Abbeville Press

Maria Paola Guidobaldi, 2013

A sumptuously illustrated survey of the art and architecture of this prosperous Roman town, remarkably preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 Herculaneum, located on the picturesque Bay of Naples, was buried in the same volcanic eruption as its larger neighbor, Pompeii. But while Pompeii was covered by a relatively shallow layer of loose volcanic ash, Herculaneum was submerged in deep flows of hot volcanic mud, which preserved the upper stories of buildings, as well as organic materials like wooden furnishings and foodstuffs. This oversized volume opens with an account of the city's catastrophic destruction in AD 79, and of the excavations, underway since 1738, that have brought at least a part of its treasures back to light. It then surveys the principal public buildings and private residences that have been uncovered, including the famous Villa of the Papyri, perched to the northwest of the town. The splendid decoration of these ancient structures-in particular, their wall paintings-is presented as never before, thanks to an extensive photographic campaign carried out especially for this book. With these superb illustrations complementing an authoritative text, Herculaneum is sure to be welcomed by all students and enthusiasts of archaeology. Подробнее

Rodin

Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, 2014

Essential for every art lover — the definitive new book on Rodin's life and work. With more than 350 pictures, many never before seen, Rodin reveals, in great beauty and detail, the genius of the man known as the father of modern sculpture. The stories of Rodin's sculptures, well known for their sense of fluidity and movement, are told through each stage of development from paster casts to the glorious end result. A world-renowned expert in Rodin's work and a former curator at the Musee Rodin, Antoinette Le Normand-Romain enjoyed unprecedented access to Rodin's archives and the museum's collection in preparing this absorbing new study of the artist's life and works. She details the evolution of Rodin's artistic vision: from the frustration of his early career — he was denied entrance to the Ecole des Beaux Arts three times — to his first critical triumph with The Burghers of Calais to the twenty years he spent working on The Gates of Hell. Rodin also includes reproductions of the artist's numerous sketches, emphasizing his ability to capture human movement in two or three strokes of the pen and translate his sketches into final pieces that highlight the unique character of his subjects through their physicality. This new perspective on Rodin's oeuvre is accompanied by photographs that capture the astonishing details of his works, often in full and double-page spreads. The photography undertaken for the book showcases the well known — like The Kiss and The Thinker — and little seen treasures, including many of the artist's plaster models and studies. Images of works in different stages of composition, and of the same work in different versions, provide an intimate look at Rodin's artistic process. With these splendid illustrations accompanying Le Normand-Romain's insightful text, Rodin is the new authority on one of the world's greatest artists. Подробнее

Fine Bonsai: Art and Nature Bonsai trees, with a strong heritage in Japanese tradition, are the artistic miniatures of the plant world. Combining the natural and the artificial, they are as intricate as they are delicate. Each bonsai, in addition to resembling a full-size tree, must adhere to Japanese aesthetics of design and presentation, determined by centuries of example. In other words, bonsai are living sculptures. In this book, acclaimed photographer Jonathan M. Singer showcases over 300 photographs of bonsai taken in some of the most respected private and public collections in the United States and Japan. Most notably, Singer was granted special permission to photograph the collection of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Japan, considered the Mecca of bonsai, where photography is normally prohibited. He is the first (and only) photographer in the world to shoot the most famed bonsai trees in Japan, some of which received the coveted Prime Minister's Award. Singer also had the opportunity to capture the work of Masahiko Kimura, thought to be the most skilled bonsai designer in the world, and artist Seiji Morimae, whose family has worked in horticulture for over 500 years. Among the American bonsai collections photographed in Bonsai are the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection (Seattle, WA), the Golden State Bonsai Federation Collection South (Pasadena, CA), and the International Bonsai Arboretum (Rochester, NY). Whereas most books on bonsai aim to instruct readers on techniques of care and cultivation, Singer's book takes the reader on a visual journey that focuses on the aesthetic beauty of each featured tree. Alluring and serene, Singer's photographs make the experience of leafing through Bonsai not unlike entering a real Japanese garden. Подробнее

California Impressionism

William H. Gerdts, 1998

Lavishly illustrated, meticulously researched, and gracefully written, this is the definitive study of Californias distinctive style of Impressionism. In recent years, the richly colored, exuberantly painted canvases by artists such as Franz Bischoff, Alson Clark, Joseph Raphael, Guy Rose, and William Wendt have attracted an expanding circle of admirers all across the country. In addition to the work of these established West Coast masters, many less-known California Impressionists are presented here, including John Frost, Evelyn McCormick, Bruce Nelson, and others whose work has not yet been widely discovered. In his far-ranging introductory essay, Dr. Gerdts explores the context of California Impressionism, surveying the movements sources abroad, the most influential exhibitions in America, and the critical responses to the art and the artists. He introduces the work of an almost entirely forgotten foursome—Helena Dunlap, Detlef Sammann, Ernest Browning Smith, and Jack Gage Stark—who were the first local painters to be identified as Impressionists in Los Angeles and who contributed to an important but long-overlooked moment in the citys cultural history. Will South supplies an enlightening chronological narrative of the California Impressionists, starting with their often-ignored roots in the Hudson River school and other American realist art. Tracing the trajectory of their work from the innovations of the late 1800s to the styles final days in the 1920s and 30s, he offers vital new information and insight about their training and careers, as well as their ideas about art, nature, and the Golden State. Dr. South also provides detailed artists biographies and an extensive bibliography. At a time when interest in all aspects of regional Impressionism continues to flourish, California Impressionism commands the greatest interest of all. This book will be an invaluable resource and source of pleasure for the innumerable collectors, scholars, and art lovers who find this work—with its wind-swept coasts, majestic mountains, and poppy-strewn fields—irresistibly appealing. Подробнее

Edgar Degas (Tiny Folios)

George Shackelford, 1996

A compact survey of Degass art from early portraits to late nudes and bathers. Edgar Degas (1834-1917), a founding member of the Impressionist movement, was one of the groups most original and independent artists. This Tiny Folio TM offers insight into the themes and preoccupations that make his paintings, sculptures, and brilliant pastels so well-loved today. As sublime as it is thorough, this survey of Degass life and art illustrates his famous and perceptive portraits, his enchanting pictures of Parisian life, his beloved and popular racehorse scenes, his late nudes and bathers, and his celebrated depictions of the opera and ballet. Подробнее

Reflections of Nature: Paintings by Joseph Raffael

Amei Wallach, 1998

Sun-dappled carp, radiant blossoms, and tumultuous waters are among the wonders and mysteries of nature captured in Joseph Raffaels brilliant close-up paintings. At a time when beauty is much out of favor in the art world, Joseph Raffael has taken what some would consider the highly radical step of daring to paint beautiful pictures. Long one of contemporary arts most highly regarded painters, Raffael transforms intense observations of nature into color-drenched, deeply felt works of art. He often works on a very large scale, using either watercolor, oil, or acrylic to achieve the painstaking detail of his dazzling images. Amei Wallachs warmly perceptive introduction, inspired by a visit to the artists home and studio in the south of France, explores Raffaels life history, his sources, and his ideas about art. Her individual chapter openers address the predominant subjects within the artists work, including water and shore scenes, flowers, animals, fish and lilies, sacred symbols, and Raffaels wife, Lannis. A thought-provoking essay by Donald Kuspit places Raffaels painting within the larger context of twentieth-century art, psychology, and philosophy. Complementing these texts are the paintings themselves-sun-dappled carp, luminous iris, tumultuous rivers, and other wonders of nature captured in radiant visual meditations. The artist has also contributed two engaging written pieces, both of which illuminate the pleasures and occasional terrors of the creative process. His «Diary of a Painting» traces the evolution of one major work over several months, from the original slide to the finished wall-size watercolor, providing insight into the emotional and technical demands of creating a work of art. His informative and revealing «Autobiographical Chronology» provides a personal look back, from his Brooklyn childhood to his art-making career in New York, California, and the south of France, where Joseph Raffael lives and works today. Подробнее

Treasures of 19th and 20th Century Painting: The Art Institute of Chicago (Tiny Folios)

James Wood, 1997

The Art Institute of Chicago houses some of the most celebrated European and American paintings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Included in this collection are numerous masterpieces of realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, and other aspects of modernism. Today a number of these paintings are revered as icons of modern Western culture, emblems of the inspired experimentation that has taken place on both sides of the Atlantic. For the last century, the Art Institute has supported the achievements of the most distinguished artists from Europe and America, acquiring and exhibiting now-beloved works of Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Georgia OKeeffe, Jackson Pollock, and others. This folio is presented as both an introduction to this collection and as a survey of the styles, subjects, and themes of Western art of the last two centuries, from the linear classicism of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres through the optical studies of Claude Monet and the Impressionists; from the lyrical, colorful abstractions of Vasily Kandinsky to the fractured picture planes of Pablo Picasso and the Cubists; from the enigmatic compositions of Salvador Dali and the Surrealists to the media-appropriated Pop-art portraits of Andy Warhol. These magnificent paintings eloquently narrate the discussions of the nature of art, quality, innovation, style, and form that have defined the modern era in art history. Подробнее

Great Book of French Impressionism (Tiny Folio)

Diane Kelder, 1997

With its lively narrative and profuse illustrations, this volume captures the visual riches of a remarkable era. Born in controversy, christened in scorn by a sarcastic critic, and developed amid a continuing struggle for recognition and solvency, French Impressionism finally emerged as a powerful and immensely popular artistic movement whose appeal remains undiminished today. «The Great Book of French Impressionism» celebrates the richness and exuberance of the Impressionists world — a world of light and color, of sunlit fields and shimmering waterscapes, of bustling city views and intimate domestic scenes. This handsomely designed Tiny Folio packs over 200 full-color illustrations, faithfully capturing the subtle nuances of light and keen perception that make French Impressionist painting unique. The text traces the development of Impressionism from its roots in landscape and Realist painting through its focus on modern urban life to its ultimate goal: to fix on canvas the fleeting moods and effects of nature in a world that stands still for no one. The works of the major Impressionists and Post Impressionists, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat, and Cézanne, are featured and show how they influenced others in the movement, ultimately giving rise to the new art of the twentieth century. Подробнее

Rock and Royalty (Tiny Folios)

Gianni Versace, 1998

Fashion's late king here offers a parade of couture featuring the luminaries of rock, royalty, and sport. A galaxy of stars, from Prince to Elton John, are shot by star photographers such as Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe, Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, Irving Penn, and Steven Meisel. This extraordinary publication, the second Tiny Folio to bear the Versace name and outrageous palette, shows the master at the top of his form, as daring and sensual as ever. Подробнее

Treasures of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism: National Gallery of Art (Tiny Folios)

Florence Coman, 1993

This delightful compendium presents the National Gallerys superb collection of much-loved Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawing. Подробнее

The Great Book of French Impressionism

Diane Kelder, 2000

»The Great Book of French Impressionism» celebrates the richness and exuberance of the Impressionistss world — a world of light and color, of sunlit fields and shimmering waterscapes, of bustling city views and intimate domestic scenes. The 400 illustrations in this handsomely designed volume faithfully capture the subtle nuances of light and keen perception that make French Impressionist paintings unique. This edition features recent scholarship, more complete backmatter, and an expanded index. In her thoughtful and cogent text, art historian Diane Kelder traces the development of Impressionism from its roots in landscape and realist painting through its focus on modern urban life to its ultimate goal: to fix on canvas the fleeting moods and effects of nature in an ever-changing world. The author weaves into her narrative fascinating anecdotes and excerpts form contemporary essays and letters, examines in detail the lives and works of all the major Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, including Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat, and Cezanne, and shows how their work influenced others, ultimately giving rise to the new art of the twentieth century. Подробнее

Photojournalism 1855 to the Present: Editor's Choice

Reuel Golden, 2009

Ever since Roger Fenton inaugurated the genre by photographing the Crimean War in 1855, the worlds great photojournalists have used a variety of approaches to bear witness to their times. At one end of the photojournalistic spectrum are war photographers like Robert Capa and Larry Burrows, who capture the most extreme events of human existence as they happen; at the other are social documentarians like Lewis Hine and Sebastião Salgado, who step back from the single dramatic incident to cover in depth such economic and cultural issues as labor and migration. By compiling 250 of the most memorable images from photojournalism’s 150-year history, «Photojournalism 1855 to the Present: Editor’s Choice» provides a fascinating introduction to the entire range of the field. Author Reuel Golden, a noted authority on photojournalism, selected the fifty-four photographers featured in this book based on their critical reputations and historical importance. For each photographer, Golden provides a portfolio of representative images—many reproduced at full-page size—as well as a brief biography and an insightful critical commentary on his or her career. In these commentaries and in his informative introduction, Golden discusses the particular challenges of photojournalism, such as the relationship between photographer and subject, and the moral ramifications of aestheticizing human suffering. Yet perhaps most importantly, his text also encourages the reader to look closer and discover how well the photographs speak for themselves. From Frank Hurley’s groundbreaking World War I battlefield shots to Mary Ellen Mark’s stark portraits of American poverty and James Nachtwey’s haunting pictures of the September 11 attacks, the images in this book prove that even in our era of twenty-four-hour video-on demand, the still photograph remains as powerful as ever. Подробнее

Japanese Alphabet: The 48 Essential Characters

Gabriel Mandel, 2008

In the fourth century A.D., through contact with Korea, Japan adopted the Chinese writing system which had been sweeping through Asia along with the new Buddhist religion. Modern Japanese writing uses three main scripts: kanji (Chinese ideograms), which are used for proper names, for nouns, and for verb roots; hiragana (deriving from the terms hira, “common”, and kana “borrowed character”), used for adding to and distinguishing from sequences of Japanese grammar; and katakana (from kata, “part”, and kana, “borrowed character” or rather, “partially borrowed character”), which is used to denote foreign pronunciations or to write terms borrowed from foreign languages. With large depictions and clear step-by-step instructions, Mandel illustrates all 48 sounds in Japanese, presented in the traditional iroha order, in hiragana, katakana, and kanji forms, and each entry is accompanied with its roma-ji, or Roman phonetic spelling. The author clearly indicates the correct sequence for writing the individual strokes, and provides each kana, or character, with the Chinese kanji from which it was derived. He relates a concise history of Japanese writing, and provides the reader with charts of the Japanese and Chinese numbers, the hiragana and katakana contractions, and the“keys” or radicals that make up the Japanese kanji. A comprehensive guide to all of the characters of the Japanese alphabet, this is an ideal primer for the beginner, as well as a convenient reference for a more advanced student. Joining Abbeville’s «Chinese Calligraphy», «Maya Script», and «Arabic Script», «Japanese Alphabet» is an exhaustive compendium of the Japanese writing system and indispensable addition to any Japanese linguist’s library. Подробнее

Hugs and Kisses (Tiny Folio)

Mimi Coucher, 1998

This lovely visual valentine collects the most romantic and heart-warming images from the worlds great photographers. Drawn from around the globe, these moving illustrations capture the old and the young, the famous and the not-so-famous, in mid-kiss, mid-clutch, and mid-cuddle, forming an utterly captivating ode to love. Подробнее

Treasures of the Louvre (Tiny Folios)

Michel Laclotte, 1997

Two hundred years ago, the doors of the Louvre opened to the public for the very first time. The palace of the French kings had been transformed into a museum that today stretches over an enormous architectural ensemble right in the heart of Paris. The royal collections first assembled by Francis I in the sixteenth century were later transferred to the Louvre palace, and this prestigious core was further enriched with artistic treasures during the Revolutionary period. The collections have been growing ever since, and are today divided into seven departments. Oriental Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities, and Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities illustrate the art and culture of the ancient Near East and Middle East and the Mediterranean countries. The other four so-called «modern» departments — painting, sculpture, decorative arts, and drawing — span Western art from the height of the Middle Ages to the mid-nineteenth century. With superb reproductions of nearly 400 of the museums most renowned masterpieces, this glorious little volume provides a grand tour in miniature of the Louvres unparalleled collection, and highlights the extraordinary range of artistic traditions that have gradually found their place in this museum. Подробнее

Treasures of the National Gallery, London (Tiny Folios)

Neil MacGregor, 1998

Founded in 1824, the National Gallery houses a rich and comprehensive range of European painting from the Middle Ages to the 1920s. Among the works represented in this colorful and compact survey of the Gallerys collection are masterpieces by Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, and Paul Cézanne, as well as some lesser-known delights. Located on Trafalgar Square, in the heart of London, the original Wilkins Building has recently been extended by the handsome new Sainsbury Wing, which contains some of the worlds greatest paintings. Подробнее

Treasures of the Prado (Tiny Folio)

Felipe Vicente Garin Llombart, 1994

When it opened on November 19, 1819, the Prado Museum, in Madrid, consisted entirely of works from the Spanish royal collections. Numerous treasures have been added since opening day, but the unique strengths of the Prados collection can still be traced to that original core of remarkable works-many acquired or commissioned from the artists themselves during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. The Prado is internationally renowned for its unsurpassed collection of masterpieces by Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, and Peter Paul Rubens. As this richly illustrated little volume makes clear, it also possesses a brilliant collection of paintings and drawings by other artists throughout Europe as well as fascinating decorative arts and notable sculptures. Подробнее

Treasures of British Art (Tiny Folio)

Nicholas Serota, 1998

With masters such as William Blake, William Hogarth, George Stubbs, Thomas Gainsborough, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, James McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, and David Hockney, the Tate Gallery offers work to please every taste. The gallery, which was opened in London in the summer of 1897 by the Prince of Wales, is best known for its modern art collections, but-as this little compendium makes wonderfully clear-it encompasses the full sweep of British art, from ornate aristocratic portraits and vivacious hunting scenes to the Pre-Raphaelites languid femmes fatales. Подробнее

Antonio Gaudi (Tiny Folios)

Juan Bassegoda Nonell, 2001

Antonio Gaudí (1852-1926) is one of the best-known architects of the 20th century. Even today, some 75 years after Gaudís death, his playful, exuberant buildings continue to influence architects, sculptors, and designers. Perhaps most identified with the dynamic, sculptural facades found on his structures, Gaudí is respected as much for his technological innovations as for his daring style. In this enlightening, portable volume, a concise, knowledgeable text by the director of the Càtedra Gaudí at the University of Barcelona is brilliantly illustrated with 200 images by a gifted architectural photographer to provide a new perspective on Gaudís remarkable career. The author traces all the influences that led to the architects definitive style, from his fascination with the Orient and Neogothicism to his love of naturalism and geometric forms. Here is the full range of his oeuvre, from the innovative residences for the Güell family to his unfinished masterpiece, the Church of the Sagrada Familia, which occupied him until his death. This handsome overview of Gaudís visionary work is ideal for those who delight in his architecture, as well as those who look forward to traveling to Spain to see his monumental legacy. Подробнее

Treasures of the Addison Gallery of American Art (Tiny Folio)

Adam D. Weinberg, 2003

The Addison Gallery of American Art, located at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, is internationally recognized for its outstanding collection of paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and photography. When its founder, Thomas Cochran, opened the Addison to the public in 1931, it was one of the few museums in this country devoted solely to American art. Cochran initially donated four hundred significant works of art, commissioned a building, and provided generous endowments. Today the holdings total over 12,000 objects that span the history of American art from the seventeenth century to the present. Among the some 240 notable examples from the collection included in this tiny tour are paintings from the eighteenth century by Gilbert Stuart and John Singleton Copley; from the nineteenth century by Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, James McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, and F. Childe Hassam; and from the early twentieth century by John Sloan, Georgia OKeeffe, Jackson Pollock, and Andrew Wyeth; and contemporary works by Frank Stella, Sol Lewitt, and Brice Marden. Also featured here are images from such masters of photography as Walker Evans, Eadward Muybridge, Berenice Abbott, and Robert Frank. In addition, there are outstanding works of sculpture from Paul Manship and Elie Nadelman to Alexander Calder and Martin Puryear. Подробнее

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