towards recognition in the art world from the likes of André Breton and Marcel Duchamp, to becoming the first Mexican artist held at the Louvre. Judah delves into Kahlo's experiences and how these came together to inspire the art that has been described as an uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form. From an early battle with Polio, to a debilitating bus accident at 18, through love and heart ache, the life of Frida Kahlo was one of pain but a pain that bore great beauty.Hettie Judah is a contributing writer for publications including the Guardian, Vogue, The New York Times, Frieze and Art Quarterly.Lives of the Artists is a new series by Laurence King. Concise, highly readable biographies of some of the world's greatest artists written by authoritative and respected names from the world of art. Learn about the artist behind the masterpieces.Currently available: Andy Warhol and Artemisia Gentileschi

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Book SynopsisKeith Haring was a revolutionary artist, who transformed the art world during his short but impactful life. Brought to life by Simon Doonan, Creative Director for Barneys New York, this new pocket-sized biography tells his inspirational story.Revolutionary and renegade, Keith Haring was an artist for the people, creating an instantly recognisable repertoire of symbols - barking dogs, space-ships, crawling babies, clambering faceless people - which became synonymous with the volatile culture of 1980s. Like a careening, preening pinball, Keith Haring playfully slammed into all aspects of this decade - hip-hop, new-wave, graffiti, funk, art, style, gay culture - and brought them together.Haring's fanatical drive propelled him into the orbit of the most interesting people of his time: Jean Michel Basquiat envied him; Warhol, William Boroughs and Grace Jones collaborated with him. Madonna and he shared the same tastes in men. Famous at 25, dead from AIDS at 31, Keith Haring is remembered as a Pied Piper, an unpretentious communicator who appeared happiest when mentoring a gang of kids, arming them with brushes and attacking the nearest wall.A series of brief biographies of the great artists, Lives of the Artists takes as its inspiration Giorgio Vasari's five-hundred-year-old masterwork, updating it with modern takes on the lives of key artists past and present. Focusing on the life of the artist rather than examining their work, each book also includes key images illustrating the artist's life. Hardbound, but pocket-sized, the books each sport a specially-commissioned portrait of their subject on the half-jacket.

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Book SynopsisPunk meets Druidry in the only trade edition of Jamie Reid's art, weaving c.180 radical art images into the structure of the pagan Wheel of the Year. The art is selected and introduced by curator Stephen Ellcock with notes on the seasonal celebrations by former Chief Druid of OBOD Philip Carr-Gomm.

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Book SynopsisHath thou seen thy Classic Art Memes?This hilarious book is full of laugh-out-loud classic art memes to brighten your day. From renaissance to baroque, rococo to romantics historical art is made hysterical with amusing modern wit.

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Book SynopsisA gorgeous new edition with the cover printed on silver. Tiffany was highly skilled in jewellery design, ceramics, enamels, and metalwork but he is best known for his beautiful stained-glass designs. Using opalescent glass in a variety of colours and textures, he created a stunning range of jewel-like Art Nouveau works, many of them presented here in this luxurious volume.

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Book SynopsisIn The Future of the Image, Jacques Rancière develops a fascinating new concept of the image in contemporary art, showing how art and politics have always been intrinsically intertwined. He argues that there is a stark political choice in art: it can either reinforce a radical democracy or create a new reactionary mysticism. For Rancière there is never a pure art: the aesthetic revolution must always embrace egalitarian ideals.Trade ReviewLike all of Jacques Rancière's texts, The Future of the Image is vertiginously precise. * Les Cahiers du Cinema *Ranciere's writings offer one of the few conceptualizations of how we are to continue to resist. -- Slavoj ZizekWhat we see here is Ranciere developing a unique voice as a political theorist. * Bookforum *French philosopher Jacques Ranciere is a refreshing read for anyone concerned with what art has to do with politics and society. * Art Review *It's clear that Jacques Ranciere is relighting the flame that was extinguished for many--that is why he serves as such a signal reference today. -- Thomas HirschhornA series of gratifyingly knotty and close discussions of nineteenth and twentieth century literature, film and painting. * Guardian *"Much of the value of Rancière's writings on art and aesthetics arises from his initial refusal of terms that are self-evident to the point of invisibility. " -- Frieze"It is too simplistic to say that Jacques Rancière is the anti-Bourdieu. But it is not inaccurate. Robustly conceptual where Bourdieu is empirical, abstractly philosophical where Bourdieu was sociologically precise, he offers a recasting of aesthetic questions that attempts implicitly to rescue the category of the aesthetic from the learned helplessness, or cynical reason, in which Bourdieu left it." -- Nicholas Dames * n+1 *

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Book Synopsis"I have always been inspired by what was happening on the street – and anyway, I couldn't afford the high fashion price tags." —Caroline Baker "Featuring an array of – now – infamous covers and high fashion editorials crafted by Baker, readers are encouraged to bask in the success of her trail-blazing tale and indulge in the history of streetwear’s rise to the helm of the fashion industry." —Wonderland "A fantastic delve into the story of fashion styling straight from the lips (and visual archive) of the lady who invented it all, Caroline Baker" —Navaz Batliwalla, disneyrollergirl "What makes this book a must-read? Author Iain R. Webb is a friend of Baker’s, so this is the inside story of a woman whose work is a masterclass in the art of style and subversion." —Yahoo Caroline Baker is the antidote to high fashion. As the legendary fashion editor of Nova magazine in the 1960s and '70s, her style was quite literally cutting-edge (she famously chopped up clothes to achieve her desired looks). She is credited with challenging the status quo of the industry and society at large, and introducing street fashion to the mass market. Stylist-of-choice for the most dynamic female designers on the scene – Katharine Hamnett and Vivienne Westwood – Caroline has continued her trajectory as a fashion provocateur. Her work has appeared on the pages of Vogue, Tatler and Cosmopolitan as well as The Face and i-D – and unsurprisingly, a new generation of style-setters is now looking to Baker’s back catalogue for inspiration. This book offers an in-depth overview of Baker’s work, expertly curated and considered by Iain R. Webb. It is divided into sections that highlight specific recurring themes and tropes – such as Punk Rock, DIY, Utility and Sportswear. These ideas have defined Baker’s evolving sartorial vocabulary over six decades, and set a template for street fashion that endures to this day. Accompanied with personal commentary from Baker herself and specially written contributions by Vivienne Westwood and Katharine Hamnett, this is the definitive guide to Caroline Baker and her influence on fashion.Trade Review"Featuring an array of – now – infamous covers and high fashion editorials crafted by Baker, readers are encouraged to bask in the success of her trail-blazing tale and indulge in the history of streetwear’s rise to the helm of the fashion industry." - Wonderland"A fantastic delve into the story of fashion styling straight from the lips (and visual archive) of the lady who invented it all, Caroline Baker" - Navaz Batliwalla, disneyrollergirlCaroline Baker arrived in London with the necessary impetus and at the right time to become the creator of street style. [Translated from Spanish] - Malu Pandolfo, La Nacion"What makes this book a must-read? Author Iain R. Webb is a friend of Baker’s, so this is the inside story of a woman whose work is a masterclass in the art of style and subversion." - Yahoo"1976… It was the fashion editing at its most original, carried out by one of the most influential stylists of the era: Caroline Baker, the architect of "street fashion"." - VOGUETable of ContentsFOREWORD by CB / Rebel Style INTRODUCTION by IRW / Rebel Rebel ONE / Rebel Women TWO / Army Dreamers THREE / Punk Rocks FOUR / Reggae Boys FIVE / Pirates and Buffalo Gals SIX / Really Saying Something SEVEN / Anachronism in the UK EIGHT / Belt and Braces NINE / Men Swear TEN / Be a Sport ELEVEN / It’s a Wrap TWELVE / We Are the World THIRTEEN / Get Knitted FOURTEEN / Tits Up FIFTEEN / Up Yours SIXTEEN / Under Where? SEVENTEEN / The Way We Wore EIGHTEEN / Modern Times NINETEEN / Pin-Ups TWENTY / Lace and Fineness TWENTY-ONE / Old Romantic TWENTY-TWO / Fierce Glamour INDEX PICTURE CREDITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Book SynopsisFrom long lost paintings to ephemeral sculptures; from whimsical performances to iconic public murals; and from independent films to landmark design objects, the surprising and provocative contents of Moving Focus, India have been provided by a varied group of experts. A first of its kind, this book invited 54 artists, curators, historians and writers to each create a list of five works of art, made at any time since 1900, by artists living in India or identifying as part of its diaspora. With over 250 individual nominations, including artists whose works have been exhibited at venues as various as Houghton Hall (Anish Kapoor, 2020), the Asia Society Museum, New York (MF Husain, 2019) and the Piramal Museum of Art, Mumbai (SH Raza, 2018), the exercise produced thrilling and unexpected choices across many mediums. Drawing from a wide range of private and public collections, the selections reveal the diversity and inclusiveness of today’s art scene: an art scene that has embraced the progressive changes evident in society at large. In addition to these lists, the book includes reflections on collecting, curating and canon-formation from a range of important voices, by way of a roundtable discussion and a series of essays. Spread over two volumes and marked by an innovative and fresh design sensibility, whether you are familiar with modern and contemporary art from the subcontinent or looking for an introduction, Moving Focus, India contains a wealth of information. Lavishly illustrated with over 1,000 archival and freshly commissioned photographs, this book is an important and timely addition to the global art discourse and a key source of reference. Nominated artists include Ramkinkar Baij, Chittaprosad, VS Gaitonde, Amrita Sher Gil, Rummana Hussain, Bhupen Khakhar, Nasreen Mohamedi, Benode Behari Mukherjee, Meera Mukherjee, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Gieve Patel, Sudhir Patwardhan, Nilima Sheikh, Jangarh Singh Shyam, KG Subramanyan, Vivan Sundaram, Zarina and many more.

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Book SynopsisAn attempt to melt an iceberg with a blowtorch, an indoor lake of tequila, an ascent of Mt Everest, driftwood burnt with sunlight focused through a magnifying glass and a doorbell that emits the sound of a dying star; these are some of the extraordinary artistic strategies covered in this collection. Gathering together texts published since 2002, as well as specially written new essays, In Land traces recent engagements with landscape, nature, environment and the cosmos.

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Book SynopsisAt the end of his long, prolific life, Titian was rumored to paint directly on the canvas with his bare hands. He would slide his fingers across bright ridges of oil paint, loosening the colors, blending, blurring, and then bringing them together again. With nothing more than the stroke of a thumb or the flick of a nail, Titian's touch brought the world to life. The clinking of glasses, the clanging of swords, and the cry of a woman's grief. The sensation of hair brushing up against naked flesh, the sudden blush of unplanned desire, and the dry taste of fear in a lost, shadowy place. Titian's art, Maria H. Loh argues in this exquisitely illustrated book, was and is a synesthetic experience. To see is at once to hear, to smell, to taste, and to touch. But while Titian was fully attached to the world around him, he also held the universe in his hands. Like a magician, he could conjure appearances out of thin air. Like a philosopher, his exploration into the very nature of things channelled and challenged the controversial ideas of his day. But as a painter, he created the world anew. Dogs, babies, rubies, and pearls. Falcons, flowers, gloves, and stone. Shepherds, mothers, gods, and men. Paint, canvas, blood, sweat, and tears. In a series of close visual investigations, Loh guides us through the lush, vibrant world of Titian's touch.

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Book SynopsisThe Italian sculptor known as Donatello helped to forge a new kind of art - one that defines the Renaissance. His work was progressive, innovative, challenging and even controversial. Using a variety of novel sculptural techniques and perspectives, Donatello depicted human sexuality, violence, spirituality and beauty. But to really understand Donatello one needs to understand a changing world, a transition from Medieval to Renaissance and to an art more personal and part of the modern self. Donatello was not just a man of his times, he helped create the spirit of the times he lived in, and those to come. In this beautifully illustrated book, the first monograph on Donatello for 25 years, A. Victor Coonin describes the full extent of Donatello's revolutionary contribution and shows how his work heralded the emergence of modern art.

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Book SynopsisWhen is a work of art finished? Can it be complete in a mental sense? And who decides? In this highly original and wide-ranging study, Carel Blotkamp explores the concept and manifestations of 'the end' in art. From the idea of a mortal end to the notion of completeness, Blotkamp describes a fascinating array of historical facts and myths as well as novels on art and artists. He examines the value of the last works of artists, considering how a particular end came about and how that might affect our perception of the work; the difference in the styles of artists in old age; unfinished last works and those completed by another's hand; and the mythology inherent in the reception of last works, taking the last works of Raphael and Mondrian as prime examples. For students, artists and art enthusiasts looking for a new perspective on modern art, The End is the perfect place to start.

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Book SynopsisThe hat is one of our most beloved pieces of clothing, appearing in virtually every society. Through the centuries, hats have represented the most important structures of culture --- governance (the crown), religion (the turban), traditions (the bonnet) and much more. Yet hats have also always allowed for the very personal expression of style and feeling. In this beautifully illustrated celebration of the hat, Drake Stutesman uncovers the influence on our lives of this versatile headgear. Beginning in the Ice Age, the story of the hat is traced through its links with the origins of abstract thinking, through the complex evolution of the professions of millinery and hatting in the Middle Ages, through the rise of the superstar milliner in the 20th century, and, finally, through the work of the ingenious hat makers of today who continue to dazzle us with their creations. For all those interested in the history of fashion and the history of culture, Hat offers new perspectives on this stylish, practical and important accessory.Trade Review"An excellent anthropological and sociological worldwide study of the importance and significance of hats from the beginning of time to the present day."--Christina Giorcelli, University of Rome Three

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Book SynopsisThe Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte redefined the way we think about art. Famous for his men in bowler hats, Magritte’s witty and provocative work inspired generations of later artists, from Andy Warhol to Jasper Johns. In this illuminating new biography, Patricia Allmer radically repositions Magritte’s work in relation to its historical and cultural circumstances. Allmer explores the significant influence of events and experiences in Magritte’s early childhood and youth, recorded in his letters and essays: his memories of visiting fairs and circuses; of magical shows and performances; of the cinema; and in particular his first encounter with his future partner, Georgette, on a carousel. Allmer’s analyses of these events and their influence on both well-known and less familiar images give new insights into Magritte’s art. The book will appeal to those who wish to know more about Magritte’s life and work, as well as the wide audience for Surrealism.

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Book SynopsisThe Venetian painter known as Giorgione or "big George" died at a young age in the dreadful plague of 1510, possibly having painted fewer than twenty-five works. But many of these are among the most mysterious and alluring in the history of art. Paintings such as The Three Philosophers and The Tempest remain compellingly elusive, seeming to deny the viewer the possibility of interpreting their meaning. Tom Nichols argues that this visual elusiveness was essential to Giorgione's sensual approach and that ambiguity is the defining quality of his art. Through detailed discussions of all Giorgione's works, Nichols shows that by abandoning the more intellectual tendencies of much Renaissance art, Giorgione made the world and its meanings appear always more inscrutable.Trade Review"Nichols's book serves as an excellent, cerebral, and insightful essay on one of the most influential and enigmatic of Renaissance painters. Like one of Giorgione's own pictures, Nichols's analysis is lyrical, and thought-provoking; constantly drawn to the profound implications of its subject, yet never less than concise and accessible. The book is particularly welcome and timely. . . . Nichols is able to reserve his considerable intellectual energy for a revitalising and superbly informed discussion of the essence of Giorgione--both in terms of the elusive, enfolded meanings of his art, and in providing the reader with a navigable, clear-headed guide to a corpus of key works."--Philip Cottrell, assistant professor in art history, University College Dublin

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Book SynopsisWhether in a court room or a dressing room, wigs come in many forms and represent many things: from power, to sexuality, to parody, to health, to self-identity, to disguise. Wigs are present at parties and in chemotherapy rooms, in pop music and contemporary art. In this witty and eloquent book, Luigi Amara reflects on the curious history of the wig and along the way takes a sideways look at Western civilization. Amara illuminates how the wig has starred throughout history, from ancient Egypt to the court of Louis XIV, and from British courtrooms to drag shows today. Containing many striking and unusual images, The Wig will appeal to all those interested in the history of fashion--as well as philosophy, art, culture, and aesthetics.Trade Review"A witty and encyclopedic work. . . . Should be part of the collection of any enthusiast of the essay genre." -- Ignacio M. Sanchez Prado * Los Angeles Review of Books * "[Explores] the wig's silly, sexy, and serious strains in a collection of fanciful short essays. . . . It's clear that for Amara, the wig is an excuse to ponder, wander, and lose himself to flights of fancy." -- Lauren Moya Ford * Hyperallergic * "The reader may find that all objects, when inspected in this way, display a wider cultural resonance. The real question, then, is whether that resonance is as important as the writer believes. Amara makes some ambitious claims... An interesting and enjoyable study." * Times Literary Supplement * "With the precision of a Renaissance collector, Amara has written a book as wonderful and impressive as the old cabinets of curiosities. From Andy Warhol to Andre Agassi, the collection exposed in The Wig makes us smile and laugh with amazement, while we reflect on how shaky identity is." -- Carlos Fonseca, Trinity College, Cambridge, author of "Natural History" "A clever and illuminating take on the world of wigs. A book every hairdresser should have in their collection." -- Isaac Davidson, hairstylist, wig designer, founder of Wigbar "In this smart and humorous account of the history of the wig, Amara proves he's not afraid of frivolity, using it to dig deep into the history of our ideas and costumes." -- Juan Pablo Villalobos, author of "I Don't Expect Anyone to Believe Me" and "Down the Rabbit Hole"

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Book SynopsisPeter Paul Rubens was the most inventive and prolific northern European artist of his age. This book discusses his life and work in relation to three interrelated themes: spirit, ingenuity and genius. It argues that Rubens and his reception were pivotal in the transformation of early modern ingenuity into Romantic genius. Ranging across the artist’s entire career, it explores Rubens’s engagement with these themes in his art and biography. The book looks at Rubens’s forays into altarpiece painting in Italy as well as his collaborations with fellow artists in his hometown of Antwerp, and his complex relationship with the spirit of pleasure. It concludes with his late landscapes in connection to genius loci, the spirit of the place.Trade Review"Rubens’s Spirit is a beautifully written, subtle analysis of the prodigious creativity that informed and permeated the work of this most versatile artist, from the large altarpieces and mythologies to the portraits, genre scenes, and, finally, the late landscapes. Marr’s exploration of the multiple expressions of Rubens’s spirited art sheds new light on the notion of ingenuity, a key term of the period that would finally, in its modified form as genius, dominate aesthetic theory up to the modern day." -- Christine Göttler, Professor Emerita of Art History, University of Bern"‘Genius,’ ‘ingenuity,’ ‘spirit’—these are broad terms to apply to any artist, but with great wit and erudition Marr shows how their specific seventeenth-century use enlarges our view of Rubens and his art. . . . Few introductory texts to Rubens have presented so much original research, and none move with such ease from subjects like seventeenth-century dietetics and optical theory to the implications of Rubens’s representations of male and female figures for issues of gender. A moving and beautifully written account of the astonishingly diverse aspects of Rubens’s art and life." -- David Freedberg, Pierre Matisse Professor of the History of Art, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisThe Suit unpicks the story of this most familiar garment, from its emergence in western Europe at the end of the seventeenth century to today. Suit-wearing figures such as the Savile Row gentleman and the Wall Street businessman have long embodied ideas of tradition, masculinity, power and respectability, but the suit has also been used to disrupt concepts of gender and conformity. Adopted and subverted by women, artists, musicians and social revolutionaries through the decades – from dandies and Sapeurs to the Zoot Suit and Le Smoking – the suit is also a device for challenging the status quo. For all those interested in the history of menswear, this beautifully illustrated book offers new perspectives on this most mundane, and poetic, product of modern culture.Trade Review'Christopher Breward’s intelligent consideration of the suit is an antidote to all the bombastic how to guides written by fashion journalists and bloggers whose idea of cultural context is to speed read a Wikipedia page . . . a rich, deep and satisfying study.'-World of Interiors 'The Suit has its own spare, modernist elegance. It presents a decisively uncluttered history of menswear, cutting a clean line through eighteenth-century French military uniforms to dandies, Pasolini films and twentieth-century Italian tailoring, all the while insisting on the suit’s all-pervasive influence in modern and contemporary cultures . . . Breward takes unmistakable pleasure in his subject.'-Financial Times 'Expertly shows how the adoption of the suit was a manifestation of societal change as the great European wars of the 17th and 18th centuries morphed into the Industrial Revolution and thereon into the modern democratic world. Indeed, it would be hard to name another facet of our modern culture that has so effortlessly and variously expressed the cross-purposes of, say, Baudelaire, Le Corbusier, and Mao Zedong. The suit is the perfect signifier, and as Mr. Breward shows, it carries all the noble, artistic, economic, and perverse impulses of our culture.'-Wall Street Journal 'Christopher Breward offers a compendious account of the evolution of the suit from the gaudily decorated outfits of the Elizabethen court, through the luxury textile trade, to the genesis of something like the modern idea of well-dressed manhood (essentially, expensive understatement) in the nineteenth-century Parisian cult of the dandy . . . when Breward ventures beyond just telling his story to speculate a little on the cultural resonances behind it, he does so with a sharp, laconic intelligence.'-TLS 'Breward has an eye for detail and is to be congratulated for nosing out such truffles of tailoring lore that might have escape others. He is knowledgeable about his subject, insightful in his analysis and imaginative in the connections that he makes. The result is a thoughtful and at times lively riffle throught the male wardrobe from Restoration England onwards.'-Nicholas Foulkes, Literary Review 'Christopher Brewards book on the history and culture of the gentlemans suit is a handsome, hardback volume with a generous number of large-format illustrations . . . his is not a straightforward object-oriented interpretation what makes the book such a clever and rewarding read lies in how Breward assumes the position of a tailor in tackling a cultural history of the suit, as if fashioning a garment in material form. This is a book crafted by the measuring, marking, aligning, fitting and shaping of evidence. Just as the seam allowances of a bespoke suit allow its proportions to be altered to fit a body modified by the regimes and excesses of life, so Breward appreciates that cultural and material histories are also malleable, with margins that can be redrawn and reassembled.'-Journal of Design History 'A scholarly history of sartorial style, a dialectic between peacock fashions and their renunciation.'-Metropolis Magazine 'Christopher Breward climbs into every armhole and measures every inside leg. He stops at nothing to decode the enigmas of mens tailoring.'-Simon Doonan, Creative Ambassador for Barneys New York and author of The Asylum: True Tales of Madness from a Life in Fashion 'Spirited and well researched, The Suit: Form, Function and Style is a thoroughly informed examination of the ubiquitous garment that is a staple in every mans life. Combining both substance and style, it provides a journey into the evolution of the suit and its cultural influence through the ages.', Ed Burstell, Managing Director, Liberty 'In its long history the suit has been both a symbol of adherence to mainstream authority as well as a weapon of rebellion. In this book Christopher Breward masterfully traces the suit's influence in modern and contemporary cultures with thorough scholarship and vivid writing. The Suit is a magical tour of the corporeal terrain of the garment that continues to intrigue us as it reflects the ever-changing economic and cultural contexts in which it is found. A triumph of scholarship and a joy to read.'-G. Bruce Boyer, author of True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear, Rebel Style, and Gary Cooper: Enduring Style 'An attractively illustrated history unpicking the story of the gentlemans tailored suit from its emergence in Western Europe at the end of the 17th century to its fate in the 21st century.'-The BooksellerTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Tailor’s Art 1. Well Suited 2. Suiting Nations 3. Sharp Suits 4. Seeing the Suit 5. Epilogue: Future Suits References Select Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisChildren of Mercury is a bold new account of the lives of pre-modern painters, viewed through the lens of The Seven Ages of Man, a widespread belief made famous in the ‘All the world’s a stage’ speech in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Spike Bucklow follows artists’ lives from infancy, through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, to maturity, old age and death. He tracks how lives unfolded for both male and female painters, from the famous, like Michelangelo, through Artemisia Gentileschi and Mary Beale to those who are now forgotten, like Jehan Gillemer. The book draws on historic biographies, artists’ own writings and, uniquely, the physical evidence offered by their paintings.Trade Review'Bucklow offers a deeply humane poetics of the life-cycle and artistic creativity that is enchanting and original. This beautifully written book is an enormously rewarding read for anyone interested in art history.' – Ulinka Rublack, FBA, Professor of Early Modern European History, University of Cambridge 'While there have been studies of prodigies and of aging artists, Spike Bucklow's book is distinctive in looking systematically at the periods in between. It also stands out within this literature for devoting real attention to women as well as men.' – Michael Cole, Howard McP. Davis Professor and Chair of the Department of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisIncomparable Realms offers a vision of Spanish culture and society during the Golden Age, the period from 1500 to 1700 when Spain unexpectedly rose to become the dominant European power. But in what ways was this a ‘Golden Age’, and for whom? The relationship between the Habsburg monarchy and the Church shaped the period, with both constructing narratives to bind Spanish society together. Incomparable Realms unpicks the impact of these on thought and culture, and examines the people and perspectives such powerful projections sought to eradicate. The book shows that the tension between the heavenly and earthly realms, and in particular the struggle between the spiritual and the corporeal, defines Golden Age culture. In art and literature, mystical theology and moral polemic, ideology, doctrine and everyday life, the problematic pull of the body and of the material world is the unacknowledged force behind early modern Spain. Life is a dream, as the title of Calderón’s famous play of the period proclaimed, but there is always a body dreaming it.

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Book SynopsisIn Counter-Texts, Kim Dhillon provides a much-needed critical reassessment of written language in contemporary art. Considering the politics, aesthetics and ethics of language, Dhillon explores artworks that use inscribed language, with a particular focus on works that challenge dominant narratives or which reveal, in visual form, the varied systems of oppression contained within words. Featuring many artists from diverse backgrounds, ranging from artists such as Serena Lee, Abbas Akhavan and Joi T. Arcand to Glenn Ligon, Brian Jungen and Susan Hiller, Dhillon rewrites the understanding of text in contemporary visual art. Counter-Texts explores how and why visual artists use written language, and interrogates the power held in words.

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Book SynopsisPainter, poet and actor Salvator Rosa was one of the most engaging and charismatic personalities of seventeenth-century Italy. Although a gifted landscape painter, he longed to be seen as the pre-eminent philosopher-painter of his age. This new account traces Rosa's strategies of self-promotion, and his creation of a new kind of audience for his art. The book describes the startling novelty of his subject matter - witchcraft and divination, as well as prophecies, natural magic and dark violence - and his early exploration of a nascent aesthetic of the sublime. Salvator Rosa shows how the artist, in a series of remarkable works, responded to new movements in thought and feeling, creating images that spoke to the deepest concerns of his age.

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Book SynopsisThe first monograph in a generation, and the first study in English in over eighty years, this book presents a new understanding of the Renaissance master-artist Filippino Lippi. Celebrated as 'ingenious' by Vasariin 1550, Filippino was highly praised and influential, then fell out of favour and was forgotten for centuries. He was rediscovered by the poet Swinburne, who in 1868 celebrated the painter's 'inventive enjoyment and indefatigable fancy'. In a similar spirit, this volume explores Filippino's creativity in solving artistic problems. If a Roman cardinal requested a classically inspired work, or a Florentine humanist wanted to dazzle observers with his antiquarian interests, Filippino had the sensitivity to understand these diverse needs and express them with highly original solutions.

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Book SynopsisThe Private Lives of Pictures offers a new history of British art, seen from the perspective of the home. Focusing on the nineteenth- and early twentieth-century, the book takes the reader on a tour of an imaginary Victorian or Edwardian house, stopping in each room to look at the pictures on the walls. The book opens up the intimate history of art in everyday life, and examines many issues including how pictures were chosen for each room, how they were displayed, and what role they played in interior design. Superbly illustrated, The Private Lives of Pictures appeals to readers interested in both art and social history, and the history of interiors.

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Book SynopsisMerchants of Style explores the accelerating convergence of art and fashion, looking at the interplay of artists and designers - and the role of institutions, both public and commercial - that has brought about this marriage of aesthetic industries. Natasha Degen argues that one figure more than any other anticipated this moment: Andy Warhol. Beginning with an overview of art and fashion's deeply entwined histories before picking up where Warhol left off, Merchants of Style tells the story of art's emboldened forays into commerce and fashion's growing embrace of art. As the two industries draw closer together than ever before, this book addresses urgent questions about what the future holds.Trade Review'Merchants of Style is an astute exploration of the merging of culture and commerce. Natasha Degen brilliantly explains how a new generation of artists and fashion designers have expanded the conceptual parameters of art.' - Jeffrey Deitch, art dealer and curator, director Jeffrey Deitch Gallery; 'Degen's book dives deep into the intertwining of art and fashion; from artist-designed handbags to luxury goods corporations appropriating the symbolic aura of art. A fascinating account of two apparently dissimilar, but in fact highly symbiotic, worlds.' - Georgina Adam, editor-at-large The Art Newspaper and Financial Times contributor, and author of The Rise and Rise of the Private Art Museum; 'Wonderfully researched, written and documented. Highly recommended for anyone interested in a well-researched history of fashion, art, or both.' - Don Thompson, Nabisco Brands Professor of Marketing, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto and author of The $12 Million Stuffed Shark, and The Curious Economics of Luxury Fashion.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first modern history of medieval European anatomical images. Richly illustrated, it explores the many ways in which medieval surgeons, doctors, monks and artists understood and depicted human anatomy. Taylor McCall refutes the common misconception that Renaissance artists and anatomists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Andreas Vesalius were the ‘fathers’ of anatomy, and the first to perform scientific human dissection; on the contrary, she proves these Renaissance figures drew upon centuries of visual and written tradition in their works. This interdisciplinary book will appeal to general audiences interested in the history of the body and medical professionals curious about the history of their discipline, as well as historians of art, medicine and medieval culture.

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Book SynopsisThe Italian Renaissance is conventionally thought of as the historical period that bore witness to the rise of the individual. Yet no other artist of the time begins to compare with Albrecht Dürer in terms of the almost obsessive interest he displayed in depicting his life, his dreams and his surroundings in his art. Exploring Dürer’s life and times, the natural world in his work, and his studies, travel and influences, David Ekserdjian closely examines Dürer’s paintings, as well as his drawings and prints, which are often comparatively overlooked. Revealing Dürer’s remarkable, unique status, both in his own time and across the centuries, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in Renaissance or northern European art.Trade Review'Ekserdjian’s lively account of the great Renaissance artist from Nuremberg, Albrecht Dürer, shows how his art and autobiography continue to resound across the centuries. Dürer’s fascination with the world around him, whether an elaborate costume study, the brilliant blue of a bird’s wing or the distorted angle of a man’s face, is transferred into narrative prints that have inspired artists from Velázquez to Lucian Freud and remain mesmerizing today.' – Giulia Bartrum, Former Curator of German Prints and Drawings at the British Museum; 'David Ekserdjian’s book on the life and work of Albrecht Dürer portrays the artist vividly and sets him in his historical, artistic and intellectual context. Ekserdjian builds on the fundaments of sources in a comprehensive sense: Dürer's works in prints, drawings and paintings and, equally, his autobiographical and art-theoretical writings. Elegantly written, this book is pure pleasure to read.' – Christof Metzger, Chief Curator at the Albertina Museum, ViennaTable of ContentsIntroduction: Life and Times 1 Man and the Natural World 2 Study, Travel and Influence 3 Paintings 4 Drawings 5 Prints Conclusion References Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisIn his lifetime Hieronymus Bosch was already famous for his fantastic, unearthly creations. Today his name has become synonymous with the eerie, infernal and macabre. Bosch's enigmatic paintings have resulted in numerous interpretations; some tried to understand his visual worlds through esoteric means, while others attempted to decode them through psychology and psychoanalysis. Now in paperback, Hieronymus Bosch: Visions and Nightmares traces the career of a painter who worked for the highest aristocratic and courtly circles, and explains Bosch's paintings against the background of contemporary culture and society.Trade Review'An attractive little hardbound book with good color illustrations providing an inviting, judicious overview of Bosch in his historical environment.', New York Review of Books; 'Bu ttner has written a handy, nearly ideal volume on the much-admired but little-understood Bosch. The author builds the historical context in which to view Boschs work without drowning readers in superfluous detail. In addition, he offers guidance in understanding how Bosch thought visually without telling readers what to think or frustrating them to the point of throwing up their hands . . . Bosch emerges as an early moral satirist rather than as a secretive, strange quasi heretic, which is to say as more normal and arguably more artistically important than he has previously been portrayed . . . a nicely illustrated quarto that neatly finds that sweet spot between casual and serious students of art . . . this book is an excellent start to the Renaissance Lives series' - Choice; 'The reader will appreciate Bu ttner's detailed analysis of Bosch's painting style and process (rarely discussed by other scholars), as well as his forensic approach to Bosch's highly problematic oeuvre . . . As an exercise in methodology, Bu ttner's text is a relevant addition to any Bosch bibliography. While favoring primary sources, Bu ttner effectively models a multi-pronged approach, also applying provenance and connoisseurship, together with technical (infrared reflectographic and dendrochronological) findings' - Comitatus; 'The art historian Nils Buttner offers a gateway to understanding Bosch's art in his brief but thoughtful biography Hieronymus Bosch: Visions and Nightmares.' - The New Criterion; 'This well-researched sketch is most welcome . . . [Nils Buttner's] insights are often original rather than conventional wisdom . . . Its terse, clear prose provides the bare bones of Bosch biography, insofar as it is known, as well as documented early collecting of these works . . . Buttner emphasizes the unique vision, not the family workshop, of this distinctive painter. He does not see Bosch as emerging out of Flemish precedents, but instead lays out how his unique imagery could capture the imagination of his contemporaries as well as his numerous (often anonymous) copyists and followers.' - Renaissance and ReformationTable of Contents1 Visions and Nightmares 2 A Painter in Den Bosch 3 Pious Donations 4 From Christmas to Easter 5 Devout Examples 6 The Art of Invention and the Invention of Art 7 The Seven Deadly Sins and the Last Judgement 8 The Haywain and The Garden of Earlthy Delights 9 The Folly of the World 10 Interpretations References Bibliography Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book Synopsis"This book is an original, cogent account of the singular Florentine painter Piero di Cosimo (1462-1522), providing a concise survey of his life within his social, cultural and literary backdrop. Delving into the artist’s deliberately idiosyncratic life, the book shows how Piero chose to live in squalor, and eat nothing but boiled eggs, which (according to Vasari’s famous Lives of the Artists) he cooked fifty at a time in his painting glue. This book shows how the artist became the favourite of sophisticated patrons, who were eager to decorate their residences with pagan Greco-Roman mythological subjects. Piero’s vividly imagined portrayals led to his cornering the market on these commissions. At the same time his more orthodox, but never ordinary, religious altarpieces and private devotional paintings also won the admiration of leading Florentine families."

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Book SynopsisIn Women Artists in Midcentury America, readers embark on a journey spanning two decades, delving into the evolving social and artistic landscapes through the lens of all-women exhibitions. These groundbreaking projects courageously confronted issues of sexual and racial discrimination, igniting profound discussions about women's roles within modernism and democracy. Looking closely at the inception and reception of these exhibitions by curators, artists, critics and the public, the book sheds light on the remarkable contributions of numerous artists, from Ruth Asawa to Marguerite Zorach. By foregrounding the accomplishments of women artists during a conservative period overshadowed by the feminist movement of the 1970s, Belasco provides a fresh perspective on the complex history of women’s art in America and its significance in the broader art world.

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Book SynopsisA collection of highlights from Mary Ann Caws's long, highly distinguished career writing about literature, art, and modernism. Throughout her long, highly distinguished career writing about literature and art, Mary Ann Caws has excavated, illuminated, and examined in depth the most intriguing works and personalities of Symbolism, Dada, Surrealism, and beyond. In these concise, but always colourful and insightful articles, Caws brings us fresh portraits of the most famous figures and introduces us to the writers and artists who merit more attention than they've received, with a special focus on female writers and artists. The author's sensitivity to the intersections of eccentric literature and eccentric life infuses each critical essay with the human passions that these essential modernists lived. From Dickinson and Mallarme to Duchamp and Mina Loy, Caws applies the art of close looking to shrewdly framed slices of the modernist experience. 'I cannot overstate the gift and importanc

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