Rabindranath Tagore: His World of Art focuses on the artist’s world, including cultural influence, visual development and use of color both in his art and in his writing. It features his work in the context of German Expressionism, his role in the development of a modern art in India, his idea of aesthetics and its introduction into Santiniketan as well as accounts of his exhibitions and his interaction with the global art world. This volume traces the course of the artist’s life; his paintings are discussed chronologically, his unique perspective is reflected throughout his writing, and has now been translated from Bengali into English. A brilliant insight into his life and influences and the impact that his work has within the international art scene.

“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: For all botanical artists aspiring to enter the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition and win a Gold Medal – and for all botanical art lovers everywhere. This book makes a major contribution to both the recording of contemporary botanical art and learning about how to produce top quality botanical art” – botanicalartandartists.com

Botanical Illustration: a genre of art that endeavours faithfully to depict and represent the form, color and detail of a plant. Abiding by this definition, the RHS Lindley Library has secured approximately 30,000 splendid illustrations of buds, fruit, flowers and leaves since they first started commissioning artists in 1806. RHS Botanical Illustration: The Gold Medal Winners represents a cross-section of recent gold medallists from around the world. The RHS only award their gold medal to the most outstanding exhibitions, encouraging the international artistic community to perform to the highest standard. This gold medal is a highly-coveted testament to an artist’s abilities, and the illustrations gathered in these pages demonstrate great attention to detail, masterful color work and outstanding technical skill. Insightful commentary on the artists’ creative process accompanies each picture. The perfect book for the lover of horticulture, as well as an excellent reference both for botanists and aspiring artists, this collection also includes an introductory essay that delves into the history of the RHS.

A new title in the Design series and an excellent introduction to the life and work of this versatile Russian artist. Alexander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (1891-1953) was a central figure in the Russian Constructivist art movement; a radical activist, a pioneer of photomontage, a theorist, and a teacher. He was an active force in the organization of the first museums of modern art that arose in Russia in the first years after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Attending art school in 1914 in Kazan was to be a defining influence: that year Russian Futurists performed in the town, and Rodchenko saw their leading figures in action. It transformed his vision and he was still working with Futurist artists and their ideas twenty-five years later. And it was at art school where Rodchenko first met the artist Varvara Stepanova, with whom he collaborated extensively, and who would become his life-long partner. Central in the re-examination of art and its place in society after the Revolution, and in the search for a new culture without the class implications of the past, Rodchenko’s radical approach proposed a new understanding of a constructed, rather than a tastefully composed, culture. This concise, comprehensive and informative work focuses largely on Rodchenko’s graphic work in the form of book jackets, posters and advertising. Also avaliable: Claud Lovat Fraser ISBN: 9781851496631 GPO ISBN: 9781851495962 Peter Blake ISBN: 9781851496181 FHK Henrion ISBN: 9781851496327 David Gentleman ISBN: 9781851495955 David Mellor ISBN: 9781851496037 E.McKnight Kauffer ISBN: 9781851495207 Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious ISBN: 9781851495009 El Lissitzky ISBN: 9781851496198 Festival of Britain 1951 ISBN: 9781851495337 Harold Curwen & Oliver Simon: Curwen Press ISBN: 9781851495719 Jan Le Witt and George Him ISBN: 9781851495665 Paul Nash and John Nash ISBN: 9781851495191 Abram Games ISBN: 9781851496778

El-Gazzar, born in 1925 in Alexandria, is a leading figure in modern Egyptian art of the 20th century. He enrolled in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1944 and then joined the Contemporary Art Group founded by Hussein Youssef Amin, his master. With an innovative and unique expressionist style, it portrays the people of Cairo in a folkloric way. Later, he tried his hand at abstraction by representing industrial machines and their effects on humans.

Recognized during his lifetime, the production of El-Gazzar was exhibited in France from 1949, at the Venice Biennale in 1952 and at the São Paulo Museum in 1953. Today, his works are in private collections in Cairo, Alexandria, Rome, Paris and Brussels, but also in major institutions around the world, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.

This catalogue raisonné, published in English, comprises two volumes. The first is dedicated to the artist’s paintings and the second to graphic works, archives and photographs. It brings an understanding of the enigmatic work of the artist, but also of modern Egyptian art in general.

“When you land on this book, if you do not yet have an appreciation of butterflies or Chan’s workmanship, after reading, it will leave you in awe of both.”—Beth Bernstein, Forbes
“When I was a young boy, butterflies were flying colours – I knew not their name. Then butterflies became the Butterfly Lovers: a tragedy, a love story, a symbol of eternal love. As I grew older, I found them to embody the words of a great philosopher: life is but a dream; only we need to decide whether we want it to be the dream of a man, or the dream of a butterfly. I could not decide, and so I became The Butterfly Man.” – Wallace Chan

Father of The Wallace Cut – an illusionary three-dimensional gemstone carving technique – and The Wallace Chan Porcelain – a ground-breaking material five times stronger than steel – Wallace Chan is a guiding light in the world of jewelry design. Always innovating, always testing boundaries with his materials and technique, Chan’s creations are as stunning as they are intricate. Compiled by jewelry experts, this book explores the cultural and personal significance of Wallace Chan’s most famous emblem: the butterfly.

Winged Beauty: The Butterfly Jewellery Art of Wallace Chan features approximately 30 of his finest pieces. Enter a butterfly house of colorful gems, with brooches and necklaces so delicate they might have flown down and alighted on the page.

Gilbert & George created Dark Shadow in 1974 as a ‘living sculpture book,’ the ‘result of our past three years of earnest daily thoughts, shadows, deeds, cares, and pleasures.’ Hurtwood’s limited re-edition of 2,000 marks its fiftieth anniversary.

Featuring original text and artwork by Gilbert & George, the publication offers an unparalleled perspective on the early career of one of the twentieth century’s most significant artistic duos. Like their art, Gilbert & George’s writing is irreverent, rebellious, often funny, and deeply poetic. The book includes a letter to their readers and photographs by the artists of themselves, their home in East London, and their pictures.

Dark Shadow is structured into eight chapters, which elaborate on the inspirations behind Gilbert & George’s work, such as London life and British culture, including, of course, Gordon’s Gin. As is emblazoned on the cover, Dark Shadow is a continuation of their lifelong agenda ‘Art for All’, and each book is a piece of art in itself, uniquely bound in the UK with hand-marbled cloth.

Hand-woven rugs from Persia are among the most exquisite art works ever created. In this fully revised edition of Persian Rugs, Essie Sakhai reveals recent discoveries that present us with a new understanding of this unique art. With hundreds of stunning new photographs, taken especially for this book, Sakhai takes us on a journey through Iran and beyond.
Beginning with the history and art of creating woven masterpieces, Persian Rugs goes on to present full-page examples of some of the most cherished and valuable rugs and carpets in the world. No two hand-woven carpets are the same, each with its own special property, beauty and quality. Sakhai has handpicked the most important of these and gives detailed explanations of how and why these art forms hold such singular and even mystical appeal. A new demand for original and ancient hand-woven pieces has increased their value greatly, leading to world-record prices being achieved at auction and important examples entering major museum collections around the world. 

Naoki Sasaki is a master of traditional and modern Japanese floral art. Sasaki was born into a family that has served for generations as Ikebana masters to the castel of the feudal Lord of Kimono. In the town of Kimono, where Sasaki has his flower business, the atmosphere of the Middle Ages is still alive. Sasaki was the winner of the Golden Leaf in the 0506 edition of the International Annual of Floral Art published by Stichting Kunstboek and now runs his own school. Naoki Sasaki, Japanese Contemporary Floral Art is richly illustrated, brilliantly reflecting the talent of this Japanese artist.

Anima Mundi is the catalog of the large collection of African art by Jan and Kristina Engels. For several years now they have been presenting their own private collection in their museum JAS (Jan aan de Stroom). It is a place where creativity, art and traditions meet. In the book you will discover beautiful photography of their collected art, accompanied by texts by specialist in African Art, François Neyt.

Text in English, French and Dutch.

Shafik Gabr started his collection of Orientalist art in 1993 by acquiring a painting by Ludwig Deutsch entitled Egyptian Priest Entering a Temple. His collection is today amongst the very few in the world to count such a large number of works by the famed Austrian artist as well as some of the finest examples of the greatest masters of Orientalism such as Jean-Léon Gérôme, Frederick Arthur Bridgman, Gustav Bauernfeind and many others. Important for both scholars and art lovers, the Shafik Gabr Collection impresses us with its richness and variety. It includes masterpieces by some of the major nineteenth and twentieth century Orientalists found in private hands today and demonstrates the owner’s appreciation of differences as well as similarities in European visions of the versatile and diverse Orient. The selection of paintings in this collection illustrates the owner’s evolving taste, his relationship with the world of Orientalism and his interest in its European expression. This Orientalist collection is a harmonious “kaleidoscope” of genres, presenting the Orient through a variety of forms, styles and techniques, and revealing to the European viewer the mysterious East with its bright colors, its exotic and leisurely lifestyle. Over the years, it has become one of the most complete and magnificent tributes dedicated to the world of Orientalism and as such some of the most renowned experts in this field have contributed to this book in order to mark its importance in the art world. Lavishly illustrated, Masterpieces of Orientalist Art: The Shafik Gabr Collection also includes essays by distinguished Orientalist scholars.

James VI & I, the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots, has often been overshadowed by the dramatic lives of his mother and son, Charles I. This book seeks to redress the balance by centering the first monarch to reign over both Scotland and England and uncovering the artistic treasures created during his extraordinary reign.

The cultural riches of James’s court are showcased, revealing his diverse roles as ruler, scholar, politician, father and patron of the arts. His court’s passion for jewelry and fine clothes is illustrated in the vivid portraits and miniatures by John de Critz and Nicholas Hilliard – just two of many artists and craftspeople who thrived in its artistic and intellectual climate.

Five richly illustrated chapters demonstrate James’s impact on early modern Britain, while reconsidering the reputation of a king traditionally presented as preferring hunting and drinking to the duties of daily governance. Packed with exquisite art works and sumptuous objects, this book brings James’s court vividly to life.

The study of art technology has gained importance in recent decades as a relevant source of information, not only for determining the material history of an art object, but also for contributing to cultural aspects concerning its creation and use: aesthetic, economic, social, religious, etc. Often the results of such investigations are carried out within a narrow discipline and are only made available within it. The success or failure of multidisciplinary approaches depends on the capacity to share information. Specialised researchers on sources relevant to the history, technology and production of art objects as a whole can overcome this obstacle – but under what disciplinary aegis? This volume contains papers in either English or Spanish which address these issues through case studies, paying special attention to methodology. Different types of art technological sources and the theory of source research are examined. While there is an emphasis on textual sources, an extensive range of subjects is covered.

Text in Spanish and English.

The Mossi people of Burkina Faso have a rich and complex history that is mirrored by the several types and styles of figures and masks they create. They came into being around 1500 A.D. when a large group of horsemen from what is now northern Ghana rode north into the valley of the Volta River and conquered the local farmers. The descendants of the conquering horsemen became the ruling class and used political art in the form of royal figures to validate their authority. Meanwhile the descendants of the conquered farmers became the spiritual class and made masks to represent the spirits of nature. The stylistic diversity of this art mirrors the several geographically divergent peoples who were conquered in 1500 and eventually became the Mossi we know today. Unlike several other West African peoples, the Mossi have not converted to Islam in large numbers, and so they continue creating brilliant art much as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. Until the 1980s there was much confusion about the accurate attribution of Mossi art to the people who created it. This book makes clear that the Mossi have continued to create brilliant art which they use to this day to express ideas about politics and religion.

The Norwegian Torbjørn Kvasbø (b. 1953) is considered a leading figure in the field of contemporary ceramic art. He exhibits regularly in Asia, Europe and the US and achieved a unique status as an artist and pioneer, and also as a teacher with widespread influence having been actively engaged in restructuring the art schools where he taught. The art historian Jorunn Veiteberg analyzes in this publication Kvasbø’s works from 1977 to the present day. Most critics have described his objects as forms inspired by nature, by lava eruptions or landscapes. Veiteberg is critical of this and sees them more as bodily expressions. Kerstin Wickmann, design historian and former professor at Konstfack in Stockholm, discusses Kvasbø’s twelve years as teacher in Stockholm and his influence on his students and the educational system.

Torbjørn Kvasbø’s work is represented in numerous international museums and private collections, such as the National Museum, Stockholm/SE, Designmuseum Danmark, Copenhagen/DK, The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo/NO, Auckland Institute and Museum/NZ, Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu Ceramics-Park Mino, Gifu/JP, World Ceramic Exposition/KOR, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia MO/US.

Text in English, Swedish & Norwegian.

Modern Painting in Egypt is an invitation to travel through the Egyptian art scene of the 20th century, highlighting several major painters, as well as their role in the construction of heritage culture of Egypt.

This edition brings up to date the book by Aimé Azar, a well-known specialist in modern Egyptian art. Published in 1961 by Éditions Nouvelles, it is now out of print. Augmented and enriched, this new edition in two volumes provides readers, a comprehensive understanding of this period of art history, through texts and iconography by great qualities. The book is divided into seven chapters, followed by more than 90 biographies of Egyptian artists and foreigners, presented in chronological order and covering 40 years of modern Egyptian art.

A corpus of more than 600 paintings and drawings adorns the book, to allow the reader to understand the essence of Egyptian painting, as well as the extent of its nuances. Translated and reprinted in Arabic in 2006, it is now published in English, in order to provide an international impetus to the subject.

The papers in this volume, presented at the Royal Institute of Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) in Brussels in November 2012, cover a wide range of works of art, periods, sources and approaches, from Dioscorides to contemporary artists’ installations. The theme of the conference is reflected in studies such as Tingely’s explosive Homage to New York, the evolutions and transformations of harpsichords in France in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the art of wax anatomical models in Spain, or neo-gothic polychromies. The confrontation of source research with experimental reconstruction and analysis are illustrated in the study of anthocyanin colorants in Medieval European illuminators workshop or of tempera paint around 1900. Research on artist’s materials, such as vermillion, zinc white or turpentine, refers to patents, inventories, diaries and chronicles. The interpretation and transmission of sources is central to several papers. Innovative databases on Art Technological Sources are also presented.

This is the second CATS Conference Proceedings with papers from the international conference: Technology & Practice: Studying 18th Century Paintings & Art on Paper. The conference was organized by CATS in collaboration with Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Science in Helsinki, Finland; Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden, and University of Oslo, Norway. The conference focused on artists’ techniques and materials, source research, conservation science, the history of science and technology, trade and pharmacy during the 18th century. Speakers explored tradition and changes in artistic practices in the light of the establishment of a series of national Art Academies in Europe throughout the century. Papers include topics such as workshop practice and materials, art historical and technical approaches to documentary evidence and technical examination and the analysis of paintings and drawings. Also issues of trade, supply and questions concerning the demand for materials for diverse artistic expressions are analysed and discussed.

Gemstones have always been, since time immemorial, heavily charged with meaning and have even been regarded as magical objects. For that reason they have also been an art medium since the early modern age and have shaped as art symbols – in the form of the crystal – both Romanticism and Modernism, for example in the works of Caspar David Friedrich, Lyonel Feininger and many more. In the latter half of the twentieth century, not only have such artists as Bernd Munsteiner, Ute Eitzenhöfer and Bernhard Schobinger rediscovered the gemstone; through the Hochschule für Edelstein und Schmuck Trier/Idar-Oberstein and other similar specialist institutions it is also undergoing a revival in today’s art production – right up to Damien Hirst.

Text in English and German.

“STRAAT Museum allows a wide audience to discover and understand the DNA of graffiti and street art, through an in-depth and unique contextualization perfectly fulfilled in Quote from the streets, its opening exhibition which is reproduced in this catalogue.” – Christian Omodeo

This catalog for the new international graffiti and street art museum in Amsterdam, STRAAT, features work created on-site by the greatest artists of today’s street art scene. STRAAT – Quote from the Streets tells the story of street art as a full-fledged art movement and explores the evolution of ‘art in the street’, in addition to the development of the new museum. The catalog is above all a feast for the eyes, with many full-page images of the best street art talent from around the world.

Welcome to the vibrant world of Maria Gabriela Brito, the New York-based interior designer, tastemaker, and authority on mixing contemporary art with home decoration. Venezuelan-born and Harvard-educated, Brito has demystified the art of art collecting, with the objective of creating stunning, unique, and personal spaces, through her company Lifestyling® by Maria Gabriela Brito. A fascinating look into Brito’s personal experiences, and an insider’s guide to designing interiors and developing an art collection, Out There: Design, Art, Travel, Shopping presents with insight, humor, and flair the inspirations behind Brito’s work and interests. Featuring highlights of her favorite contemporary artists, photographs of eight New York City apartments that she designed, and an extensive Address Book of Brito’s favorite galleries, shops, and hotels worldwide, Out There is a fresh and exclusive look behind the scenes of a passionate and exciting new design authority.

The vibrant collection of floral design compiled in this festive tenth edition of the International Floral Art is once again testimony to the boundless nature of our human imagination. Each arrangement is a one-off expression of creativity, showcasing the beauty and diversity of flowers through very individual perspectives. About 120 talented international floral designers share their finest works, inviting us into their personal worlds filled with breathtaking and expressive blooms. From bold and dramatic displays to delicate and intricate designs, these artists welcome us into a floral wonderland where creativity knows no bounds.