Portrait Miniatures from the Merchistion Collection is the fifth in a series of titles which examines the portrait miniature. This collection, which has never been on public display, was assembled on the London art market during the 1970s and 1980s. Scottish miniaturists from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries are particularly well represented with fine works by Scouler, Bogle, and Skirving and Sir William Charles Ross. Of outstanding interest is Nicholas Hilliard’s matching pair of tiny lockets of Queen Elizabeth and her admirer Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Stephen Lloyd’s essay discusses the formation of the collection and the impact of the invention of photography on the art of miniature painting. It also explores the social history of the miniature. Twenty of the key works are illustrated in color, with extended captions, and a complete list of the collection is also included.

In an age of soaring uncertainty, small moments of connection – with ourselves and our planet – matter more than ever before. The 200 intimate portraits in this volume tell stories of courage, hardship and hope, across continents and through generations.

This beautiful publication explores the secret and intimate world of the miniature painted portrait. The art of painting in miniature has a long history dating back to Tudor times. The medium attracted many skilled and famous artists, whose works have been treasured by successive generations. The works included are from the collection of Daphne Foskett (1911-1998). They are exquisite works of great skill and delicate paintings by the leading exponents of the art working in Britain during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Daphne Foskett is a universally acknowledged authority on the subject of miniatures.

“Ms. Ruttenberg’s latest efforts make her a force to contend with as a narrator and symbolist, a form maker and colorist.” – Roberta Smith, New York Times The Nature of the Beast is a comprehensive retrospective of artist Kathy Ruttenberg’s work in the past six years including ceramics, drawings, and watercolors. With text by curator and art historian Charles Stuckey, the book also features a tour of her eccentric estate and studio in upstate New York where pigs, rabbits, chickens, and goats roam free. Her most recent show at Stux Gallery in Manhattan for the Fall of 2014 culminate in a conversation between Ruttenberg and Sir John Richardson which is also featured.

Jaime Fernandes was born in 1899, in a small village, near one of the most unspoiled and rebellious rivers of Portugal, the River Zêzere. He grew up in an idyllic rural landscape, a crossing site with a geography of fertile lands, where gold, wolfram, and tin were extracted from its entrails. A small rural landowner, he married and watched over his five children up to 38 years of age, when he entered Miguel Bombarda Lunatic Asylum in Lisbon, 300 km from his village.

He is the most important Portuguese author of art invented in a psychiatric asylum context. About ninety drawings in ink, lead pencil, and ballpoint pen on paper, of varied sizes and quality, are known.

His artistic activity, entirely lacking the supervision of any visual art atelier, was encouraged by his hospital psychiatrist, who collected most drawings by Jaime. The crudeness of these drawings impresses the unwitting observer: they are anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations — cattle, goats, elephants, fish, and birds. The human figures burst through as bodies are placed on hold, arms in the air, eyes wide open that observe, others, sometimes, appear merged with animals. Jaime practiced drawing and wrote lengthy semantically indecipherable texts, in a singular calligraphy, where time is set in long numbers.

He did this solely motivated by the pure pleasure gained from this slow exercise of revisiting his memories. In that pleasure, he would have acquired a taste for the imaginary, the world of dreams and fantasies of creation, of being cherished by all who participated in the portraits that he gave us to observe. Jaime died in Lisbon in 1969.

Text in English and French.

This book collects Li Qiang’s classic photographs from 1981 to the present with three chapters: Northern Homeland, Distant Memory, and City Encounter. Li Qiang applies black and white images to record the changes in the lifestyle and cultural landscape of this era, from his hometown of Liyaoxian in northern Shaanxi to Xi’an, where he works and lives, and then to Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau in the south. These photographs record the social landscape of the current accelerated industrialization and urbanization, criticize the destruction of nature and original civilization, and pay attention to the state of individual existence. This deep humanistic sentiment is placed in every frozen moment, allowing us to refocus on the freshness and touching of daily life that has long been common place. Li’s influence on contemporary photography is not only reflected in his absolute adherence to his own aesthetic system, but also in his personal understanding between his hometown and modernity, and between himself and the times, providing a unique path for the innovation and expression of photographic language. 

a+u’s April issue, guided by guest editors Ko Nakamura, Keigo Kobayashi, and Mamiko Miyahara, investigates the interconnection of architecture and food. Food insecurity is a major challenge that cities face in the Anthropocene that architects and urbanists must rise to meet. Presenting more than 20 projects of varying scales, this issue highlights alternative strategies that architecture and urban design may adopt in the urgent effort to address this shared global burden. Five key themes – New Ways of Production, Globalism and National Strategies, In Community, Meeting the City, and Exploring Food Space – organize the projects. Real-time examples, such as Vertical Urban Farm, reveal possible directions that could be followed, while other projects interrogate existing notions, like Floating Farm Dairy, which aims to reintegrate isolated industrial harbor spaces with the rest of the city by introducing space for animal husbandry. Food is an integral part of not only basic survival but also of fostering community and the conviviality of the built realm. Thus, architecture acts as the crucible where agricultural innovation, forms, community action, and environmental sustainability meet.

Text in English and Japanese.

Master printmaker Liu Chunjie is renowned for his beautiful woodcut art. Born to land reclamation workers in Heilongjiang Province’s 856 Farm, Lui began life in a remote part of China that was deemed to be a place of cultural exile. But it is here that a vibrant chapter in the history of contemporary Chinese printmaking, known as Beidahuang Prints, was born.

Living and breathing woodcut art, Liu takes the reader on a personal journey through his life’s work. Written in beautiful poetic prose, Liu describes how his art and the techniques he uses have developed over time, culminating in a stunning body of work that has made him the celebrated artist he is today.

Having experimented with colored ink, installation art and mixed-media painting, it is the spirit of woodcut that remains the foundation of Liu’s art. Using ancient tools and materials, he creates works that embody modern concepts, elevating the essence of woodcut art to a new level.

In 2006, Laurent de Wurstemberger founded the Atelier ar-ter in Carouge with two partners, and in 2011, along with the material scientist Rodrigo Fernandez, the company Terrabloc, which turns excavated material from construction sites into compacted clay blocks. In 2018, he opened his architectural practice in Geneva and has since completed a number of smaller, more sophisticated projects, including the renovation of a farm in Choully (GE).

Text in English and German.

Master printmaker Liu Chunjie is renowned for his beautiful woodcut art. Born to land reclamation workers in Heilongjiang Province’s 856 Farm, Lui began life in a remote part of China that was deemed to be a place of cultural exile. But it is here that a vibrant chapter in the history of contemporary Chinese printmaking, known as Beidahuang Prints, was born.

Living and breathing woodcut art, Liu takes the reader on a personal journey through his life’s work. Written in beautiful poetic prose, Liu describes how his art and the techniques he uses have developed over time, culminating in a stunning body of work that has made him the celebrated artist he is today.

Having experimented with colored ink, installation art and mixed-media painting, it is the spirit of woodcut that remains the foundation of Liu’s art. Using ancient tools and materials, he creates works that embody modern concepts, elevating the essence of woodcut art to a new level.

Rembrandt in a red beret: the vanishings and reappearances of a self-portrait follows the fortunes of a fascinating painting along two lines. First is the history of the painting as a precious collector’s object, a story almost too unlikely to be true. In 1823 it was bought by the future King Willem II as one of his first purchases for the greatest collection of paintings ever assembled by a Dutch individual. For nearly a hundred years it remained with his heirs, coming to Weimar. Then, in 1921 it was stolen from the Weimar Museum, to turn up in 1945 in Dayton, Ohio, owned by a man who said he bought it in 1934 from a German sailor on the New York waterfront. What followed is revealed in this book for the first time, based on declassified U.S. government information. In 1947 the U.S. government seized the Rembrandt under such strict terms that 20 years later, when it wanted to return it to Germany, it was forced to go into legislative and diplomatic gymnastics to do so. Upon its return, an heir to the Weimar title sued for its restitution, and after seven years of one trial after another, she got it. She sold it in 1983 to the private collector who still owns it. Since 1921 it has been on public display only for 10 days in Dayton (1947) and 10 weeks in Washington (1967). The book also traces the critical history of the painting as a Rembrandt. In 1969 his authorship was disputed by Horst Gerson, an opinion that was seconded by the Rembrandt Research Project. Examining all the evidence and arguments, the eminent Rembrandt specialist Gary Schwartz comes to the conclusion that there is no reason not to accept the painting for what it looks like – a self-portrait of the great master, painted by his own hand.

The Lake District delights its visitors with a series of superlatives: England’s largest national park, highest mountain, deepest lakes and now a new World Heritage status. One of Britain’s best-loved and most visited locations unveils its secrets. This unusual guidebook explores 111 of the area’s most interesting places, it leaves the well-trodden paths to find the unknown: marvel at a stained glass window which inspired the American flag, let others flock to Hill Top while you explore Beatrix Potter’s holiday home, walk through ancient forest to talk to fairies and swim with immortal fish. Pause to wonder at a stunning lake where a President proposed, view a constellation of stars like nowhere else, find out why exotic spices are used in local cuisine.

New Zealand, also known as Aotearoa, the “Land of the Long White Cloud” in the indigenous language, offers breathtaking scenery. In our mind’s eye we see high snow-capped mountains alternating with green valleys, while the sea holds up a mirror to all of this. Ever since Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings we have come to expect a hobbit or an elf behind every rock. In reality, however, we mostly encounter sheep, although their number is constantly decreasing.

This volume of CURVES focuses on another, lesser-known New Zealand attraction: the incredible roads that can be found across the North and South Islands. Spectacular views are guaranteed here, as the panorama could hardly be more varied. Soulful driving is included! And if you need to reset your head full of impressions, there are numerous picturesque towns ready to recharge your batteries. Join Stefan Bogner on his tour of discovery through New Zealand!

Text in English and German.

Cycling has never lost its appeal. Alongside mass-produced models, the craftsmanship of bespoke bicycle makers has emerged to satisfy the passion of people who ride bikes as a means of daily transport, as a sport and for recreation. This book by passionate cyclists Christine Elliott and David Jablonka is the product of a worldwide search for the most influential custom bicycle makers on the planet. The result is a presentation of a wonderful collection of expertly honed, human-powered machines, built by some of the most creative bicycle makers in the world. It highlights the range of techniques, materials, design elements, and dedication that go into producing a custom handmade bicycle. It is guaranteed to take you on the ride of your life. Bicycle brands featured include: Anderson Custom Bicycles, Baum Cycles, Bilkeny Cycle Works, Black Sheep Bikes, Bob Brown Cycles, Bohemian Cycles, Bruce Gordon Cycles, Calfee Design, Columbine Cycle Works, Crisp Titanium, Cycles Alex Singer, Cyfac, Davidson Handbuilt Bicycles, Don Walker Cycles, GURU Bikes, Independent Fabrication, Ira Ryan Cycles, Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles, Keith Anderson Cycles, Kirk Frameworks, Kish Fabrication, Llewelyn Custom Bicycles, Lynskey, Marschall Framework, Moots, Naked Bicycles and Design, Pegoretti, Richard Sachs Cycles, Roark Custom Titanium Bicycles, Robin Mather, Signal Cycles, Steve Potts Bicycles, Strawberry, Sweet Pea Cycles, Vanilla Bicycles, Vendetta Cycles, Vicious Cycles, Wolfhound Cycles. Also available: Racing Bicycles ISBN: 9781864704822

The book presents a significantly curated cross-section of the textile treasures offered by Varanasi. It combines the past and the present, linking them to different moments in the city’s history, and makes a powerful case for rediscovering, preserving and patronizing these textile treasures that are inextricably bound to the ancient aura of the city. Jaya Jaitly, emphasizes the need to acknowledge the beauty of Varanasi’s textiles emerging out of age-old traditions and techniques. She highlights the danger of the loss of livelihoods and highly sophisticated skills. She expresses concern over erosion of identity and importance in the wake of machine-made imitations being produced in other parts of the world that has already begun.

A unique insight into the ways in which one of today’s leading artists is inspired by great works of the past. In 16 emphatically modern new paintings, renowned artist, Alison Watt, responds to the remarkable delicacy of the female portraits by eighteenth-century Scottish portraitist, Allan Ramsay. Watt’s new works are particularly inspired by Ramsay’s much-loved portrait of his wife, along with less familiar portraits and drawings. Watt shines a light on enigmatic details in Ramsay’s work and has created paintings which hover between the genres of still life and portraiture. In conversation with curator Julie Lawson, Watt discusses how painters look at paintings, explains why Ramsay inspired her, and provides unique insight into her own creative process. Andrew O’Hagan responds to Watt’s paintings with a new work of short fiction and art historian Tom Normand’s commentary explores further layers of depth to our understanding of both artists.

This volume marks the publishing debut of the Spanish-Argentinian photographer based in Milan, Patricio Reig, and introduces one of the artist’s preferred subjects: the female portrait.

Patricio Reig prints and sets his images on special oriental paper, folded over and over, and finally dipped in a bath of coffee and sodium thiosulfate. He has found the result intriguing ever since his very first experiments: fortuitous coffee stains become scars that denote each photograph, and consequently every story they tell.
As he himself says: “A portrait is not the recording of a single identity, but rather the layering of many elements. For this reason, the image may be fragmented, pieced back together, or even folded over, and yet it never loses its essence.” 

Text in English, French and Spanish.

The Konyaks – a once fearsome headhunting tribe in Nagaland on the border of Myanmar in northeast India – are well known for their iconic body and facial tattoos, originally earned for taking an enemy’s head. This book – over four years in the making – is the personal journey of a Konyak woman who retraces the steps of her grandfather and great-grandfather by documenting her tribe’s tattooing practices. She explores the Konyak’s concept of beautification of the body using it as a canvas for art, with inscriptions marked on the skin as a form of rite of passage and cycle of life. With elegant and powerful portraits of elders, both men and women, this book preserves the unique but vanishing practices of the culture, together with tattoo patterns, their meanings, and the oral traditions attached to them in folktales, songs, poems and sayings. It includes descriptions and information on headhunting and tattooing practices; reasons behind them; techniques used; tattoo artists; different tattoo groups; types of tattoos; and personal stories. Contents: The Konyaks; Headhunting; Traditional Tattooing Art; Tattoo Artist; Face Tattoo Group SHEN-TU; Body Tattoo Group TANGTA-TU; Nose Tattoo Group KONG-TU; The Last of the Tattooed Headhunters; Glossary.

The Mauritshuis has ten paintings by Rembrandt. The most famous is undoubtedly The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, but just as popular are Simeon’s Song of Praise, Portrait of an Old Man and Self-Portrait, one of the last which the Master painted. In this playfully designed book, the paintings and their distinctive features are conveyed in an accessible manner. A large number of detailed images capture Rembrandt’s extraordinary painting technique from close by: the quick brushstrokes, the crisscrossing in wet paint and the carefully placed dabs and jabs. The recent restoration of three Rembrandts at the Mauritshuis also receives special attention.

David Bailly’s Vanitas Still Life with Portrait of a Young Painter earned him a prominent place in art history. Almost 400 years after it was made, the painting – a masterpiece that raises all kinds of questions – continues to fascinate art historians. Is this a self-portrait? What do all the objects in the painting refer to? And who is the mysterious woman whose image appears against the wall? This book subjects the painting and the artist to a thorough examination. Bailly lived in Leiden, at the same time as Rembrandt. He painted and drew portraits and still lifes. This book considers his life and work together for the first time and presents the results of a technical investigation that has revealed the hidden layers in his most important masterpiece.

Gertrude Vernon, or Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, was an English woman who married a Scot. The American artist John Singer Sargent excelled as a painter in Europe. His portrait of Lady Agnew was painted in London but has found its definitive home in Edinburgh. All these contexts converge in a supremely beautiful painting which is one the icons of the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland.

Created in the 1890s, it proved to be a seminal work in the lives of the artist and his subject and has enjoyed a rich afterlife, inspiring artistic and written responses. This book offers a fascinating biography of this most accomplished, evocative and admired of portraits, placing it in the context of Sargent’s career and how he worked, discussing the life of the sitter and unveiling the picture’s rich critical history.

Martha Bibescu (Bucharest, 1886 – Paris, 1973) was one of the greatest and most representative protagonists of the extraordinary world of the Belle Époque, of which Paris, which became her adopted city, was the capital. Linked to the most important political and intellectual personalities of the time, from the kings of Romania to King Alfonso XIII of Spain, from Charles de Gaulle to Winston Churchill and Marcel Proust, Martha intertwined her life with that of the sculptor and architect Domenico Rupolo (Caneva, 1861-1945), the creator of the radical modernization, lasting almost twenty-five years, of the Bibescu palace in Mogoșoaia. To crown the profound association that bound him to Martha, Rupolo executed the hitherto unpublished marble portrait of her in 1933, on which this volume focuses. This face emerging enigmatically from the marble, a paradigm of the art and culture of an entire era, is a remarkable and unexpected addition to the portraiture of one of the most popular women of the 20th century.

Text in English and Italian. 

Between 1978 and 1987, renowned British photographer Derek Ridgers captured London youth culture in all its glory. With skinheads, punks and new romantics, in clubs and on the street, his images have come to define a seminal decade of British subculture.

This completely reimagined edition of 78/87 London Youth showcases a fresh selection of those images from the depths of Ridgers’ exceptional archive – including several previously unseen – beautifully printed and bound in an oversized volume.

Each picture is a tribute to the trials and triumphs of youth, and a precious document of style and culture in 1980s England, from the height of punk to the birth of acid house. Several have been exhibited internationally in cities as far-ranging as Moscow, Adelaide and Beverly Hills, in the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Somerset House. Ridgers has also collaborated with a number of major fashion houses, including Saint Laurent and Gucci, and his images continue to inspire photographers, artists and fashion designers around the world.

‘As time passes, this kind of observational photography attains a new importance’ – Sean O’Hagan, The Observer

‘Ridgers’ portraits of young boys and girls are weighted with a raw poetry and beauty’ – Cory Reynolds, artbook.com