Thames & Hudson strana 46 z 126

Giorgio Vasari's The Lives of the Most Famous Painters, Sculptors and Architects (1550 and 1568) is a classic of cultural history. A monumental assembly of artists' lives from Giotto to Michelangelo, it paints a vivid picture of the progress of art in the hands of individual masters. This illustrated standalone edition of Vasari's Life of Raphael offers a new translation of this rich and remarkable 'Life', elegantly rendering Vasari's literary text in modern terms. A work of authoritative skill and precision, the translation preserves Vasari's compelling narrative, while beautifully reproduced illustrations bring it newly to life. Editors Paul Joannides and Rick Scorza bring together the original and expanded Italian editions of 1550 and 1568, with succinct commentary drawing upon their expert knowledge of Raphael's career.

The V&A Book of Colour in Design is attractively simple: a celebration and exploration of colour, as revealed through objects in the world-class collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Structured by colour, it offers fascinating insights into the choices made by designers and makers from across the world and throughout history. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction that considers the history, symbolism, and use of an individual colour. Objects - from items of jewelry, textiles, glassware and ceramics to furniture and more - are reproduced in a visual selection that explores the varied hues of every colour. However different objects within each section may be in their detail and meaning, they are united by their common colour, revealing surprising connections between them. Throughout, narrative captions bring together disparate items from across the V&A's collection to explore the universal significance of colour in art and design. Beautifully designed, this highly visual, colour-led survey of design and the applied arts is a compelling sourcebook with broad appeal for anyone interested or involved in all aspects of visual culture.

Raymond Briggs has changed the face of children's picture books, with his innovations of both form and subject. Stylistically versatile, he has illustrated some sixty books, twenty of them with his own text, and first became a household name in the late 1970s and early 1980s with a handful of books - Father Christmas, Fungus the Bogeyman, The Snowman, When the Wind Blows - that were entertaining and subversive and appealed to both children and adults. The refrains of his work are class, family, love and loss. Nevertheless, his default mode of expression is humour. Briggs is always funny, and the balance between this and melancholy is his defining characteristic, though his style ranges from the romantic to the grotesque, from the fanciful to the direct. Encompassing sixty years of Raymond Briggs's work, from political picturebooks to children's classics, this study explores his themes of class, family and loss, and how he demonstrates both emotional power and great technical skill.

For centuries the beguiling ancient ruins of Egypt have provided an endless source of fascination for explorers, antiquarians, treasure hunters and archaeologists. All, from the very earliest travellers, were entranced by the beauty and majesty of the landscape: the remains of tombs cut into the natural rock of hillsides and the temples and cities gently consumed by drift sand. These early adventurers were gripped by the urge to capture what they had seen in writings, sketches, paintings and photographs. While it was always the scholars - the Egyptologists - who were in charge, they depended on architects, artists, engineers and photographers. Yet when we think of Petrie, we think of Sir William Matthew Flinders, not of his wife Hilda. Only through reading their diaries and letters has it come to be realized how important she and other partners were. Similarly the role played by Egyptian workers, digging on archaeological projects and maintaining relations with the local landowners, is only just coming to be appreciated. Egyptologists' Notebooks brings together the work - reproduced in its original form - of the many people who contributed to our understanding of ancient Egypt, offering a glimpse into a very different history of Egyptology. They evoke a rich sense of time and place, transporting us back to a great age of discovery.

This ambitious and fascinating book traces the history of fashion in every part of the world, from Greco-Roman woven-cloth clothing and the silk court dress of the Chinese Tang dynasty to contemporary sportswear designers and Japanese street culture. Organized chronologically, the book traces the evolution of fashion period by period and trend by trend, while detailed timelines provide historical and cultural context. Fashion: The Whole Story is indispensable for everyone who loves the line of a superb suit or knows the joy of wearing a great pair of shoes.

In the last few decades, the world of contemporary art has become more globalized and visible than ever before. And yet this world has long been perceived as closed and obscure, provoking in the uninitiated a range of responses from reverence to bafflement and rage. Taking the reader on a cross-continental journey through a notional calendar year in the field of art, Matthew Israel lifts the veil on a world that emerges from his narrative as diverse, adventurous, nuanced and meaningful to all. From Los Angeles to Hong Kong via Paris and New York, the author travels among the world's best-known artists, curators, critics, gallerists and institutions as they work towards some of the art world's most defining international events. A Year in the Art World relates the exploits of a curious insider, who ventures deep into the workings of the art industry to ask: what is it that people in the art world actually do? What drives an interest in working with art? How do artworks acquire value? And how has technology transformed the art world of today? Israel combines in-depth personal profiles with expert context to reveal both new and longstanding artworld realities. From biennials in summer to auctions in the fall, this fascinating narrative reveals how 'the art world' describes a realm that is both surprisingly vast and deeply interconnected.

Revolutions hold a distinct place in the popular imagination. This may be because their rhetoric, such as 'liberty, fraternity, equality', articulates aspirations with which we identify; or because we are shocked by the destructive forces unleashed when social conventions break down. Yet each revolution is unique - a product of its time, its society, its people - and the outcomes vary dramatically, from liberal reform to cruel dictatorship. Twenty-four leading historians, each writing about their country of origin, consider revolutions from England's Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the Arab Spring of 2011, reflecting not only on their causes, crises and outcomes, but also their long-term legacies and their changing, sometimes contested, meanings today. They reflect on key questions, such as: What were the reasons for the revolution? What were the main events and dominant ideologies, and who were the leading protagonists? How is it considered today and what is its ideological legacy? Whether as inspiration or warning, the legacies of these revolutions are not only important to those interested in protest, political change and the power of the people but also impact on virtually every one of us today.

The livre d'artiste, or 'artist's book', is among the most prized in rare book collections. Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was one of the greatest artists to work in this genre, creating his most important books over a period of eighteen years from 1932 to 1950 - a time of personal upheaval and physical suffering, as well as conflict and occupation for France. Brimming with powerful themes and imagery, these works are crucial to an understanding of Matisse's oeuvre, yet much of their content has never been seen by a wider audience. In Matisse: The Books, Louise Rogers Lalaurie reintroduces us to Matisse by considering how in each of eight limited-edition volumes, the artist constructs an intriguing dialogue between word and image. She also highlights the books' profound significance for Matisse as the catalysts for the extraordinary 'second life' of his paper cut-outs. In concert with an eclectic selection of poetry, drama and, tantalizingly, Matisse's own words, the books' images offer an astonishing portrait of creative resistance and regeneration. Matisse's books contain some of the artist's best-known graphic works - the magnificent, belligerent swan from the Poesies de Stephane Mallarme, or the vigorous linocut profile from Pasiphae (1944), reversed in a single, rippling stroke out of a lake of velvety black. In Jazz, the cut-out silhouette of Icarus plummets through the azure, surrounded by yellow starbursts, his heart a mesmerizing dot of red. But while such individual images are well known, their place in an integrated sequence of pictures, decorations and words is not. With deftness and sensitivity, Lalaurie explores the page-by-page interplay of the books, translating key sequences and discussing their distinct themes and creative genesis. Together Matisse's artist books reveal his deep engagement with questions of beauty and truth; his faith; his perspectives on aging, loss, and inspiration; and his relationship to his critics, the French art establishment and the women in his life. In addition, Matisse: The Books illuminates the artist's often misunderstood political affinities - in particular, his decision to live in the collaborationist Vichy zone, throughout World War II. Matisse's wartime books are revealed as a body of work that stands as a deeply personal statement of resistance.

'Takenobu Igarashi is a master-mentor who taught me the ABCs of form (and life)' John Maeda In the mid-1970s designer Takenobu Igarashi began a prolific, decade-long exploration into possibilities of three-dimensional typography. His first experiments with axonometric lettering appeared on magazine covers, posters, and record sleeves - taking influence from the avant garde typography of the 1920s but rendered afresh as bold sculptural letterforms. Timeless, arresting, and technically dazzling, Igarashi's signature style demonstrates a mastery of three-dimensional type and perspective draftsmanship, refined long before the introduction of computers into the design industry. A to Z offers an exhaustive guide to Igarashi's experiments with typography, featuring not only his celebrated print and physical works - many photographed specially for this publication - but also a first look, using never before seen archival work, at the plans, drawings and production drafts behind his iconic works. Spanning early print works, hand-drawn experiments, self-initiated sculptural pieces, and highprofile 3D identities for a range of international clients and institutions, A to Z is a long overdue overview of one of the most revered but least celebrated graphic designers of the 20th century.

First published in 1950, this enchanting picture book by the creator of Madeline tells the story of a music teacher whose greedy landlord is foiled in his efforts to evict her on Christmas Eve. In so doing, as the original cover copy states, it presents: 'a unique guide to New York City, showing its landmarks as they could only be seen through the eyes of Ludwig Bemelmans... Sunshine is pure Bemelmans of the most irresistible variety. The story, which concerns a children's music school - and umbrellas! - has the gentle touch of Madeline, as well as some thoroughly ridiculous situations. At the same time, adults all too familiar with the housing shortage will join the children in applauding when the gentle little music school teacher outwits a landlord who "doesn't permit cats or doggies or people who have noisy hobbies". And everyone will rejoice in the happy ending to this delightful story.'

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.

Marvellous Magicians celebrates the work of eight pioneering illusionists, both famous and under-represented, whose tricks have been the making of modern magic. Through a magical blend of biography, history and illustration, it brings these amazing magicians and their illusions into the spotlight. They include one of the first female magicians, Adelaide Herrmann, and African American illusionist Richard Potter, alongside such well-known greats as Houdini and his namesake and inspiration, Houdin. Two spectacular fold-out pages reveal the secret workings of the Automata Chess Player and Howard Thurston's dramatic transformation of an empty box into a world of wonders, while themed spreads explore the early history of magic, the eight effects of magic on which all tricks are based, the magician's tool box, and the under-appreciated role of the magician's assistant. For its finale, Marvellous Magicians explores the hidden societies who have kept the secrets of illusions closely guarded for decades, provides advice on becoming a magician and introduces readers to contemporary magicians from around the world including Australia, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK and USA. Written in a theatrical style and illustrated with original gouache paintings, Marvellous Magicians is the perfect book for all aspiring magicians.

This visually rich survey - the first of its kind - showcases the work of over 200 artists and celebrates the explosion of street art in Africa over the last decade. Including twelve in-depth interviews with street artists active in Africa today as well as coverage of the continent's major street art projects, collectives and festivals, it takes the reader on an introductory tour of the many African street art scenes, with a deeper focus on the most prominent players in Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. Topics and projects covered include the monumental project Murais da Leba in Angola, which saw 6,000 square metres of wall covered by local graffiti and visual artists in the Serra da Leba mountain range; the cultural influences and idiosyncrasies of individual street art scenes, and how they mesh with local communities; and eL Seed's project 'Perception', a huge multi-part mural stretching across more than fifty buildings in Cairo's Zaraeeb neighbourhood, revealing a message of hope to its marginalized community in the artist's distinctive 'calligraffiti' style. Text commentaries elaborating on styles and processes, and social and cultural context, are peppered throughout the book, giving the reader further insight into a wealth of striking contemporary visual cultures - and helping make this a must-have for street art fans and practitioners.

Monocle has always been a champion of taking it slow. It has encouraged readers to dive into a lake and go for a run. To sleep well. To eat food whose makers are proud of its provenance. In a shouty, jabbing-finger moment in history, it has done its bit to argue for a new modern etiquette to be generous with our time, hospitality and forgiveness. Now its editors and correspondents have brought all of this together in The Monocle Manifesto for a Gentler Life, a book that urges us all to slow down, reconnect, make good things and see nice places. And it also knows when to wear a cheeky smile. Chapters include: * An illustrated guide to being nice, respecting your neighbour and controlling your social media rants. * Profiles of the happiest nations - and the least lonely too. * How to build a house that's good for you and your family. * Essays from leading thinkers and great writers on what we can gain if we shift gear. * The businesses charting a better course - from management to pride in production. * Food - a celebration of the locally made, the chefs that bring people together and a recipe or two. * The objects to own that will give pleasure for years. * The people who changed direction, slowed down and made it work. * The compact cities where you can run a company, be inspired, have a good social life - and be hiking in a forest at 5pm.

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.

Is it possible to describe a photograph without interpreting it? Can a viewer ever be as dispassionate as the mechanism of a camera? And how far can a photographer's intentions determine responses to their image, decades after it was made? These are just a few questions that David Campany eloquently addresses in On Photographs. In the tradition of Susan Sontag and John Berger, Campany explores the tensions inherent to the photographic medium - between art and document, chance and intention, permanence and malleability of meaning - as well as the significance of authorship, performance, time and reproduction. On Photographs is destined to become an instant classic of photography writing. Rejecting the conventions of chronology and the heightened status afforded to 'classics' in traditional accounts of the history of the medium, Campany's selection of photographs is an expertly curated and personal one - mixing fine art prints, film stills, documentary photographs, fashion editorials and advertisements. In this playful new take on the history of photography, anonymous photographers stand alongside photography pioneers, 20th-century talents and contemporary practitioners. Each photograph is accompanied by Campany's highly readable commentary. Putting the sacred status of authorship to one side, he strives to guide the reader in their own interpretation and understanding of the image itself. In a visual culture in which we have become accustomed to not looking, Campany helps us see, in what is both an accessible introduction for newcomers and a must-have for photography aficionados.