Daniel Kiecol

Unmistakably diverse—this is how Israel can be described in a few words. The north of the country stretches from the Mediterranean coast to the Golan Heights. There the river Jordan, the Sea of Galilee and places like Nazareth and Capernaum are the destinations of many Christian travelers. The port city and high-tech metropolis of Haifa and even more so Tel Aviv show how much the young state of Israel, founded in 1948, is shaped by the immigrants who come to the country from many parts of the world. Tel Aviv's founders, for example, dreamed of a New York on the Mediterranean. Today, Tel Aviv-Yafo is perhaps not quite as big, but it is as colorful and diverse as the melting pot on the east coast of the USA. And you can taste this variety in Israeli cuisine, by the way. Israel's south, where the desert comes alive, also offers a great variety: a diver's paradise in the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea, impressive nature parks and great historical sites from ancient times such as the rock fortress Masada, heroically defended against Roman troops, or the settlement of Qumran, where more than 850 scrolls from ancient Judaism have been found. And of course Jerusalem. An impressive city, where deep roots of culture and religion can be found. For the three great monotheistic religions Jerusalem is a holy or even the holy city. Nowhere else in the world are Judaism, Christianity and Islam closer to each other—geographically at least. Whoever experiences the Wailing Wall, the interior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the Dome of the Rock, gets an idea of what has moved people for thousands of years.

In the 1860s, a style of painting emerged in Paris which fundamentally called into question the artistic concepts that had been prevalent in academies up to that time. Impressionist artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Degas now focused on their impression of the moment, which was captured in paintings depicting moods and light at certain times of the day and of the season, as well as in snapshots of modern life. This new kind of artistic worldview spread to other countries in Europe and the United States, which in turn produced numerous Impressionist painters. With more than 450 works, Impressionism 1860-1910 presents an overview of the most important Impressionist paintings.

American Painting 1965-1930

During the origin of Renaissance painting in Italy, a world view was revived that enabled man to determine his own existence. In painting, new themes developed along with an orientation toward representing reality. This naturalism was influenced by Dutch painting from around 1450, and as the fifteenth century transitioned into the sixteenth, Rome followed Florence as the center of the Renaissance. Shortly thereafter, the new style radiated to other countries. In northern Europe, the Renaissance combined with late medieval currents, which also placed earthly existence at the center of attention. Renaissance 1420-1600 shows with more than 400 works an overview of the most important paintings of the era.

Vědkyně, umělkyně a objevitelka: obrazy květin, motýlů a nejrůznějších druhů hmyzu, působivě barevné a plné propracovaných detailů, jež po sobě zanechala Marie Sibylla Merianová (1647-1717), nepřestávají dodnes fascinovat. Tato kniha přináší výběr z jejích nejkrásnějších kreseb a rytin.

Stal se zakladatelem moderního sochařství a umění pro něj bylo důležitější než cokoli jiného. Vytvořil sochy, které se těší nesmrtelné slávě, mezi jinými Polibek, Myslitele a Občany Calais. Jmenovaná díla, stejně jako řada dalších, jsou v této knize představena prostřednictvím kvalitních fotografií, zachycujících Rodinovu dlouhou a plodnou kariéru v celém jejím rozsahu.

Twelve pieces by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci are shown here together with informative short texts that situate the pieces within his enormous artistic output.