These pages are intended as a compact up-to-date guide for readers wishing to find out more about one of the greatest artistic geniuses of all times, an artist epitomising the highest ideals of the age of Humanism whose complex personality challenges even the experts in this field of studies.

The volume is dedicated to the Sacri Monti, the ‘Sacred Mountains’, of Piedmont and Lombardy – Varallo, Orta, Crea, Varese, Oropa, Ossuccio, Ghiffa, Domodossola and Belmonte – which have all been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2003. Made up of a complex of chapels in which episodes of sacred history are represented through paintings and life-size sculptures, the Sacri Monti are a complete expression of the Counter-Reformation age. Built between the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century with the intent to educate and strengthen the religious sentiment of the faithful, they still fascinate for the decorative richness and the remarkable realism of the setting, as well as for the way in which they have been integrated into their surroundings. The texts and the rich iconographic collection highlight the extraordinary beauty and value of these jewels of history, art and nature.

Text in English and Italian.

Floral art as you have never seen it before. In Flora Mythica floral designer Marco Appelfeller and photographer Hing Ang team up to create a floral universe beyond dreams. Stories from Greek mythology, fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm and other classics are brought to life in a magical fantasy world of flowers. Enter hidden caverns, explore forbidden forests and dive down the rabbit hole to discover Marco’s creative wonderland inhabited by mythical and sometimes fearsome creatures. Marco Appelfeller’s imagination is just as vivid and colourful as his floral art. His impeccable designs, that seem to defy what we can imagine as possible, are equalled by the book’s magnificent photography. Flora Mythica is a masterpiece testifying of craftsmanship and creativity and has it all to become a classic, just like the age-old fairy tales that inspired it. Text in English and German.

Surrounded by flowers from a very young age, the decision to become a floral designer was anoabvious one for Hideyuki Niwa. To keep on challenging himself, Niwa often takes part in competitions and tries creating and photographing a new design every day to get a thorough understanding of the characteristics of flowers and their possibilities. His classic, linear style and minimalist expression with careful placement of plant materials, quintessential characteristics of the Japanese aesthetic concent wabi sabi, rightfully won him a Bronze Leaf in the 2010/2011 editio and he Gold Leaf in the 2012/2013 edition of Stichting Kunstboek’s prestigious International Floral Art. Text in English and Japanese. Also available: Ryusaku Matsuda, Contemporary Floral Art ISBN: 9789058562999 Naoki Sasaki, Japanese Contemporary Floral Art ISBN: 9789058562647

With an impressive career of over 40 years that has resulted in the installation of large-scale art projects in numerous public spaces, artist/sculptor Luk Van Soom needs no further introduction in Belgium and the Netherlands. This beautifully designed art book is a first retrospective on his life and career. In a series of discussions and interviews with the artist, author Johan Pas sheds some light on the influences, philosophy, thinking and themes that have been vital for Van Soom’s artistic development: the relation between life and passion, travel and art, etc. Together, these texts present a kaleidoscopic image of Luk Van Soom’s life and work that is just as multifaceted and compelling as his art. At the age of seventeen Van Soom took his first tentative steps as an artist. Now 40 years later, he has an impressive curriculum including many exhibitions, commissions and projects both in his home country and abroad. Moreover, he created more than 50 monumental works for the public space in Belgium and the Netherlands, among which some very well know sights, such as Walhalla (1993, Antwerp), The Man from Atlantis (2003, Brussels), The Wharfinger (2005, Zwolle) and Walking to Magdalena (2012, Ostend). Text in English and Dutch.

It is not an exaggeration to say that today we live in an age of unprecedented sexual freedom. Far from over, the sexual revolution seems on the contrary to have gained a new momentum. Globalised and digitalised, it is spreading its gospel like wildfire. The objects and their creators that feature in Made for Love, reflect this new evolution and its corresponding styles and attitudes. Some names of designers as well as brands will be surprisingly familiar. Sensual pleasure objects, furniture, varying home accessories – they all have a naughty spirit in common, combined with quality, design, a certain flair, and sometime ingenious engineering. Avoiding the trashy in favour of the classy, Made for Love is a treat for anyone wanting to indulge in a sensual experience. Includes texts by famous Belgian erotic writer Amélie O.

In order to have a great place, one must create architecture that embodies the best traditions of design through proportion, material selection, and architecture style. Classical details combined with clean lines and artful form brings the art in architecture, merging tradition with contemporary design concepts. Proportion, scale, and composition are key concepts in architectural design. Through massing studies and mathematical calculations, including the Golden Ratio, the architecture and decorative details seen in this highly illustrated book seamlessly join discipline and functionality with artistry. Rigorous studies and detailed, full-colour conceptual sketches and rich photographic detail bring each project to life, capturing the overall essence of the design. In the pages of this impressive volume, the second in a superb series, you will see project examples of classical Chinese architecture translated into the 21st century. Projects range from residential spaces to palace gates and entries; from boutique resorts and hotels to business and convention centres; from public to commercial enterprises. The arrival of digital age in architecture not long ago gave the architects and designers the tools to push the envelope in designs much further every time – whether it’s traditional, modern, or contemporary. The harmony of proportion and composition, axial symmetry, and unique details illustrated in many of the featured projects achieve a virtue of scale, historic durability, and integrated artistry.

Text in English and Chinese.

The baking industry has seen a developing momentum in recent years. The competition is stiff; it’s not just the quality of the food that attracts customers, so it’s often necessary to ensure the design of the bakery itself is both creative and eye catching, while still being functional. A well-designed store can not only increase sales, but also help develop a brand identity. This book includes fifty bakery designs from all over the world, including Spain, Greece, Canada, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Israel, the US, Germany, Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey, China, Japan, Brazil, Romania, Thailand, Austria, Lebanon, and France. The designers responsible exhaustively examine their projects in order to illustrate the design process.

The buildings of the past were constructed with readily available and local materials, such as stone, wood, or handmade bricks. Architects in the modern era, however, can choose from an ever increasing number of new materials, each one allowing for different advances in design. And yet the traditional materials have never been entirely supplanted; they still form an important part of the architectural range and are still used by architects the world over. The humble brick, for example, has remained a constant throughout the history of architecture, as has timber with its flexibility and warm tones. But today such elements can be used in conjunction with newer materials to highlight their natural beauty in many different ways: creating a stunning metal facade, wrapping a building with a cool, sleek stone finish, designing a wall with an eye-catching interesting texture, or adding depth or warmth to an internal design. Traditional metals are also finding new use, being employed to coat a structure in a light metal skin that reflects the sunlight, or embedded onto a building to add interest and texture. This book journeys through a curated selection of stunning examples from across the world, showcasing how each material is creatively used over a diverse range of building types and styles, and illustrating the myriad possibilities and forms available to the modern architect who chooses to rework these age-old materials into a brand-new decorative yet functional form.

“…exquisite coffee-table book presents breathtaking buildings by superstar Japanese architect Kengo Kuma” – Daily Mail

Kengo Kuma is a globally acclaimed Japanese architect whose prodigious output possesses an inherent respect and value of materials and environment, often creating a harmonious balance between building and landscape. He masterfully engages both architectural experimentation and traditional Japanese design with twenty-first-century technology, resulting in highly advanced yet beautifully simple, gentle, human-scaled buildings. He’s renowned for the drive to search for new materials to replace concrete and steel, seeking a new approach for architecture in a post-industrial society, and fusing interior and exterior realms to make spaces that both create a calming and tranquil atmosphere and which “transform” topography. In the pages of this exquisitely illustrated volume, Kuma presents close to forty of his most recognised and award-winning works, including FRAC Marseille, V&A Dundee, Mont-Blanc Base Camp, and Japan National Stadium. Kuma continues to forge a new design language: in this book he offers the reader deep insight into how he has engaged with different aspects of the architectural discipline by transforming topography, construction, and representation in order to give further progress to his ideas.

London Secrets unlocks the city’s most fascinating secrets. Janelle McCulloch strips away bricks, mortar and tarmac to uncover parts of the capital that even born and bred Londoners may never have seen. In the shadow of the Gherkin, Cheesegrater and Walkie-Talkie skyscrapers are medieval churches, crypts and the curios of Postman’s Park – proof that altruism can exist in the Square Mile. In St James’s, a stone’s throw from the glitz and glamour of Soho are hidden squares and shops dating from a gentler age – purveyors of fine wine, gentleman’s apparel and bowler hats. The cobbled mews of Marylebone and Hampstead Village reveal unexpected treasures, rarely seen interiors and a rural idyll amid the urban hum. While the esoteric collections at the Horniman, Sir John Soane’s Museum and exotica of Leighton House make you feel you are in an entirely different country altogether. The author reveals the traditions and quirks that have survived to this day, from the freedom of the City of London allowing you to herd sheep through the town, to the “market ouvert” of Bermondsey Market, original home of the London wheeler-dealer. Lavishly photographed and researched, London Secrets will shed a whole new light on this most vibrant – and surprising – of cities.

Formed in 2008, Mercurio Design Lab (MDL) masterfully manages to express its design potential. Lead by Massimo, a rare architectural polymath who is motivated by a strong spirit of innovation, philosophy and experimentation, MDL seeks to elevate and balance the synergies of the Asian architectural context with indomitable Italian style and tradition. MDL considers its projects as artistic masterpieces and makes a special contribution to the architectural scene of the city through the creation of dramatic and futuristic buildings, always respecting three fundamental criteria: the functional, the aesthetic and the social. This richly illustrated monograph is a comprehensive review of MDL’s exceptional artistry and diversity and it’s another icon for IMAGES’ Master Architect series, an absolute must for all collectors of beautiful books on sophisticated global architectural culture.

The Victorian Era represents the cradle of our modern society – a time when social change and new technology heralded an industrialised economy. By the time of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, claims were proudly made of the progress since her accession to the throne. Steam ships had replaced sail, the railway system had superseded the stage coach, and the motor car had just begun to replace the horse. Not only did mass production create a new wealth of household products, ceramics, toys and games, but the arrival of cheaper printing and colour lithography made possible a profusion of printed material. The music sheets, colourful scraps, advertisements, greetings cards and children’s book illustrations that fill The Victorian Scrapbook – with such vigour – all give us an insight into the life and times of our forebears. Fortunately the thousand items gathered here have survived in remarkable condition, some by chance, others by having themselves been pasted down into contemporary scrapbooks. They all combine to celebrate a time when British ruled an Empire ‘on which the sun never sets’.

The Jürgensen Dynasty represents four generations of extraordinary watchmakers working in two countries: Denmark and Switzerland. Urban Jürgensen (1776-1830) is perhaps the most renowned member of the family. He was among the most innovative personalities of the Danish Golden Age and internationally one of the most prominent watchmakers of his time. His contributions to the development of horology were significant and he was one of the first watchmakers and inventors to be recognised by the scientific establishment with his innovations in technology and science earning him a place in the Royal Danish Academy of science. In this manner, the book presents a broader cultural aspect of Danish history than the title at first suggests. It is a document of the art of watchmaking, as it is still exercised by the continuing production of Urban Jürgensen & Sønner timepieces today. Contents: The founding Father: Jürgen Jürgensen; Urban Jürgensen 2nd generation; Urban Jürgensen’s timekeepers and instruments; Jules I and Louis Urban Jürgensen the 3rd generation; Jules II and Jacques Alfred Jürgensen the 4th generation; Urban Jürgensen & Sønner today.

The Rococo style dominated the 18th century from the Régence (1715-1723) until the end of the reign of King Louis XV (1774). Despite its many achievements, people frequently describe it with adjectives meant to be disparaging: cloying, lovely, kitschy etc. However, its triumphant progress, which took off in France and spread all over Europe, as well as the coincidence in time and the relationship between the Rococo and the enlightenment can still be traced in contemporary art.

For the first time ever, this book extensively examines the enduring impact of this major European style on contemporary art. But the Rococo was far more than just a form of art, its ideas permeated all areas of society. Therefore, the selection of contemporary approaches presented here does not only show a formal connection with the Rococo period, it also reveals thematic similarities. In addition, it explores the current relevance of the style as a symbol of our own hyped up and disoriented age.

With works by Leonor Antunes, Cornelia Badelita, Karla Black, Thierry Boutemy, Glenn Brown, Alice Channer, Edith Dekyndt, Anke Eilergerhard, Katharina Grosse, Jeppe Hein, Rachel Kneebone, Alexej Koschkarow, Anri Sala, Markus Schinwald, Anj Smith and Pia Stadtbäumer.

Text in English and German.

At the age of 81, Yvon Lambert is one of the most influential collectors of our time. He was only 14 years old when he used his pocket money to buy his first work of art. In 1966, he opened his own gallery in Paris, which soon became a top venue for contemporary art. It was Lambert who introduced the minimal art, land art and conceptual art movements to a wider European audience at a time when they were still relatively new. Besides his work as an art dealer, Lambert has spent the past fifty years creating one of the most prominent collections of contemporary art. In 2011, he donated more than 600 of his works to the French state, which are now on display in a specially dedicated museum in Avignon. In the context of the art project Skulptur Projekte Münster 2017, the Pablo Picasso Art Museum in Münster brings the Lambert Collection to Germany for the first time. In particular, the exhibition features works of artists who have been part of the Skulptur Projekte programme since its early years. Some of their works include installations that still exist in the city today. Text in English and German.

In 2008, a discovery was made that brought the works of Marie Goslich to light. Part of her estate, long thought to have been lost, was rediscovered in a guesthouse in Geltow at the Schwielowsee lake. Some 400 glass plate negatives exist today, survivors of the chaos of both world wars. This book makes Goslich’s photos available to the public 100 years after their capture, celebrating her as a bold pioneer and a grande dame of German photojournalism and social critique. Born in Frankfurt (Oder) in 1859, Marie Goslich tried her hand at various things before beginning to work as a journalist and editor. Cited in Berlin’s residents register, these professional titles alone were remarkable for a woman of her time. To cap it all, she began training as a photographer at the age of 44 in order to be able to provide her articles with pictures. As a result, she is one of the first professional female photographers in the world. With social injustice being her main concern, Goslich wrote and illustrated many articles, some of which were quite radical, to address the causes of suffering and misery. Again and again, her works denounce the gap between rich and poor. They portray travelling people, street vendors, beggars, ragmen and tinkers. All of her pictures betray her empathy towards her subjects, giving her photos a very intimate and rousing effect. Text in English and German.

Upon the discovery of Tanzanite in Tanzania a specimen was entrusted to the stonecutter Manuel de Souza, who shared some samples with distinguished gemologists. While the prospector thought that he had found some sapphires, he was astonished to learn that he had unearthed something altogether extraordinary. The new gem immediately caught the eye of Tiffany & Co. Since 1968, the New York-based jeweller has pushed the stone into the spotlight. It launched a campaign that was successful enough to earn tanzanite the noble title of ‘gem of the 20th century’. Tanzanite gained further renown when in 2002 the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) named tanzanite, together with turquoise, the birthstones for December. Tanzanite’s transformations have ultimately placed it alongside the most precious of precious gems. In short, tanzanite’s age of glory has finally dawned. Needless to say, tanzanite’s allure has attracted the attention of a list of famous designers: Lorenz Bäumer (France), Ruth Grieco (Brazil), Catherine Sauvage (Germany), MVee (Hong Kong) and TTF (China). In Asia and elsewhere, tanzanite is seen as the source of happiness for the happy few. Tanzanite: Born from Lightning showcases hundreds of beautiful pieces of tanzanite jewellery, including superb creations made by Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Chaumet, Chopard, Dior, Boucheron, Louis Vuitton, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, Wallace Chan and more.

Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850-1950 portrays the history of romantic love between men in hundreds of moving and tender vernacular photographs taken between the years 1850 and 1950. This visual narrative of astonishing sensitivity brings to light an until-now-unpublished collection of hundreds of snapshots, portraits, and group photos taken in the most varied of contexts, both private and public.

Taken when male partnerships were often illegal, the photos here were found at flea markets, in shoe boxes, family archives, old suitcases, and later online and at auctions. The collection now includes photos from all over the world: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Latvia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Serbia. The subjects were identified as couples by that unmistakable look in the eyes of two people in love – impossible to manufacture or hide. They were also recognised by body language – evidence as subtle as one hand barely grazing another – and by inscriptions, often coded.

Included here are ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, glass negatives, tin types, cabinet cards, photo postcards, photo strips, photomatics, and snapshots – over 100 years of social history and the development of photography.

Loving will be produced to the highest standards in illustrated book publishing, The photographs – many fragile from age or handling – have been digitised using a technology derived from that used on surveillance satellites and available in only five places around the world. Paper and other materials are among the best available. And Loving will be manufactured at one of the world’s elite printers. Loving, the book, will be up to the measure of its message in every way.

In these delight-filled pages, couples in love tell their own story for the first time at a time when joy and hope – indeed human connectivity – are crucial lifelines to our better selves. Universal in reach and overwhelming in impact, Loving speaks to our spirit and resilience, our capacity for bliss, and our longing for the shared truths of love.