Search results for ""Thames Hudson Ltd""

Inspired by Susan Herbert’s delightful feline reimaginings of famous scenes from art, theatre, opera, ballet and film, are two gift products: a set of three small (A6) ruled notebooks and a boxed collection of 20 different notecards with high-quality envelopes.

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William Morris's patterns are enduringly popular for their originality and colour, and have captured the imagination of countless designers and artists. This colouring book explores the intricate work of William Morris and his Arts & Crafts contemporaries and allows you to invent your own colourways to complete their patterns. - 45 patterns to color, interspersed by full-colour reproductions of the original designs - Organized into four sections Nature, Colour, Pattern, and Craft to highlight different aspects of the designs, and the crafts and skills behind them - Explores Morris's love of nature, his artistry, mastery of colour, and innovation in pattern design in concise introductory texts

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The perfect primer on acclaimed French artist Sophie Calle. Sophie Calle is a French writer, photographer, installation artist and conceptual artist. Her work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constraints, and frequently depicts human vulnerability, and examines identity and intimacy. She is renowned for her detective-like ability to follow strangers and investigate their private lives, which she has deployed in her acclaimed works Suite Venitienne, The Hotel and Address Book. She has had major exhibitions all over the world, including at the 2007 Venice Biennale, the Whitechapel Gallery in London, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, and has worked closely with the writer Paul Auster. The Guardian called her ‘the Marcel Duchamp of dirty laundry’, and she was among the names in Blake Gopnik's list 'The 10 Most Important Artists of Today', with Gopnik arguing, 'It is the unartiness of Calle's work — its refusal to fit any of the standard pigeonholes, or over anyone's sofa — that makes it deserve space in museums.'

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André Kertész is one of four new titles being published in Autumn 2007 in Thames & Hudson's acclaimed 'Photofile' series. Each book brings together the best work of the world's greatest photographers in an attractive format and at an easily affordable price. Handsome and collectable, the books are printed to the highest standards. Each one contains some sixty full-page reproductions printed in superb duotone, together with a critical introduction and a full bibliography.

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A definitive survey of the finest examples of residential architecture in Britain from 1900 to the present, featuring the major architects of the 20th century and leading emerging talents. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the architectural history and heritage of Britain. This has been driven by many important political, cultural and social factors, as well as a powerful and renewed interest in the design of house and home. The Iconic British House explores and celebrates fifty of the most architecturally significant houses from 1900 to the present. Encompassing major artistic movements, such as Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Modernism and Postmodernism, the houses include examples designed by architects Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Edwin Lutyens, Berthold Lubetkin, Richard Rogers and many others. 21st-century innovation and imagination are evidenced in houses by established and emerging talents, such as Seth Stein, Nick Eldridge, Robin Partington and Ken Shuttleworth. Much more than a celebration of influential homes, this richly illustrated overview is also a comprehensive guide to shifting architectural movements and ideas, a survey of great architects with international relevance and a journey through changing tastes, styles, aesthetics and patterns of living.

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This survey of the world’s most innovative and successful examples of pre-fabricated homes explores the full range of possibilities, open to anyone seeking to find clever and up-to-date solutions for building their own home. From net-zero houses to plug-and-play dwellings and converted shipping containers, each chapter explores the varied and exciting ways that architects and designers are using pre-fabricated technology to address today’s living and world challenges. A reference section includes in-depth essays, which explore the latest manufacturing methods, trends and technologies, presenting a wide range of possibilities to suit every need, taste and desire. Richly illustrated with photography and drawings, with projects selected by a long-time expert in pre-fab architecture, this fresh take on new solutions presents the factory-made house in a new light. Whether designing on a tight budget, crafting something self-sustaining or simply looking for new spatial ideas, this is an essential and future source of inspiration for architects, designers and home-builders. With 223 illustrations

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Zaha Hadid (1950–2016) was one of the most innovative and celebrated architects of our time. Prepared in collaboration with the architect’s office, this comprehensive survey of over 200 projects – from the earliest experimentations to product design, from speculative follies to large-scale built works – is a testament to the depth, range and excitement of her vision. This fourth edition has been thoroughly expanded and brought up to date with the latest completed buildings and new projects. Eleven new projects are featured, including 582–606 Collins Street (Melbourne, Australia), Messner Mountain Museum Corones (South Tyrol, Italy), King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), Dominion Office Building (Moscow, Russia) and One Thousand Museum (Miami, USA).

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Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photography came to define the 20th century. This book tells his life story through his images: all the major events from his youth to his death in 2004 are described, contextualized and analysed in the light of his photographic work. From his early encounters with the Surrealists, his film work and his experiences in the SecondWorldWar, to the development of his own personal aesthetic, the concept of the ‘decisive moment’, and the foundation of Magnum Photos, his influence on the world has been profound and unforgettable.

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Byoung Cho aims to make each of his buildings ‘so it looks like it’s not designed at all, it’s just there’. Influenced by Korea’s rich aesthetic tradition, Cho utilizes understated forms to create serene buildings that yield powerful and subtle experiences for their inhabitants. His work focuses on seemingly simple structures and has a strong regard for nature and sustainability. He has created many iconic buildings, art and cultural centres, schools, health facilities and residences throughout Korea, Japan and the United States. This book features over 25 of Cho’s most highly acclaimed projects, including Twin Trees (2010), his instantly iconic towers located adjacent to the 14th-century royal Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul. The projects are accompanied throughout by sketches and plans, providing a comprehensive insight into the making of these buildings. Byoung Cho offers an engaging and indepth overview of one of the most creative and deeply thoughtful designers working today. It will inspire architects, architectural students and anyone interested in sustainability and the built environment.

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A wide-ranging and engaging introduction to the place and power of colour in life and art by John Gage, author of the award-winning Colour and Culture. The complex phenomenon of colour has received detailed attention from the perspectives of physics, chemistry, physiology, psychology, linguistics and philosophy. However, the people who work most closely with colour – artists – have rarely been canvassed for their opinions on this mysterious subject. John Gage sets out to address this omission by focusing on the thoughts and practices of artists. Colour in Art is concerned with the history of colour, but is not itself a history; instead each chapter develops a theme from a different scientific discipline, as seen from the viewpoint of such diverse artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Vincent van Gogh, Sonia Delaunay, Bridget Riley and Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Drawing on examples through the ages, from ancient times to the present, the many topics covered include flags, synaesthesia, Theosophy, theatre design, film, chromotherapy and chromophobia. Featuring a new foreword by art writer Kelly Grovier outlining contemporary developments in the study of colour, and an updated bibliography, this new edition of this classic text offers a wide-ranging and engaging introduction to the place and power of colour in life and art.

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An essential foundation course for graphic designers working in digital media, print and moving image. Regularly revised and in print for over twenty years, this practical resource for students is used in graphic design classes in Europe, the UK and the USA. Graphic Design School is organized into two main sections, ‘principles’ and ‘practice’. The first section deals with the fundamentals of design, such as composition, hierarchy, layout, typography, grid structure, colour and so on. The second section puts these basics into practice, and gives information about studio techniques and production issues relevant to a number of different graphic design disciplines. The second section closes with an overview of some of the different career choices open to students entering the graphic design field. This new edition features over forty new images, updated reading lists and expert voices referencing a more diverse set of practitioners, and is as packed as ever with exercises, tutorials, and real-world graphic design briefs. Examples are taken from all media – digital media, websites, magazines, books and corporate brand identities. It remains a must-have book for anyone starting in graphic design.

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A timely and up-to-date account of religion in Roman Britain. Two thousand years ago, the Romans sought to absorb into their Empire what they regarded as a remote, almost mythical island on the very edge of the known world – Britain. The expeditions of Julius Caesar and the Claudian invasion of AD 43, and the continuing Roman presence up to the 5th century AD, brought fundamental and lasting changes to the island. Not least among these was the introduction of a new pantheon of Classical deities and religious systems, along with a clutch of exotic Eastern cults including Christianity. But what of Britannia and her own home-grown deities? What cults and cosmologies did the Romans encounter, and how did they react to them? Under Roman rule, the old gods and their adherents were challenged, adopted, adapted, absorbed and reconfigured. In Britain no inscriptions predate the Roman period, apart from brief coin-legends, and the divine imagery that adorned temples in the Roman world was largely lacking. But with the Romans, religion becomes much more visible. In this fresh and innovative new account Miranda Aldhouse-Green balances literary, archaeological and iconographic evidence (and scrutinizes their shortcomings) to illuminate the complexity of religion and belief in Roman Britain, and the two-way traffic of cultural exchange and interplay between imported and indigenous cults. Despite the remoteness of this period, on the cusp between prehistory and history, many of the forces, tensions, ideologies and issues of identity at work are still relevant today, as Sacred Britannia skilfully reveals.

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A comprehensive reference covering an extensive range of painting and drawing styles. Bursting with practical techniques, engaging artist profiles and inspirational galleries, Drawing and Painting combines an authoritative approach with a contemporary aesthetic guaranteed to appeal to all artists. The book’s up-to-date approach is a far cry from the dry instructions and dated artwork that feature in more traditional art books. In contrast to other, project-orientated titles, Drawing and Painting places the emphasis on the techniques themselves, encompassing drawing, sketching and a range of painting styles. From pen and ink to oils and acrylics, specially commissioned photography and artwork accompanies step-by-step techniques, while profiles of contemporary artists provide insight into various working methods, materials and techniques. Acknowledging the growing interest in digital tools as a medium, information is provided throughout the book on how effects can be created using Smart Pens, tablets and apps.

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An illustrated selection of Van Gogh’s letters, forming an extraordinary window into the life and creative thinking of one of the world’s most iconic artists. Vincent van Gogh’s letters have long been prized as some of the most valuable documents in the world of art. Not only do they throw light on Van Gogh’s own complex and intriguing character, they enlighten the whole creative process as seen through his eyes. Here we can observe Van Gogh’s thoughts and opinions at first hand, as well as his close ties with his brother Theo, his sometimes troubled relationships with friends and fellow artists, his personal doubts and fears, and above all his overriding passion for his art. This is not only an immense treasure trove of biographical and art-historical information, it provides a lasting pleasure as a personal written testimony to a life consecrated to art. Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters belongs on the shelves of every reader in search of self-revelatory documents of one of the greatest creative minds.

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The story of the nude in art in our times, told by a popular art historian with a rare gift for sharing her passions and ideas. The representation of the nude in art remained for many centuries a victory of fiction over fact. Beautiful, handsome, flawless – its great success was to distance the unclothed body from any uncomfortably explicit taint of sexuality, eroticism or imperfection. In this newly updated study, Frances Borzello contrasts the civilized, sanitized, perfected nude of Kenneth Clark’s classic, The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form (1956), with today’s depictions: raw, uncomfortable, both disturbing and intriguing. Grittier and more subtle, depicting variously gendered bodies, the new nude asks awkward questions and behaves provocatively. It is a very naked nude, created to deal with the issues and contradictions that surround the body in our time. Borzello explores the role of the nude in twentieth- and twenty-first-century art, looking at the work of a wide range of international artists creating contemporary nudes. Her fascinating text is complemented by a profusion of well-chosen, unusual and beautifully reproduced illustrations. The story begins with a tale of life, death and resurrection – an investigation into how and why the nude has survived and flourished in an art world that prematurely announced its demise. Subsequent chapters take a thematic approach, focusing in turn on Body art and Performance art, the new perspectives of women artists, the nude in painting, portraiture and sculpture and in its most extreme and graphic expressions that intentionally push the boundaries of both art and our comfort zone. The final chapter illustrates radical developments in art and culture over the last decade, focusing in particular on artworks by women, trans artists and artists of colour. Borzello links these works to their art-historical and political predecessors, demonstrating the continually unending capacity of the nude to disrupt traditional hierarchies and gender categories in life and art.

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A concise, reader-friendly illustrated survey of Western art and architecture from prehistory to the present day. Acknowledging how architecture, painting, sculpture and the decorative arts reflect the culture and society of their time, this latest addition to the Art Essentials series invites the reader to experience and appreciate the entirety of Western art from prehistory to today. Focusing on the ‘history’ in art history, each of the twelve chapters opens with a question to ponder, followed by a summary of the major historical developments of the period, touching on social structure, political organization, migration, race, religious beliefs, scientific advances and customs. An exploration of these themes in the visual arts reveals how architecture, sculpture and painting simultaneously shape, reflect, and document the culture of the time and place they were created. A secondary focus explores the constantly evolving aesthetic preferences that swing between naturalism and abstraction, with each era and style either rebelling against the previous or seeking to improve it. Antecedents and outside influences are also discussed.

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The hidden story of a little-known but transformative period in the formation of England as a nation. The Viking Great Army that swept through England between AD 865 and 878 altered the course of British history. Since the late 8th century, Viking raids on the British Isles had been a regular feature of life, but the winter of 865 saw a fundamental shift that would change the political, economic and social landscape forever. Instead of making quick smash-and-grab summer raids for silver and slaves, Vikings now remained in England for the winter and became immersed in its communities. Some settled permanently, acquiring land and forming a new hybrid Anglo-Scandinavian culture. The Viking army was here to stay. Its presence was a catalyst for new towns and new industries, while transformations in power politics would ultimately see the rise of King Alfred the Great and make Wessex the pre-eminent kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England. Drawing on the most up-to-date discoveries and the latest scientific techniques, the authors’ recent research at the Viking Great Army’s winter camp at Torksey in Lincolnshire has revolutionized what we know about its size, activities and social makeup, as has the wealth of newly recovered evidence from metal-detectorists. Unfolding like a great detective story, this account traces the movements of the Great Army across the country, piecing together a new picture of Viking Age England in unprecedented detail, from swords, coins, jewelry and the burials of great warriors to the everyday objects that ordinary farmers and craftsmen discarded. It is the definitive story of a vital period in British history.

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An accessible and comprehensive 'how to' guide to expressive and experimental techniques and manipulation of Polaroid prints and cameras. Polaroid: The Missing Manual is the go-to resource for all lovers of instant photography. Divided into two main parts, ‘Camera and Film Format Guide’ and ‘Creative Techniques’, it offers a comprehensive introduction to instant photography, including: a wide-ranging overview of instant cameras and compatible accessories and film; tips on what to buy and where to buy it; how to adapt equipment and preserve the life of your images; easy step-by-step guides to a wide range of image manipulations, accompanied by visual showcases of the work of the very best Polaroid photographers; and extensive resources section, complete with film compatibility guide, a list of stockists and safety information. Polaroid: The Missing Manual provides photographers, art students and vintage camera enthusiasts with the knowledge and skills to push the boundaries of what a Polaroid photograph can be.

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A celebration of the richness of figurative painting over the last 100 years and a passionate critique of the accepted history of art in the 20th century. Figurative painting is due a reappraisal. In this passionately argued volume the distinguished writer and artist Timothy Hyman cuts a new path through the tangle of twentieth-century art. The World New Made explores the work of more than fifty individual painters, presenting a collective ‘Resistance’ who together offer a human-centred alternative to the dominance of the Abstract or the Conceptual in conventional narratives of modern art. Structured not as a survey but as in-depth studies of more than 130 specific artworks, this lavishly illustrated book brings these often marginalized artists centre-stage: not just Alice Neel and Balthus, Max Beckmann and Frida Kahlo, but also Marsden Hartley and Charlotte Salomon, Bhupen Khakhar and Jacob Lawrence. A rich cast is brought to life, partly through their own writings. As the author argues, ‘All across the world, isolated artists found new idioms for human-centred painting in the midst of modern life.’

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No other art movement in history has contained two artists as different as Magritte and Miró. This is because Surrealism was not in origin an art movement, but a philosophical strategy. It was a way of life – a rebellion against the establishment that had given the world the hideous slaughter of the First World War. Instead of trying to analyse the work of the Surrealists, bestselling author and Surrealist artist Desmond Morris concentrates on them as people – as remarkable individuals. What were their personalities, their predilections, their character strengths and flaws? Did they enjoy a social life or were they loners? Were they bold eccentrics or timid recluses? Drawing on the author’s personal knowledge of the Surrealists, this book captures their life histories, idiosyncrasies and often-complex love lives, vividly illustrated with images of the artists and their works. The arts of Surrealism were both spectacular and international, shaped by the darkest, most irrational workings of the unconscious. Shocking, witty and always entertaining, Morris's tales illuminate the striking variation in approaches to the Surrealist philosophy, both in the artists’ work and in their lives.With 72 illustrations

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A concise, accessible and up-to-date overview of the arts of Africa from prehistoric times to the present day. This indispensable introductory guide explores the art of the African continent from its early origins over 150,000 years ago to the contemporary, set in the context of post-colonial debates, the restitution of cultural objects and artefacts, and the challenges of the present. This enormous and complex field of study, once under-appreciated by the Western art world, is now of global importance and an essential subject of education in art history. For ease of reference and analysis, this indispensable guide is structured chronologically into manageable and meaningful chapters covering ancient art, the Middle Ages, travel and trade, encounters with Europe in the age of exploration, the colonial era, the rebuilding of the continent in recent times, and contemporary art. It addresses core, continent-wide themes in African visual and cultural expression, from the life-cycle (motherhood, children, initiation, religion) to the body and representations of power dynamics. Important regional artistic expressions are also explored, such as the cultures of Mali (the Western Sudan), Nigeria (the lower Niger and Benue area), the Congo Basin and various nomadic populations across the continent. Written from an inclusive modern perspective, focusing not only on royal traditions but also the broader global history of the continent and its artistic practices, this is an excellent introduction for students, museum visitors and anyone with an interest in fine art, African history and cultural studies.

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Whether it’s horror at plastic littering the world’s beaches, or despair at the melting of the polar ice caps, the world is gradually waking up to the impending climate disaster. In The Green Imperative, Papanek argues for design that addresses these issues head on. This means using materials that can be recycled and re-used, no more pointless packaging, thinking about how products make us feel and engage all our senses, putting nature at the heart of design, working at a smaller scale, rejecting aesthetics for their own sake, and thinking before we buy. First published at the close of the 20th century, the book offered a plethora of honest advice, clear examples and withering critique, laying out the flaws and opportunities of the design world at that time. A quarter of a century on, Papanek’s lucid prose has lost none of its verve, and the problems he highlights have only become more urgent, giving today’s reader both a fascinating historical perspective on the issues at hand and a blueprint for how they might be solved.With 141 illustrations, 26 in colour

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Revolutions – peaceful or violent, radical or reactionary – have shaped the political landscape of the world we live in today. But what led revolutionaries to action? What were they fighting against and what were they seeking to achieve? Each revolution is a product of its time, its society, its people – and the outcomes vary dramatically, from liberal reform to brutal dictatorship. This is an essential primer on twenty-four of the most significant revolutions in modern history, from England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the Arab Spring. It is narrated by contributors from around the world, each bringing their unique perspective and reflecting on the changing, sometimes contested, meaning of each revolution in its country of origin and how national identity can be shaped by memories of dissent. Whether as inspiration or warning, the legacies of these revolutions are not only important to those interested in protest, political change and the power of the people, but also impact on virtually every one of us today.With 24 illustrations

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The expansion of capitalism and neoliberal ideologies have delivered economic integration between countries and brought global inter-connectedness to individuals. So why do so many people now feel that they are ‘citizens of nowhere’, disparaged by the ‘cosmopolitan elites’? Has democracy and the power of nation states been irredeemably weakened by unfettered global finance, opaque forms of global governance, and the power of transnational corporations? Can the huge rise in social and economic inequality be reversed? Can diverse cultural expression be maintained in a globalizing world? In the context of the current nationalist backlash and the momentous impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this thought-provoking volume considers whether globalization is dead or whether it will survive, and perhaps transform. Written in a clear and engaging style, the volume traces the development of economic globalization starting from the first wave of colonialization in the 15th century, through the first period of globalization at the end of the 19th century, and up to the contemporary period of globalization that started in the 1980s and appears today to be teetering on the brink of collapse. It explores the impacts of globalization on today’s world, from global supply chains and tax havens to rising economic inequality, climate change and pandemics, and assesses the different impacts on rich and poor countries, and on the rich and poor within countries. It then reviews the growing anti-globalization sentiment, starting from the anti-IMF protests that raged through developing countries in the 1980s and 1990s, to the emergence of the transnational anti-globalization movement of the 2000s, to more recent uprisings such as the Arab Spring, The Occupy Movement, the Gilets Jaunes, and to the current populist nationalist backlash led by President Trump and embodied in the 2016 Brexit vote. Sensing that globalization has reached a tipping point, the book considers a range of possible scenarios for the future world order, including nationalism, authoritarianism and democratic globalism. Finally, it explores whether globalization can be democratized in a world in which effective and inclusive global governance is crucial to solving global problems, such as tackling climate change, controlling global pandemics and upholding universal human rights.

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Radical Matter: Rethinking Materials for a Sustainable Future presents the eight ‘Big Ideas’ that will shape and inform the choices of materials, design methods and manufacturing processes made by designers in the years ahead. This book draws from a global community of designers who are pushing boundaries with new and disruptive approaches to their use of materials and design processes that go beyond the notion of ‘sustainable design’. Holistic systems of design, production and consumption that will benefit our world environmentally, socially and economically are now possible, and material innovation will be a crucial element in achieving that goal. The eight ‘Big Ideas’ unpack the themes and ideas that are impacting on our material world through cutting-edge case studies and expert opinions: 1) Today’s Waste, Tomorrow’s Raw Material; 2) Natural Assets; 3) Shit, Hair, Dust; 4) Material Connections; 5) Co-Creation; 6) Designed to Disappear; 7) Living Materials; and 8) Future Mining. Each ‘Big Idea’ includes fully illustrated case studies from leading designers and engineers who are at the cutting edge of material and design technology. Packed with expert ideas and radical solutions to the current global changes faced by the design and manufacturing industries, Radical Matter contains a wealth of information to help design professionals and students turn revolutionary concepts into reality.

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This sweeping overview of Rembrandt’s extraordinary achievement as a draughtsman fills a gap in the otherwise enormous literature on the artist. Beautifully illustrated, mostly in colour, the more than 150 drawings – culled from a corpus of some 800 – are discussed in detail. The drawings span Rembrandt’s entire productive life as an artist, from early self-portraits in the 1620s to late drawings from the 1660s of the victim of an execution, a state coach, and historical and mythological images. The scope of the book allows readers to delve into the very broad range of Rembrandt’s oeuvre of drawings.

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Drawing was central to Cézanne’s indefatigable search for solutions to the problems posed by the depiction of reality. Many of his watercolours are equal to his paintings, and he himself made no real distinction between painting and drawing. This book’s six chapters are arranged thematically covering the whole range of Cézanne’s œuvre: works after the Old Masters such as Michelangelo and Rubens; his period as one of the Impressionists; his exploration of both portraiture and the human figure, including the magnificent bathers; his interaction with landscape, particularly in his native Provence and the dominating form of Mont Sainte-Victoire; and finally the magisterial still lifes. In the Introduction, as well as throughout the book, Lloyd sets the drawings and watercolours in the context of Cézanne’s life and overall artistic development. The result is a greater understanding of the process that led to some of the most absorbing art ever produced.

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‘The Scots’, said a censorious English member of Parliament in 1607, ‘have not suffered above two kings to die in their beds these two hundred years.’ He may have exaggerated, but undeniably Scotland has had a rough and bloodstained history. It is a complex one, too, but the late Fitzroy Maclean and Magnus Linklater disentangle the threads, and enliven their brisk account with both wit and scholarship. Pictures from authentic contemporary sources illuminate the story – its romantic figures and bloody battles, its politics and religion – and provide a record of Scotland’s art, craftsmanship and intellectual life. In this revised edition of this classic work, Magnus Linklater brings the story of Scotland right up to date, examining how the Scots identity is faring since the momentous Scottish referendum of 2014, and discussing the fate of the United Kingdom.

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Eric Karpeles’s lavishly illustrated and comprehensive guide offers a feast for the eyes as it celebrates the close relationship between the visual and literary arts in Proust’s masterpiece. Karpeles has identified and located all of the paintings to which Proust makes exact reference. Where only a painter’s name is mentioned to indicate a certain mood or appearance, he has chosen a representative work to illustrate the impression that Proust sought to evoke. Botticelli’s angels, Manet’s courtesans, Mantegna’s warriors and Carpaccio’s saints stand among Monet’s water lilies and Piranesi’s engravings of Rome, while Karpeles’s insightful essay and lucid contextual commentary explain their significance to Proust. The book closes with extensive notes and a comprehensive index of all painters and paintings mentioned in the novel. With over 200 beautifully reproduced paintings, drawings and engravings, and accompanying texts drawn from the Moncrieff/Kilmartin/Enright translation of In Search of Lost Time, this book is an essential addition to the libraries of Proustians worldwide and a handsome volume in its own right.

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National history is a vital part of national self-definition. Most books on the history of the world try to impose a uniform narrative, written usually from a single writer’s point of view. Histories of Nations is different: it presents 28 essays written by a leading historian as a ‘self-portrait’ of his or her native country, defining the characteristics that embody its sense of nationhood. The countries have been selected to represent every continent and every type of state, large and small, and together they make up two-thirds of the world’s population. They range from mature democracies to religious autocracies and one-party states, from countries with a venerable history to those who only came into being in the 20th century. In order to get to grips with the national and cultural differences that both enliven and endanger our world, we need above all to understand different national viewpoints – to read the always engaging and often passionate accounts given in this remarkable and unusual book. Original and thoughtprovoking, this is a crucial primer for the modern age.

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Every blot's an inspirationEvery line is freeUnlock your imaginationDraw what you seeHirameki - 'brainwave' or 'flash of inspiration' in Japanese - is where doodling and imagination come together. Simply put, it's the art of turning a random blot into something amazing, just by adding a few dots and lines. If it's true that you can find happiness in little things, this book should keep your eyes, hand and brain entertained for hours.

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The extraordinarily revealing interviews with Francis Bacon conducted over a period of 25 years by the distinguished art critic David Sylvester amount to a unique statement by Bacon on his art and on art in general. In the book, a classic of its kind, Bacon considers the problems of realism and sheds new light on aspects of his life. With a rare and brilliant use of language, Bacon talks about his aims as a painter and ways in which he works, responding always with vivacity and candour to Sylvester’s searching questions. Bacon’s obsessive effort to record and re-create the human form, his practice of making variation on old masters’ painting and on photographs, his dependence on chance, and his views about the way in which his work has been interpreted are only some of the many subjects discussed and investigated in depth during these historic encounters.

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The greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history happened some 251 million years ago. In this cataclysm at least 90% of life was killed, both on land and in the sea, almost bringing evolution to a halt. What caused destruction on such an unimaginable scale? Was it the impact of a huge meteorite, or prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? In this acclaimed book, now updated to include the most recent research and findings, Michael Benton assembles all the evidence and gives his verdict.

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Min explores the current rebirth of simplicity in graphic design. As creatives enter into a new phase of minimalism, taking contemporary design in fresh and exciting directions, they also wave goodbye to the ornate, decorative patterns that have saturated our visual culture for the past decade. This book showcases around 150 outstanding minimalist designers working across a wide range of formats and media – from independent magazines and album covers to corporate identity and branding. It is separated into three sections that identify key approaches to minimalism in its visual forms: ‘Reduction’, ‘Geometry’ and ‘Print Production’. Only the finest international examples created in the last two to three years have been included, ensuring that Min is at the forefront of contemporary design. Interspersed throughout are exclusive interviews with leading practitioners and proponents of minimalist design, including Jessica Svendsen, Made Thought and Eric Hu, allowing you to gain in-depth insight into their creative processes. Essays on the evolution of minimalism in graphic design provide historical context and offer a comparison between the first wave of minimalism in the 1960s and its current renaissance.

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Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner, the two greatest operatic composers of their time, had everything and nothing in common. Their achievements were comparable, but their personalities, their approaches to music and drama, and their complex legacies made them incompatible. Verdi thought of art as a comfort to mankind; it pleased Wagner to believe that the nervous intensity of his operas might drive listeners mad. Is it impossible – as Peter Conrad asks in this book, the first to investigate their affinities and explain their mutual mistrust – to love them both? These equally matched Titans offer us a choice between two kinds of art, two ways of life, two opposed philosophies of existence. During their lifetimes Verdi and Wagner helped to define the identity of their emerging nations; their music still dramatizes the light and dark sides of every human being’s character and consciousness.

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As beautiful and rigorous as an Escher work itself, this book is the classic study of a great maverick who so memorably linked the world of imagemaking with geometry and paradox. Escher’s works, from the great master prints to numerous drawings, are brilliantly arranged to form a cinematic journey of discovery that reveals the magical world of the artist’s mind, an uncharted realm lush with exotic conceptions and inventions.

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Now available in Paperback. Get up close and personal with the world’s best street photographers as they capture the drama of everyday life at 1⁄125 of a second. Prowl pavements and back alleys, encountering comic absurdities, small acts of kindness and scenes of unexpected beauty; let your eye be caught by a witty billboard, a woman dressed as an angel, a businessman sprinting through the crowd: the human carnival is in town and the streets are alive. Street Photography Now presents 46 contemporary image-makers noted for their candid depictions of everyday life. Included are Magnum masters such as Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr and Alex Webb, along with an international cast of emerging photographers whose individual biographies illuminate the stories behind their pictures of New York, Tokyo, Delhi or Dakar. Four thought-provoking essays and a global conversation between leading street photographers explore the compelling and often controversial issues in the genre. A select bibliography and a resource section for aspiring street photographers complete the book.

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In a series of 54 stunning full-colour maps covering 3,000 years and spanning the whole of Europe, this book, newly available in paperback, comprehensively charts the dramatic history of the Celts from their origins in the Bronze Age to their present-day diaspora. Taking into account the latest research and academic controversies over the historical identity of the Celts, the Atlas deals separately with the Continental Celts (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Anatolia), the Atlantic Celts (Britain and Ireland) and the modern Celts and the current state of Celtic culture.

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Chloë Colchester’s up-to-the-minute survey reveals a diverse, exciting and provocative field, one at the vanguard of extraordinary technological developments while also the source of astonishing works of beauty. From colour-changing, light-sensitive camouflage to emergency shelters of cement-impregnated fabric bonded to an inflatable plastic, from Eley Kishimoto’s gorgeous patterns to the astonishing colours of Morphotex, this dazzlingly fresh sourcebook of original and inspiring designs will appeal to all designers and anyone with an interest in textiles.

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Beginning with the stories of three great decipherments – Egyptian hieroglyphs, Minoan Linear B and Mayan glyphs – Lost Languages moves on to dissect the most well-known and enigmatic undeciphered scripts from around the world. These include the Etruscan alphabet of Italy, the Indus Valley seal script, Rongorongo from remote Easter Island, the Zapotec script of Mexico (probably the first writing system in the Americas), and the unique Phaistos disc of Crete. Lost Languages reports from the front lines of scholarship where obsessions, genius, occasional delusion and sometimes bitter rivalry are de rigueur among those currently competing for the rare honour of cracking these ancient codes – and giving voice to forgotten worlds.

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In 32 entrancing paintings, Susan Herbert opens up an unsuspected world of Shakespeare interpreted by cats with all their winning ways. Painting in her familiar and highly popular style, this imaginative artist presents an irresistible array of well-known characters in the great Shakespearean plays, from the tragic Romeo and Juliet to the mischievous Titania, from the beautiful Cleopatra to the roguish Falstaff. Herbert’s many devoted admirers will find this collection full of the charm and humour of her earlier books, while newcomers to her art will be surprised and enchanted by the finesse she brings to this portrait gallery of cats in unusual guises.

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In February 1972 Henry Moore's sculpture studios in the English countryside at Much Hadham were filled with the preparations for his retrospective exhibition in Florence. He retreated to a small studio overlooking the fields where a local farmer grazed his sheep. The sheep came very close to the window, attracting his attention, and he began to draw them. Initially he saw them as four-legged balls of wool, but his vision changed as he explored what they were really like - the way they moved, the shape of their bodies under the fleece. They also developed strong human and biblical associations, and the sight of a ewe with her lamb evoked the mother-and-child theme - a large form sheltering a small one - which was important to Henry Moore in all his work. He drew the sheep again that summer after they were shorn, when he could see the shapes of the bodies which had been covered with wool. Henry Moore originally presented the sketchbook to his daughter Mary. In this facsimile edition, created under Moore's personal supervision, Mary's little lambs will charm anyone who sees these tender, vigorous drawings.

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Packed with cleverly designed graphics, charts and diagrams, Ancient Rome: Infographics uses data visualization to tell the epic tale of the city of Rome and its empire. Every aspect of the Roman world is explored, from the birth of the Republic to the imperial dynasties, from the political and legal system to Rome’s military might. Drawing on international sources, this complex history is made clear and comprehensible to modern readers, while offering the insights and rigour that historians demand. Original, accessible and fascinating, Ancient Rome: Infographics will delight history buffs, graphic design aficionados, and everyone seeking an overview of a civilization that shaped the world.

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A charming, lively and often amusing tour of 36 forgotten episodes and overlooked people and places of Scottish history. While Scotland’s history cannot be separated from its kings and queens, saints and warriors, there is a rich story to tell about the country’s lesser-known places, people and events. This colourful history of Scotland tells those other tales, half-forgotten or misunderstood, that have been submerged by the wash of history. Bringing these stories to light and to life, this entertaining book reveals the richness and complexity of this nation on the northwest edge of Europe. Alistair Moffat guides us from the geological formation of the land that makes up Scotland to the first evidence of human habitation right up to modern times. In the process, we learn about the cave of headless children, the origins of the Scottish kings and the real heroes of Scottish independence, the invention of tartan and the romance of the Highlands, Scotland’s answer to Shakespeare, and the many U.S. Presidents with Scottish heritage, among many other fascinating tales brought to life by Joe McLaren’s attractive woodcut-style illustrations. Even the most knowledgeable Scot will experience a sense of newfound knowledge and appreciation for this unique country, its history and people.

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A brand-new translation of a philosophical classic of the ancient world, The Teaching of Ptahhatp, written in Egypt 4,000 years ago. The Teaching of Ptahhatp, composed two millennia before the birth of Plato, is the oldest surviving statement of philosophy in the ancient world and the earliest witness to the power of the written word. It ought to begin the list of the world’s philosophy classics, yet it has been largely forgotten since it was rediscovered in the nineteenth century. Egyptologist Bill Manley’s new translation corrects this oversight, rendering into approachable modern English for the first time Ptahhatp’s profound yet practical account of ‘the meaning of life’, written many centuries before the supposed dawn of western philosophy. Manley introduces Ptahhatp, who served as Vizier to the Old Kingdom pharaoh Izezi (c. 2410–2375 BC), and the world of dynamic ideas and new technologies – writing among them – within which he worked, illuminating the nuances of his language and philosophy. In addition, Manley’s new translation of Why Things Happen, the oldest surviving account of creation from anywhere in the world, reveals how Ptahhatp’s account of the human condition is founded in distinctive ancient Egyptian beliefs about the nature of truth and reality. Taken together, Manley’s new translations and expert commentary provide a new perspective on the Pyramid Age and overturn traditional prejudices about the origins of writing and philosophy. The ‘oldest book in the world’ is a testament to a common thread that connects humanity across time; Ptahhatp grapples with the pitfalls of greed, ambition, celebrity, success, confrontation, friendship, sex and even the office environment, and his teachings remain remarkably relevant in the modern day.

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This handy guide to the Greek and Roman Myths brings classical mythology to life. Written by a bestselling author on Ancient Greece and Rome, the book features an engaging blend of stories, facts and quotations from ancient authors, and places ancient myths in a modern context, discussing the ‘afterlives’ of the myths and the relevance of their messages today. Factfiles on heroes and heroines and family trees of the gods also make this a useful reference book for students.

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Who were the Norse gods – the mighty Æsyr, led by Óðinn, and the mysterious Vanir? In The Norse Myths we meet this passionate and squabbling pantheon, and learn of the mythological cosmos they inhabit. Passages translated from the Old Norse bring this legendary world to life, from the myths of creation to ragnarök, the prophesied end of the world at the hands of Loki’s army of monsters and giants, and everything that comes in between: the problematic relationship between the gods and the giants, in which enmity and trickery are punctuated by marriages and seductions; the (mis) adventures of human heroes and heroines, with their family feuds, revenges, marriages and murders; and the interaction between the gods and mortals, as Óðinn, the Allfather, betrays his human protégés in order to recruit (dead) heroes for his army. Carolyne Larrington describes the myths’ origins in pre-Christian Scandinavia and Iceland, and their survival in artefacts and written sources, from Old Norse sagas and poems to the less approving accounts of medieval Christian writers. She traces their influences into the work of Wagner, William Morris and J.R.R. Tolkien, and even the recent Game of Thrones in the resurrection of the Fimbulvetr, or ‘Mighty Winter’.

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This is a bestselling and comprehensive introductory textbook that uses a four-part structure to cover all aspects of the visual arts, including: how art is designed - the visual language of art; how art is made - the media and processes, covering everything from painting and sculpture to graphic design, digital media, film and installations; the history of art, from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century and including art from all parts of the world; and major themes that recur across cultures and throughout history. A unique feature, the 'Gateways to Art', uses eight iconic images, examined repeatedly from different points of view (compositional, stylistic, etc.), to stimulate perceptions about how great works are created and take their effect. No other book currently available has such a wide coverage, provided in a modular form that enables students and teachers to learn or teach in a truly flexible way. Beautifully illustrated with more than 1,000 images of art, this dynamic and accessible book will appeal as much to the art enthusiast as to those looking for an outstanding educational resource.

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