Search results for ""author thames"

A compact survey of the photographer Frank Horvat, best known for his fashion photography published between the mid 1950s and the late 1980s. Frank Horvat (1928-2020) changed the course of fashion photography forever. The Italian-born photographer made his debut as a photojournalist in France, where he continued to live and work for the rest of his life. It was here he met Henri Cartier-Bresson, who encouraged him to continue his marvellous photojournalism. By the mid-1950s Horvat was collaborating with the biggest fashion magazines in the world, such as Elle, Vogue and Jardin des Modes – revolutionizing fashion photography through a more realistic lens, photographing models on the streets, in the squares and alongside the locals of post-war Europe. Horvat’s fresh and often imitated style, which brought reportage techniques and the 35mm film camera to the forefront of fashion photography, impressed designers and inspired fashion photographers for generations to come. Frank Horvat’s work can now be found in permanent collections in prestigious institutions around the world, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. With a foreword by Virginie Chardin, this title in the renowned Photofile series exhibits Horvat’s photographic opus through sixty full-page reproductions in a handsome and collectible pocket format.

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August Sander (1876–1964) was a documentary photographer whose greatest project lasted his entire working life. His series of portrait studies of the German people spanned three eras – the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany – and every social class, combining to form a fascinating social mirror of the country over a tumultuous period in its history. Working with calm determination, Sander cast the same lucid eye on bankers and boxers, soldiers and circus performers, creating strikingly honest images that fulfil his sole ambition: to tell the truth about humanity.

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One of the most important designers and architects of the 20th century, Eileen Gray (1878–1976) wielded enormous influence – though often unacknowledged, especially in her lifetime – in a field largely dominated by men. Today, her original furniture sells for dizzying sums and her iconic designs, including the luxurious Bibendum chair and the refined yet functional E.1027 table, are renowned throughout the world. Resolutely independent and frequently underappreciated, Gray evolved from a creator of opulent lacquer furniture into a pioneer of the modernist principle of form following function. Remaining separate from major schools or movements such as Bauhaus and De Stijl, she developed her own distinctive take on the forms and materials favoured by fellow International Style designers such as Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Mies van der Rohe. This definitive new edition of the biography by Peter Adam, the only surviving person to have been close to Gray during her reclusive later years, is a uniquely intimate survey of her life and work. Comprehensively updated and illustrated with material drawn from Gray’s personal archives – correspondence, journals, photographs and architectural sketchbooks – it tells the full story of her life from aristocratic beginnings in Ireland, through the extravagance of Art Deco-era Paris, relationships with lovers, male and female, and her productive years in southern France. It reveals fresh details about her elegant, largely overlooked paintings; tense exchanges with Le Corbusier; and the fate of E.1027, the home that she designed and furnished herself, and which set a new standard for radically modernist living.

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Thirty of the world’s leading architects, including Norman Foster, Thom Mayne, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, talk about the houses they designed for themselves over the past decade. What inspired them, what were the constraints, how did their concepts take shape? Michael Webb explores the creative process and traces the influence of architects’ houses over the past two hundred years, from Jefferson’s Monticello to the creations of Charles and Ray Eames, Toyo Ito and Frank Gehry. Texts, images, sketches and plans are interwoven to illustrate houses that differ widely, in size, material, character and location. There are urban infills, rustic retreats, experiments, and fusions of new and old. They all make a statement, modest or ambitious, and each reflects the personality and tastes of its owner. These architects have accepted the challenge of doing something out of the ordinary, turning constraints to advantage. They give different answers to a crucial question: how can a house enrich lives and its surroundings? Spacious or frugal, refined or rough-edged, daring or reductive, these adventurous dwellings will inspire other architects and everyone who would like to design or commission a house that is one-of-a-kind.

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In 334 BC the twenty-two-year-old King Alexander of Macedon led his army across the Bosphorus to challenge the mighty Persian empire. Ten years later his conquests had taken him to the edge of the known world. But, as Asia Minor, Egypt and parts of India lay at his feet, Alexander was dying, his huge empire soon to be split up. Alexander the Great celebrates his legendary life and his legacy to civilisation in a host of illustrations woven into the fascinating story, written by a renowned specialist in the history of the period.

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An entirely fresh perspective on the history of western art that uses timelines to trace cultural development from prehistory to the present. Most surveys of the history of art come neatly packaged. They are divided up into historic periods, artistic schools and movements, and the careers of individual painters. They may make the subject appear more manageable, but they are oversimplifications. In reality, movements and careers overlapped and intertwined, reacting to events in the world around them. A Chronology of Art places the genuine developments of the art world into sharp focus. By prioritizing a purely chronological approach and side-stepping the clichés of conventional, academic pigeonholes, it presents an entirely fresh perspective on the subject. The book is structured around a central timeline, which features lavish illustrations of paintings, together with commentaries, and additional information about the social, political and cultural events of the period. The tex

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The definitive biography of the greatest photographer of modern times - a vital addition to the library of everyone with an interest in photography. Henri Cartier-Bresson was the eye of the 20th century. His lens chronicled the decisive moments of his time from Chinese communist victories to the Spanish Civil War and the Liberation of Paris. A co-founder of Magnum Photos, Cartier-Bresson produced unparalleled portraits of his contemporaries, capturing the spirit of Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and William Faulkner. Cartier-Bresson took Pierre Assouline into his confidence over a number of years, detailing his youthful devotion to surrealism, lifelong passion for drawing, and experiences of war and prison camps. This sensitive biography emerges from a meeting of two minds, revealed with the same truth as one of Cartier Bresson's photographs.

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An authoritative step-by-step manual, combining tutorials, inspirational galleries, extensive cross-referencing and advice on metal jewelry-making. Thanks to the popularity of workshops and classes, metal jewelry-making is no longer the exclusive realm of professional jewelry designers. Now, with a little patience and the right instruction, anyone can learn to create beautiful jewelry with metalsmithing techniques. This book is one of the most comprehensive volumes on metal jewelry-making available. Freshly commissioned, full-colour photographs accompany detailed step-by-step tutorials, while comprehensive sidebars detail the relevant considerations for applying each technique to a variety of different metals, with cross-references where applicable. The book also includes profiles of contemporary practitioners, providing readers with an understanding of a wide range of different working methods, materials and developing techniques. With its combination of tutorials, inspirational galleries, extensive cross-referencing and advice, Metalsmithing for Jewelry Makers is an authoritative reference that is guaranteed to appeal to professionals and amateurs alike.

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A panoramic insider’s account of the global art industry, revealing the fascinating but mysterious workings of the world of contemporary art. Over the last few decades the contemporary art world has become more globalized and more visible than ever before – and yet in many ways it remains closed and obscure. What actually happens behind the doors of a contemporary artist’s studio? At an auction house before a major sale? In the vaults of an art storage unit? How can art museums keep up with Instagram – and why does everyone seem to hate art fairs? Join curator, writer and art historian Matthew Israel on a year-long journey through the contemporary art world. From Los Angeles to Hong Kong via Venice, Basel, Paris and New York, from biennials in summer to auction houses in autumn, Israel reveals the joys and anxieties of this sometimes baffling, often intimidating field. Blending an insider’s knowledge with in-depth profiles, interviews with key art-world figures and a keen ear for an anecdote, A Year in the Art World is a compelling, generous companion for any art-lover curious about how art is being made, valued, sold, cared for and looked at today.

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A fully updated, third edition of this essential practical foundation course in fashion design. Becoming a successful fashion designer involves understanding a wide variety of core principles. This foundation course is an ideal introduction for students, dressmakers and anyone interested in the creative side of fashion. Step-by-step tutorials, practical exercises and inspirational interviews with industry professionals teach you how to create your own unique fashion design collections. Design schools around the world are now emphasising design thinking and conceptualisation more than just mere skill building. Packed with scores of new images, this new and fully updated edition provides students with more diverse methods of creating fashion, including digital design iteration and final projects, fabric design development, 3D 'sketching' on the dress form, paper collage design techniques and much more. This book concludes with practical advice for anyone considering a career in fashion, offering ideas on building a portfolio, preparing for interviews and continuing on a path to a professional career.

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A stunning showcase of the unique lifestyle opportunities afforded by contemporary courtyard design in the Asia-Pacific region. Courtyards have long played an important function in residential design, regulating light, shade and the use of space. With thousands of years of tradition as inspiration, contemporary architects are realizing courtyard living afresh. This lavish survey of 25 residences across the Asia-Pacific region features homes from Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Structured by courtyard function, the book consists of five chapters – on privacy; multigenerational living; sightlines; light and ventilation; and living with nature – that are richly illustrated with photography as well as architectural illustrations showing courtyard positions within floor plans. Showcasing the unique lifestyle opportunities afforded by contemporary courtyard design, this is an inspirational resource for anyone interested in indoor-outdoor living.

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When we look at the landscape, what do we see? Do we experience the view over a valley or dappled sunlight on a path in the same way as those who were there before us? We have altered the countryside in innumerable ways over the last thousand years, and never more so than in the last hundred. How are these changes reflected in – and affected by – art and literature? Spirit of Place offers a panoramic view of the British landscape as seen through the eyes of writers and artists from Bede and the Gawain-poet to Gainsborough, Austen, W. G. Sebald and Barbara Hepworth. Shaped by these distinctive voices and evocative imagery, Susan Owens describes how the British landscape has been framed, reimagined and reshaped by each generation. Each account or work of art, whether illuminated in a manuscript, jotted down in a journal or constructed from sticks and stones, holds up a mirror to its maker and their world. With 80 illustrations

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A unique portrait of one of the creative geniuses of the 20th century, by the distinguished critic David Sylvester. Controversial in both life and art, Francis Bacon was one of the most important painters of the 20th century. His monumental, unsettling images have an extraordinary power to disturb, shock and haunt the spectator, ‘to unlock the valves of feeling and therefore return the onlooker to life more violently’. Drawing on his personal knowledge of Bacon’s inspirations, intentions and working methods, David Sylvester surveys the development of the work from 1933 to the early 1990s, and discusses critically a number of its crucial aspects. He also reproduces previously unpublished extracts from his celebrated conversations with Bacon in which the artist speaks about himself, modern painters and the art of the past. Finally, Sylvester gives a brief account of Bacon’s life, correcting certain errors that elsewhere have been presented as facts. Divided into the sections ‘Review’, ‘Reflections’, ‘Fragments of Talk’ and ‘Biographical Note’, Looking Back at Francis Bacon is a unique portrait of one of the creative geniuses of our age by a writer of comparable distinction.

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Work allows us to pay the bills. The practical and conceptual divide between work and leisure profoundly shapes our lives. Work is where many of us derive our status and our sense of purpose. Work is so much part of our lives and our culture that we have internalized beliefs about its value and have built our economies and lives around those beliefs. This book reviews how the meaning, status and structure of work have changed across history and cultures. Amidst the Covid-19 crisis, the growth of AI and the climate emergency, it questions the need for the ‘growth escalator’, in which society relies on continuous growth to flourish, and suggests that we should find ways to step off or at least slow down the ‘hedonic treadmill’, in which we crave ever more goods only to tire of them ever more quickly. This book posits that we are approaching a new era of work. It outlines some of the factors that might lead to change, including the adoption of forms of universal basic income, the growth of the zero- or low-cost economy (renewable energy, user-generated content, community mutual support), and the growth of self-employment and quasi-autonomous ways of working (including from home) in organizations. It concludes that such changes might foster a more fundamental shift: a growing intolerance to the idea of work as a burden and a desire to transform it from something imposed on us into simply the means by which we live our best lives together, recreating in modern conditions with modern resources, a prehistoric unity between being and working.With 190 illustrations in colour

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Tells the fascinating story of the journey taken by the Bauhaus – both the concept behind the school and some of the individuals who represented it – from Germany to Britain and the USA. Bauhaus Goes West is a story of cultural exchange, not only between the Bauhaus émigrés and the countries to which they moved, but also in the other direction, focusing in particular on Britain. Most significantly, perhaps, it considers in detail the presence in the UK during the 1930s of three of the school’s most important figures – Gropius, Marcel Breuer and László Moholy-Nagy – using meticulous research to tell for the first time the stories of their British experiences in parallel. After considering some of the lesser-known Bauhäusler who stayed in Britain for life, the book concludes by returning to the lives of the main protagonists and their continuation of the Bauhaus ideals in America. Taking as its starting point the cultural connection between Britain and Germany in the early part of the 20th century, Bauhaus Goes West offers a timely re-evaluation of the school’s influence on and relationship with modern art and design, offering fresh insights and challenging assumptions along the way.

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Iconography, the study of symbols – be they animals, artefacts, plants, shapes or gestures – is an essential element of art history. This guide unravels over fifty of the most common and intriguing visual symbols from across the globe from 2300 BCE to the present day. While symbols cross dialects and national boundaries, their meanings can vary and are often culturally specific. The snake, an object of fascination and mysticism in Aztec culture, usually represents sin in the west. Yinka Shonibare’s Last Supper (2013) plays on the grapevine’s historic associations to satiric and startling effect. Matt Wilson explores symbolism’s subtle implications and overt and covert meanings, providing an indispensable tool for interpretation. A reference section includes suggestions for further reading and a glossary of art and historical terms.

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Surveys the history of changing tastes in food and fine dining – what was available for people to eat, and how it was prepared and served – from prehistory to the present daySince earliest times food has encompassed so much more than just what we eat – whole societies can be revealed and analysed by their cusines. In this wide-ranging book, leading historians from Europe and America piece together from a myriad sources the culinary accomplishments of diverse civilizations, past and present, and the pleasures of dining. Ten chapters cover the food and taste of the hunter-gatherers and first farmers of Prehistory; the rich Mediterranean cultures of Ancient Greece and Rome; the development of gastronomy in Imperial China; Medieval Islamic cuisine; European food in the Middle Ages; the decisive changes in food fashions after the Renaissance; the effect of the Industrial Revolution on what people ate; the rise to dominance of French cuisine in the 19th and 20th centuries; the evolution of the restaurant; the contemporary situation where everything from slow to fast food vies for our attention. Throughout, the entertaining story of worldwide food traditions provides the ideal backdrop to today’s roaming the globe for great gastronomic experiences.

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Where are the tombs of Alexander the Great or Cleopatra? Both rulers were buried in Egypt, but their tombs have never been found despite years of intensive research and excavation. Yet we have tantalizing clues. Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt describes the quest for these and other great ‘missing’ tombs – those we know existed, but which have not yet been identified. It also discusses key moments of discovery that have yielded astonishing finds and created the archetypal image of the archaeologist poised at the threshold of a tomb left untouched for millennia. In this gripping account, Chris Naunton explains the mysteries of the missing tombs and presents all the evidence, skilfully unravelling the tangled threads surrounding the burials of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten and his son Tutankhamun, and the burial place of Imhotep, architect of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, among others. Could other such tombs lie undiscovered in the Valley of the Kings? In fact, the Valley almost certainly does guard hidden treasures. Amazing finds of unsuspected tombs continue to occur there and elsewhere in Egypt, making headlines worldwide – all are covered in this book. As well as immersing the reader, step by step, in the action of the search and the thrill of discovery, the book also explores the reasons why tombs remain such a central part of both the popular perception of Egyptology and the continuing allure of ancient Egypt.

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A singular thinker and an uncompromising seeker after artistic truth, Cézanne channelled a large part of his wide-ranging intellect and ferocious wit into his letters. This translation by Alex Danchev is based on a thorough re-examination of Cézanne’s correspondence with family, friends and major figures from the literary and art worlds. Danchev’s great achievement is to allow readers in English to hear Cézanne’s voice for the first time in his own idiomatic, idiosyncratic style. And he sounds rather different from the Cézanne we thought we knew – richer, wittier, wiser, more philosophical, more irascible, above all more fully human. The letters offer fresh perspectives on his artistic vision, politics, friendships, psychology, philosophy, literary tastes and classical frame of reference. They provide an intimate insight into the preoccupations and personality of a legend.

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Today’s discerning traveller is looking not merely for luxury but for a unique experience. But in this age of low-cost flights and easy travel, how do you avoid the crowds and find the hidden gems? Not via sponsored search results or thousands of indistinguishable reviews, that’s for sure. What you need is on-the-ground, in-person, tried-and-trusted knowledge. In this new guide to France – the most visited country on the planet – Herbert Ypma surprises and delights with his unequalled eye for detail and his unerring ability to judge what makes the difference between a good experience and a truly memorable one. The numerous experiences and tips that he maps out across the length and breadth of France fall into four key categories. ‘Staying in Character’ presents thirtyfive places to stay, from the grand to the eccentric, all embodying the soul and character of their setting – whether it’s bedding down in a surf shack at Soulac-surMer or soaking up centuries of history at the luxurious Château de Canisy. ‘Eclectic Experiences’ offers thirty stand-out experiences, from climbing the Dune de Pyla to salsa-dancing in a calanque (a fjord-like inlet); ‘Legend for Lunch’ points you in the direction of twenty of the most authentic places to eat, while ‘Convincing Context’ presents ten experiences enhanced by nuggets of history. Together they amount to a new map of authentic French experiences, making this the must-have 21st-century guide for the world’s most exacting traveller.

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It is often forgotten just how provocative Impressionist canvases seemed when they were first exhibited in 1874. The advocates of the new style rejected the established principles of art prevalent at that time in France. This book traces Impressionism’s origins to its spread to America and Australia. Ralph Skea shows how Impressionist artists transformed everyday subject matter. Daringly using colour and rapid brushstrokes, the Impressionists worked out of doors, creating paintings that captured the transient effects of light and feeling. Impressionism’s initial shock factor gradually gave way to widespread acceptance, but only now can we appreciate how profound its influence has been on modern art.

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How can a modern painter go about learning the techniques and methods of a longdead master? Drawing on years of research and practice, this book shows you how. Tony Smibert brings us a virtual ‘apprenticeship’, sharing a method and approach of his own that emulates Turner and yet is contemporary, original and innovative. Smibert is known for watercolours inspired by Turner and the golden age of British watercolour (1750–1850). His method of painting in Turner’s style, informed by a fifty-year journey into non-Western painting cultures, ingeniously draws together ideas and principles from East and West to bring out an entirely new perspective on Turner’s practice. A working manual for artists, the book brings together elements of practice from historic masters including Leonardo, Claude Lorraine and Monet as well as Turner. This is a book for anyone aspiring to learn from any master, explaining the practice and philosophy of traditional apprenticeship from the point of view of diverse models. Even to those who may never paint, Turner’s Apprentice offers a tantalizing glimpse of the thrill of painting and learning, and an inspiring tool for art appreciation.

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The Book of Kells, dating from about 800, is a brilliantly decorated manuscript of the four Gospels. This new official guide (German language edition), by the former Keeper of Manuscripts at Trinity College Library, Dublin, provides fascinating insights into the Book of Kells, revealing the astounding detail and richness of one of the greatest works of medieval art. The illustrations in the guide include reproductions of complete pages, and details that allow one to marvel at the intricacy of the decoration. The Book of Kells is explored through its historical background; its structure; its decorative elements, including the richness of its symbols and themes; the scribes and artists who worked on the manuscript; and the tools and pigments used in its creation.

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Perfectly attuned to the rising interest and market for men’s style, The Parisian Gentleman presents the leading men’s style-makers, from hidden ateliers and little-known studios to internationally renowned names such as shirtmakers Charvet, shoe-makers Berluti and recently revived trunkmakers Moynat. The stories of each house, and the creatives and craftsmen behind them, bring alive the clothes, capture fading traditions, and celebrate an unceasing dedication to quality. Hugo Jacomet personally knows many of the leaders of these sought-after marques, many of which are difficult to access, so the portrait he paints of each maker derives from first-hand knowledge. Impeccable photography, much of which was shot exclusively for this publication, provides an exquisite complement to the words. An essential addition to the well-dressed man’s private wardrobe and collection.

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Tim Walker is one of the most visually exciting photographers of our time. This book showcases many of his most dazzling images – ‘his daydreams turned into photographs’. Some of the biggest names in fashion and contemporary culture are here: Alber Elbaz sporting a pair of rabbit ears; Agyness Deyn in the sand dunes of Namibia; Alexander McQueen and a memento mori of skull and cigarettes; Helena Bonham Carter poised with Ray-Bans and a Diet Coke; Stella Tennant in a pink cloud among the rhododendrons of an English country garden… The singer and musician Kate Bush contributes a foreword and Walker himself an afterword, as well as illuminating his pictures throughout with personal observations. This exceptional and beautifully designed overview of a career caught in mid-flow reveals just how much one man’s singular vision has influenced contemporary tastes in fashion, beauty, glamour and portraiture.With 174 illustrations

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Human beings have been transforming Mediterranean landscapes into art for at least thirty thousand years. Today’s artists, sculptors, designers, architects and gardeners explore age-old vernacular materials, skills and sites to produce extraordinary landscape art that affirms an ideal of partnership with nature while celebrating layers of living in this multifaceted region. Each work observes the logic of place as determined by climate, geology, flora and fauna, architecture and land use. Illustrated with hundreds of exceptional photographs by award- winning photographer Clive Nichols, and drawing on nearly forty years of exploration by Louisa Jones, this book offers a fresh vision of the Mediterranean, past and future, linking cultural diversity and natural balance as discovered in its gardens, landscape design, literature, art and architecture.

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The Tower of London has over two million visitors a year, with the Crown Jewels as its centrepiece. This paperback edition of the official illustrated history of the Crown Jewels, the most famous jewelry collection in the world, incorporates spectacular new photographs with stunning details. Accessible and up-to-date text, based on original research, includes the story of two of the largest and most famous diamonds in the world – the Kohi-nûr and the Cullinan. This is the perfect souvenir for visitors to the Tower of London, as well as an ideal introduction for anyone interested in English history and monarchy.

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A distinguished team of 26 military historians reveal the decisive conflicts that have shaped world history from the 5th century BC to the 21st century. The course of history rarely changes so swiftly and decisively as on the battlefield. In this masterly overview, an international team of historians reconstructs and analyzes seventy key clashes from 490 BC to the 21st century and appraises their impact on the world order. Their studies encompass not only the great land battles, but sieges such as Constantinople and Tenochtitlan; naval battles at Trafalgar and Tsushima; and aerial struggles including the Battle of Britain. Truly global in scope, the collection marches from the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, where the German tribes annihilated a Roman army, to Hakata Bay in 1281, where the Japanese defeated the Mongols, to the heart of the American Civil War at Gettysburg in 1863 and beyond. Together they show how technology and tactics advance in tandem, as battlefield commanders respond to advances in mobility, communications and firepower, how certain principles endure, and how victory in battle may not win the war. Illustrated with over 80 specially commissioned battle plans, this is an essential introduction to the great battles in history.

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The art of the past can seem very far away, obscured both by time and by knotty academic theory. Foregrounding the experience of the contemporary viewer, Look Again shows how this need not be the case. Ossian Ward’s simple, ten-step programme acts as an aid to looking, breaking down the often obscure strategies of the Old Masters into intuitive categories – from Art as Honesty to Art as Vision. Look Again’s novel approach is influenced by John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, but is here updated for the art world of the 21st century. Key to this book is an emphasis on ways of experiencing Old Masters – more than just looking. Just as contemporary art should be judged by how it moves us, cajoles us and envelops us, so too can the great paintings of the world be seen as immersive, captivating, even participatory experiences. Ward does not deny the specific complexities and barriers associated with looking at art from other eras. Instead he offers readers a new formula to help illuminate this kind of art. His method not only provides the viewer with the tools to interpret a work of art, but also assumes that we hold some of this knowledge within ourselves already. In other words, everyone can share the enriching experience of Old Master paintings.

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In My View is a collection of reflections by 78 contemporary artists in which each artist reveals the influence and inspiration he or she has found in a particular artwork or artist. Among the artists are John Baldessari, Daniel Buren, Chuck Close, Michael Craig-Martin, Tacita Dean, Marlene Dumas, Antony Gormley, Susan Hiller, Thomas Hirschhorn, Candida Höfer, Vik Muniz, Jorge Pardo, Raymond Pettibon, Ed Ruscha, Bill Viola and Rachel Whiteread. The works chosen range from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century, some of them iconic, others lesser known. The accompanying essays are often very personal, recalling childhood memories and life-changing moments, and capturing the joy and excitement that come from encounters with great art. The stories show the profound connections that exist between artists past and present and offer an alternative look at art history from the 15th century to the 1960s, through the eyes of contemporary artists themselves. Simon Grant’s introduction identifies themes that emerge and contextualizes the history and practice of artists looking back at the work of others.

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In this exploration of the idea of the masterpiece, over fifty world masterpieces, from cave paintings to Cézanne, are brought to life by internationally acclaimed writers, scholars and artists.Many of the contributors are celebrated artists in their own right (Antony Gormley, Quentin Blake and Tom Phillips); others are popular writers (Philip Pullman, Germaine Greer); and many hold positions at well-known institutions, including the Prado, the Van Gogh Museum, the Louvre, the National Gallery and the Sapienza University. Each masterwork is illustrated in full, and key details are selected and separately illustrated, alongside illuminating comparatives.

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Here is the ultimate, one-volume story of Turner’s life and work. Superb colour plates illuminate Turner’s range – dramatic views of the sea or mountains, sweeping landscapes, architecture, imaginary scenes from history and legend, panoramas of contemporary towns – while the fruits of his travels, not just over Britain but also in France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, are presented in the context of his life. In the most attractive work for a wide audience ever published, the text reveals the man, the illustrations his genius.

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A new concise history of modern painting, offering an indispensable reference to the complexities and characteristics of this medium. While acknowledging the legacy of Herbert Read’s classic 1959 study A Concise History of Modern Painting in the World of Art series, academic and artist Simon Morley places the foundation of modern art much earlier than Read, at the emergence of Romanticism and the dawn of the industrial age. Structured loosely chronologically by period, the focus is as much on individual artists as well as movements, with works discussed within a broader context - stylistic, historical, geographical, and gender and ethnic frames - themes that recur throughout the chapters. Generously illustrated, the global and diverse range of artists featured include William Blake, Édouard Manet, Hilma af Klint, Kazimir Malevich, Willem de Kooning, Amrita Sher-Gil, Faith Ringgold, and Kehinde Wiley. This guide also includes an Appendix in the form of questions the reader might like to ask in relation to the artists and the ideas discussed - in order to reconsider the works from a contemporary perspective.

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An updated and substantially revised edition of this comprehensive introduction to outsider art, distinguished by its wider international scope and inclusion of global developments since 2000. Outsider Art is the work produced outside the mainstream of modern art by self-taught, untrained visionaries, spiritualists, recluses, folk artists, psychiatric patients, prisoners and others beyond the imposed margins of society and the art market. Coined by Roger Cardinal in 1972, the term in English derived from Jean Dubuffet’s ‘Art Brut’ – literally ‘raw art’, ‘uncooked’ by culture, unaffected by fashion, unmoved by artistic standards. In this comprehensive and indispensable guide, Colin Rhodes surveys the history and reception of Outsider Art – first championed by Dubuffet and the Surrealists, now appreciated by a wider public – while providing fresh insights into the achievements of both major figures and newly discovered artists as well as the emergence of specialized studios, as the relationship between outsider art and the contemporary mainstream art world has developed and become more intertwined. From spirit-guided Madge Gill to schizophrenic Adolf Wolfli, Rosemarie Koczÿ’s expressions of trauma to Nek Chand’s outdoor creations, these individuals passionately and obsessively pursue the pictorial expression of their vision. Now illustrated in full colour, with the exception of some archival photographs, this new edition has been substantially revised with a greater focus on global Outsider art as well as including more recent talents to the field.

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A comprehensive introduction to Velázquez’s life and art which includes a discussion of all his major works. Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) was one of the towering figures of western painting and Baroque art, a technical master renowned for his focus on realism and startling veracity. Everything he painted was ‘treated’ as a portrait, from Spanish royalty and Pope Innocent X, to a mortar and pestle. This comprehensive introduction to Velázquez’s life and art includes a discussion of all his major works, and illustrates most of Velázquez’s surviving output of approximately 110 paintings. The artist’s greatest innovation – his unorthodox and revolutionary technique is explored in relation to the styles of certain of his most celebrated contemporaries both in Spain and beyond, including Titian and Rubens. The book concludes with a final chapter on the influence and importance of Velázquez’s art on later painters from the time of his own death to the art of recent times including Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon and the Impressionists.

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Paul Gauguin achieved a high public profile during his lifetime, and was one of the first artists of his generation to achieve international recognition. But his prominence has always had as much to do with the dramatic events of his life – his self-imposed exile on a remote South Sea island, his turbulent relationships with his peers – as with the appeal of his art. Belinda Thomson gives a comprehensive and accessible account of the life and work of one of the most original artists of the late nineteenth century. Gauguin’s work – painting, sculpture, prints and ceramics – is discussed in the light of his public persona, his relations with his contemporaries, his exhibitions and their critical reception. His private world, beliefs and aspirations are revealed through his extensive cache of journals, letters and other writings. Fully updated throughout, drawing on the insights of thirty years of scholarship since its first edition, Thomson’s text remains the best introduction to this controversial and often contradictory artist.

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Fulfilling a need for an accessible, affordable introduction to a subject of sustained and growing significance in contemporary culture, this volume in the World of Art series redefines contemporary Chinese art in the last forty years since the end of China’s Cultural Revolution, placing it in the context of unprecedented cultural, political and urban transformation. This book offers neither an art historian’s chronological review of Chinese art in post-Mao China, nor does it join the debate of previous terminologies coined by art critics; instead, it provides the most up-to-date understanding of contemporary Chinese art through original research and informed curatorial perspectives on the selected representative work, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, installation, video, performance and participatory art. It is about art, but it is also about China; and thus is not about the past, but also about the present - the truly ‘contemporary’.With 154 illustrations in colour

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This accessible overview is invaluable for the way in which it makes coherent sense of the often-bewildering diversity of styles, forms, media, techniques, and agendas that proliferate in contemporary art. Extensively revised and expanded since it was first published, Michael Archer’s acclaimed book is brought fully up to date in this new edition through the addition of a new chapter on developments in contemporary art since 2000. Art Since 1960 remains an indispensable source of information on the evolution of art over the past five-and-a-half decades.

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This cornerstone of the World of Art series is a succinct, vivid and authoritative guide to the rich history of western dance in all its incarnations from 16th-century court ballet to the genre-shattering contortions of 21st-century theatrical dance. Updated for the new millennium to feature the latest styles, performers and technology, this third edition reaffirms its status as the essential introduction to the subject.

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A prolific artist with a protean output, Georg Baselitz has rethought the conventions of a range of media, predominantly painting and sculpture, over the course of a career of some sixty years. Born in 1938, Baselitz was expelled from art school in East Berlin in 1956 for ‘socio-political immaturity’, and moved to the western half of the city. By the late 1950s, he had rejected the dominant tendencies of both sides of the country and his singular achievement was to reintroduce the figure, compromised and discredited though it was by both Nazism and Communism, into art. By drawing attention to art by ‘outsiders’, such as psychiatric patients, and invoking a Parisian model of existentialist art and literature, Baselitz proposed an alternative European tradition that did not eliminate the human subject. In alluding later to movements in German painting such as Expressionism as well as to artists like Munch, he also consciously rehabilitated the kind of art that was condemned by Hitler as ‘degenerate’. The book follows the development of Baselitz’s unique style from his earliest work through to the most recent creations of his eighth decade. Calvocoressi’s masterful construction of a chronological narrative helps us to evaluate Baselitz’s work in terms of the disruptions of his life – historical upheavals witnessed alongside an astonishing career.With 406 illustrations in colour

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In the ancient world the magicians of Egypt were considered the best. But was magic harmless fun, heartfelt hope, or something darker? Whether you needed a love charm, a chat with your dead wife, or the ability to fly like a bird, an Egyptian magician had just the thing. Christina Riggs explores how the Egyptians thought about magic, who performed it and why, and also helps readers understand why we’ve come to think of ancient Egypt in such a mystical, magical way in the first place. This book takes Egyptian magic seriously, using ancient texts and images to tackle the blurry distinctions between magic, religion and medicine. Along the way, readers will learn how to cure scorpion bites, why you might want to break the legs off your stuffed hippopotamus toy, and whether mummies really can come back to life. Readers will also (if so inclined) be able to save a fortune on pregnancy tests by simply urinating on barley seeds, and learn how to use the next street parade to predict the future – or ensure that annoying neighbour gets his comeuppance.

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A compact edition of this highly acclaimed survey of the Fayum paintings, the enigmatic and compelling funeral portraits created by the inhabitants of Roman Egypt in the 1st century CE. These remarkable paintings take their name from a district of Roman Egypt, whose people in the first three centuries AD included Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Syrians, Libyans, Nubians and Jews. In the Egyptian tradition, they embalmed the bodies of their dead; but then placed a painted portrait over the mummy, preserving the memory of each individual to an uncanny degree. Over 1000 have so far been discovered men, women and children of all ages. Illustrating almost 200 of the portraits, Euphrosyne Doxiadis's book combines arresting beauty with up-to-date scholarship. Having selected the best and most interesting, she has grouped them according to the places where they were found. Many new photographs were commissioned and some are shown since cleaning. Doxiadis's text sets the people and the pain

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Told in revelatory detail, this is the definitive exploration of the writing, recording and release of John Lennon's celebrated fourth solo album Mind Games. Described by Yoko Ono as ahead of its time', Mind Games is a breakthrough album from John Lennon in which he employs a Plastic Ono Band comprising the cream of the crop of New York session musicians a fan favourite that remains a cult classic ever since its first release on 29 October 1973. This insightful and beautiful book presents handwritten lyrics, letters and artworks by Lennon and Ono, and previously unseen photography alongside their firsthand commentary about the lyrics, songs and album artwork, as well as contributions from the musicians, friends, engineers and key figures involved in the making of this landmark album. Mind Games was the product of an exceptionally turbulent time for the Lennons. While Nixon and Hoover were attempting to have Lennon deported, John and Yoko endured endless litigations, and as the

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The long-awaited monograph of the UK's leading graphic design and branding agency. The world is full of design companies, but none of them are like North. Formed in 1995 by Sean Perkins joined for the past 25 years by Jeremy Coysten and Stephen Gilmore the studio has always followed a highly individualistic path. This individualism manifests itself in many ways: most notably in the absence of a densely populated studio website; there are no hyperactive social media feeds; even the studio's name, derived from Perkins' origins in the unmetropolitan north of England, stands for frill-free, plain speaking, visual directness. It's almost as if North is a well-kept secret. Yet the group has a devoted worldwide following, and attracts myriad clients keen to hire them for their ability to produce memorable and carefully engineered visual identities. North's work is the product of sharp-brained research, high-end craft and precise visual expression. And as can be seen in the pages of this

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The ultimate typographic experiment 7,762,392 typefaces from one of the world's foremost typography studios. System Process Form is a detailed survey of MuirMcNeil's Two type system, an extensive collection of geometric alphabets in which every stroke, shape, letterform and word is designed to correspond and collaborate in close harmony. The methodologies demonstrated transcend the short-term limitations of single solutions to single problems, revealing the ways in which system, process and form constitute the bedrock of a successful design practice. Using a combination of algorithm, chance and deliberation, a core database of 23 type systems and 198 individual fonts is interpolated to generate millions of hybrid forms in which every dot, line, space and letter is designed to correspond and collaborate in close harmony. The showcased examples, selected for their distinctively abstract and striking qualities, are printed in three vibrant neon inks and metallic black. The re

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Respected painter and writer Julian Bell offers original insights into the art, practice and ongoing importance of painting. Surprising, questioning, challenging, enriching: the Pocket Perspectives series celebrates writers and thinkers who have helped shape the conversation across the arts. Mixing classic and contemporary texts, reissues and abridgements, these are bite-sized, fully illustrated reads in an attractive, affordable and highly collectable package.

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Britain's most distinguished historian of ancient Greek art recounts what the Parthenon and its sculptures meant to the citizens of 5th-century BCE Athens. Surprising, questioning, challenging, enriching: the Pocket Perspectives series celebrates writers and thinkers who have helped shape the conversation across the arts. Mixing classic and contemporary texts, reissues and abridgements, these are bite-sized, fully illustrated reads in an attractive, affordable and highly collectable package.

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