Ludion

• This is the first book about Hokuei - one of the most intriguing artists ever in kabuki-actor prints • Lavishly illustrated with over 300 images, it brings the world of kabuki alive in fascinating detail • The book includes a fully illustrated and annotated catalogue raisonné of 270 prints - the artist's entire known print oeuvre Hokuei: Masterpieces of Japanese Actor Prints profiles one of the most intriguing artists ever in kabuki-actor design: Shunbaisai Hokuei (active 1828–1836). A culminating figure in Osaka printmaking, Hokuei produced more masterworks than any other artist of his day. The book presents the artist’s life and work, situating his oeuvre within the demimonde of pleasure and entertainment known as the Floating World (Ukiyo). The world of kabuki comes alive in fascinating detail, while assessments of design and technical attributes bring into focus the achievements of Hokuei and printmaking artisans of his age. The book includes a fully illustrated and annotated catalogue raisonné of 270 prints ? the artist’s entire known print oeuvre - including designs not to be found anywhere else. The range of comprehensive information featured in this publication make it a singular reference not only for admirers of Hokuei, but also for those interested in the world of actors on stage.

- The most extensive survey of Hiroshige's oeuvre in English to date - For the first time all textual content in Hiroshige's prints is transcribed and translated - Provides essential comparative material for every scholar, dealer, and collector Hiroshige. Nature and the City is the most extensive overview of the career of the famed Japanese print artist, Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) in the English language to date. It is based on the largest collection of Hiroshige in private hands outside Japan, the Alan Medaugh collection. The catalogue consists of 500 entries, with an emphasis on urban and rural landscapes, fan prints and prints of birds and flowers. Grouped chronologically by subject, it presents Hiroshige's interpretation of the urban scenes from his hometown Edo (present-day Tokyo), the great series documenting travel along the famous highways of Japan, and the idylls of nature as represented in his bird-and flower prints. Hiroshige often incorporated poetry in his works and for the first time all textual content is transcribed and translated. Additionally, the catalogue pays due attention to the differences between variant editions of his prints. Thus, it provides essential comparative material for every scholar, dealer, and collector.

Drawing from an extensive private collection assembled over many years, this book presents a unique selection of nineteenth-century photographs of Japan, many of which are published here for the first time. Between the twilight years of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1867) and the end of the Meiji Era (1868–1912) that followed it, photography offered a unique insight into the rapid transformation of Japan from an isolated, feudal society to a modern, industrialised state. In the four decades that followed the opening of the country in 1853, the camera evolved from an imported novelty to a familiar witness of Japanese daily life. Operating from the Treaty Ports of Yokohama and elsewhere, early practitioners of photography plied an often precarious trade in images of Japan and laid the foundations of what would soon become a highly competitive industry with a global reach. Whether cherished as souvenirs of an exotic land of fond imagination or curated as visual documents of a fast-changing society, these images by foreign and Japanese photographers, often packaged in exquisitely produced albums, enjoyed a wide circulation abroad and played an important role in influencing perceptions of Japan in the West well into the early twentieth century.

- This book shows how the broken can be as beautiful or valuable as the new - Topics such as sustainability and the circular economy have never been more urgent - Lavishly illustrated with over 200 illustrations and behind-the-scene shots - Includes inspiring makers, artists and designers from around the globe We live in a single-use society, where fashion is fast, disposability is the norm and it is easier to replace than to repair. We don't need to mend things anymore - and yet we do. What is it about Homo faber - man the maker - that cannot resist fixing what is broken? As we start to decouple from the linear take-make-waste model that has dominated Western economies since the Industrial Revolution and seek something more circular, an enquiry into what mending means has never been more urgent. With a foreword by The Repair Shop's Jay Blades, this new book by craft and circularity advocate Katie Treggiden celebrates 25 artists, curators, designers and makers who have rejected the allure of the fast, disposable and easy in favor of the patina of use, the stories of age and the longevity of care and repair. Accompanying these profiles, six in-depth essays explore the societal, cultural and environmental roles of mending in a throwaway world.

- This book sheds light on the often mysterious iconography in Japanese prints - Lavishly illustrated with over 130 prints of women and men, from the heyday of Japanese printmaking - A passionate introduction to the intriguing art of Ukiyo-e Women and men – strong, proud, tragic or beautiful – from the heyday (1765–1865) of Japanese printmaking are this book's subject. It seeks to dig below the surface of the prints to describe the often subtle iconography employed in these masterful creations by the most famous artists of their time. It begins with Suzuki Harunobu's subdued and introverted scenes of women seated on verandas. The book then moves on to the spectacular ‘big face' (okubi-e) portraits of prostitutes and Kabuki actors by artists like Kitagawa Utamaro, Toshusai Sharaku and Utagawa Kunimasa. Frail ‘streetwalkers', forced by circumstance into the lowest ranks of prostitution, are transformed into elegant beauties, obscuring their tragic existence. The spectacle of heroes from Japan's rich mythological and pseudo-historical past crowd the printed sheet. Stern-faced actors drawn by the confident hands of Utagawa Toyokuni and his pupil Kunisada demonstrate the economy of line and powerful expression of the woodblock medium. Each print is explored in the finest detail in order to explain the riddles of Ukiyo-e: the intriguing and captivating mode of visual expression that would have such a profound influence on Western art.

Japanese prints, and Japan in general, are highly popular nowadaysbr- Japanese printmaking in the first half of the 20th century is relatively unknownbr- Growing number of collectors of the genre of shin hanga [modern prints] in the US and in Europe- Book contains a unique selection of prints, drawn from two private collections, and from the family of publisher Watanabe, who was the driving force behind the new print movement- Accompanies a traveling exhibition in 3 countriesTwentieth-century Japanese printmaking has come in for relatively little attention. Classic Hokusai and Hiroshige landscapes and Utamaro's beautiful images of women remain the dominant form. All the same, since the 1990s museums and private collectors have shown a growing interest in shin hanga ('new prints'): balanced designs printed on luxurious paper, with the finest pigments and in smaller editions. They are the fruit of the traditional yet highly successful collaboration between artist, publisher, block-cutter and printer. It is not so much in their subject matter as their visual language that shin hanga prints set themselves apart from their traditional precursors. Where the classically depicted women were stylized and idealized, their more recent counterparts are based on real models, individually recognizable and full of emotion. The modern landscapes, meanwhile, are impressionistic rather than figurative, using a range of color nuances to achieve highly atmospheric results. This book offers a unique selection with which to explore 20th-century Japanese printmaking. The prints it reproduces are mostly drawn from two large private collections, and, by way of great exception, items from the family collection of the publisher Watanabe, the man who started it all.

Réné Magritte is one of the most popular artists of the 20th century. His work continues to be the object of many international exhibitions.- Many books have been published on the artist, but this book presents an accessible and complete introduction to his oeuvre and his life- Includes a surprising mix of his emblematic paintings and lesser-known worksMagritte in 400 images offers a selection of the most iconic paintings from the master Surrealist, René Magritte, along with a multitude of perhaps less well-known, but no less exciting jewels from his expansive oeuvre. The novel choice of works will surprise and delight the reader as they continue to uncover ever more facets of the celebrated painter, from his gouaches to his painted bottles and much more. Spanning seven chapters, this book brings together the myriad aspects of Magritte's pictorial vision. Beginning with his first forays into abstract painting in the 1920s, navigating his search for solace in his Sunlit Period, as well as his brittle période vache and moving on to his Surrealist masterpieces of the 1950s and 1960s, it gently guides the reader through Magritte's world. Each chapter opens with a summary of the artistic stakes at play during that period and Magritte's place in them, immersing the reader in the contemporary artistic milieu. The 400 reproductions of Magritte's work are complemented by a unique selection of historical photographs. Alive with images and information, this compact gem is a must-have for all art enthusiasts and connoisseurs.

Ceramics is still wildly popular among hobbyists around the world - Beautifully illustrated with colorful and inspiring images, behind-the-scenes shots of the makers' studios, and photographs of the makers at work - Includes six essays that shed light on the history of ceramics in each of the cities featured - Includes an updated list of places to visit for anyone interested in ceramics Clay is back: the age-old craft of ceramics is being embraced by a new generation of urban makers and collectors. This book explores the contemporary revival of pottery, focusing on six inspiring cities, their history and their makers. Twenty-eight passionate ceramicists in New York, London, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Sydney and Sao Paulo introduce us to their work, their studios and their inspiration. Includes a practical and updated source list of places to discover and buy handmade ceramics in the six cities featured. Third and updated edition.

A selection of the last paintings of 30 of the greatest artists Not the last painting - as that is often uncertain - but several carefully selected works these artists have made close the end of their lives 30 intriguing and compelling artist biographies Includes a wide range of artists, from Giotto and Van Eyck, to Kahlo, Hopper and Picasso Includes interesting biographical information, fragments from rarely seen letters and testimonials An intense focus on the late and final work of great painters has become a striking trend in recent years. Exhibitions have been devoted to 'the Late' Raphael, Tintoretto, Rembrandt, Goya, Turner, Manet, Gauguin, Monet, Matisse and Pollock and fresh research has been carried out into the work these artists produced in the twilight of their careers. This has led in many cases to surprising discoveries and a renewed appreciation of the late work. The Final Painting collects these fresh insights into 30 of the world's greatest painters and their last works in a highly readable book, beginning with Jan van Eyck and ending with Pablo Picasso. Besides the painters mentioned already, it includes Bellini, Titian, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rubens, Artemisia Gentileschi, Cézanne, Klimt, Renoir, Modigliani, Munch, Mondrian, Kahlo and Hopper. Persistent myths and clichés are challenged: Van Gogh was not the solitary figure as so often suggested: the story behind Raphael's celebrated La Fornarina was made up in the 19th century; the elderly Tintoretto did not paint many of his huge late canvases single-handedly; and Manet's last works are much more than the paintings of a terminal patient.

- 2020 marks the 500th anniversary of Albrecht Dürer's year - long journey to the Low Countries from 1520 to 1521 - Dürer is one of the most important artists of the Northern Renaissance - Stunningly large close-up details reveal his paintings, drawings and graphic work as never before Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) is one of the most important and influential artists of the Northern Renaissance. He was a painter, printmaker and theorist and knew the major Italian artists of his time, such as Raphael, Bellini and Leonardo da Vinci. His enormous talent and skills as a draughtsman revealed themselves at a very young age: they can already be seen in the silverpoint Self-Portrait made in 1484 when he was barely 13 years old. Patronized from 1512 by the Emperor Maximilian I, Dürer realized numerous engravings, altarpieces, portrait and self-portraits, watercolors and books. His introduction of classical motifs into Northern art, through his knowledge of Italian artists and German humanists, secured his reputation as the most important figure of German Renaissance. Dürer in Detail reveals the work of the German master as never before, in breathtaking, full-page details. Till-Holger Borchert, German art historian and director of the Bruges Museums, describes Dürer's paintings, drawings and graphic masterpieces detail by detail, while offering original insights in clear and accessible language. The book is organized thematically and includes a biography, an annotated list of works and a suggested reading list.

This book touches some hot topics: sustainability, climate change and the circular economy and explores how design relates to these issues- Beautifully illustrated with colorful and inspiring images and behind-the-scenes shots of the design processWe live in the age of the Anthropocene: human activity is the dominant force affecting the climate and man-made and organic materials are becoming irreversibly intertwined. As natural resources dwindle, designers are exploring the potential of increasingly plentiful waste streams to become the raw materials of the future. A new book celebrates 30 optimistic and enterprizing designers, makers and manufacturers who use waste as their primary resource, offering a rare glimpse into the world they inhabit. Accompanying these profiles, six in-depth and thematic essays explore the societal, cultural and environmental implications of their work. Contents: Introduction; Fashion Waste; Food Waste; Industrial Waste; Plastic Waste; Domestic Waste; Bibliography.

In September 1939, thousands of German soldiers were turned loose on Poland. In 1940, they descended on Holland, Belgium and France. In 1941 they went to the Balkans, and then to the USSR. Armed with Leica and Rolleiflex cameras, some of these soldiers were officially commissioned as photographers, while others were asked by their commanders to snap records of events. Among them were trainees who knew about the Bauhaus, and other, older, men who could remember Weimar. Some excelled at formal portraiture, others were storytellers, stylists or humanists who wept at what they saw. The style and content of their work changed along with the collective mood after 1942, a change that is discernible in the photographs themselves. Celebrated author and art historian Ian Jeffrey - author of How to Read a Photograph and The Photography Book - has trawled through these albums, picking out the most compelling of these works to create an intimate record of anonymous lives experiencing the unprecedented.

Since its origins in the sixth-century, ikebana has been as much a philosophy as an art, with its roots in Zen Buddism and a reverence for nature. Over hundreds of years it has developed a complex set of unwritten rules, that take a lifetime to master. But in recent years the distinctive look of ikebana - with its love of the asymmetric shapes to be found in nature and its willingness to embrace simple, natural materials - has found a new audience and opened the eyes of a generation of artists to a new way of working with flowers. This book showcases a selection of this new wave of floral artists, from Tokyo to New York. The authors Victoria Gaiger and Tom Loxley - the editors of the award-winning rakesprogress, the UK's leading independent magazine about the art of gardens, plants and flowers - have talked to the most exciting young florists working today about their art and inspiration. It includes an introduction to the history and evolution of Japanese floral art and an illustrated glossary of flowers and plants. Contents: Introduction, Modern Masters, Floral Contemporary, Punkebana, Floral Sculptors, Illustrated Glossary of Flowers and Plants, Bibliography. - Floral design is enjoying a huge revival - Japan, and the Japanese art of floral arrangement (ikebana), is very popular - Surprising selection of the most interesting floral artists and designers today, from contemporary ikebana masters in Japan and the UK, to 'punk' floral artists in the US - Beautifully illustrated with colorful and inspiring images - Includes an essay about the origins and evolution of ikebana and its revival today

- Introduction to some of the world's most popular artists, looking at their works in incredible detail - Filled with superbly reproduced full-page, close-up details, offering new views of some of the world's most popular paintings Crowned the 'Prince of Painters' by Giorgio Vasari, Raphael (1483-1520) was one of the most popular artists of the Italian Renaissance. Famous for his serene and harmonious series of Madonnas and his work at the Vatican Palace, he was an extremely influential painter, both during and after his own lifetime. Pope Julius II hired Raphael as his chief architect and his first commission charged him with the task of decorating the papal apartments at the Vatican in 1509. Now known as the Raphael Rooms, these astonishing displays continue to attract visitors from all over the world. Raphael in Detail shows his beautiful masterpieces in unprecedented, large-format details. The art historian and specialist of the Italian Renaissance, Stefano Zuffi, takes the reader on a surprising voyage into Raphael's life and work. The book is organized thematically and includes a biography and a list of works.

This fascinating book looks at the work of Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (c. 1395–1441) under a magnifying glass. Famed for his focused observation of nature, Van Eyck studied fauna and flora in their natural environment and under carefully chosen light conditions, and then achieved a breathtaking and convincing realism in his paintings. Each panel is a collection of minuscule details rendered with superb clarity from foreground to background, or at least that is the impression at first glance. As this book reveals, that is precisely where Van Eyck’s exceptional talent lies: he understood that the human brain is able to supplement visual perception where necessary. Here, details from Van Eyck’s paintings are organized by such themes as nature, architecture, daily life, fabrics, glass, jewelry and mirrors, and portraits. Opening with a biographical note and an introduction on the technique of oil painting on panel, the authors explain the significance of the individual details and how Van Eyck achieved his innovative artistic results. This is an unprecedented look at the work of a popular master.

Leonardo in Detail - the Portable Edition