The art of Sonabai Rajawar is entirely unique: it has no precedent. Sonabai’s story expresses the capacity of human beings everywhere to meet their challenges head-on and to draw from deep within their inner resources the strength and insight to change their lives. Sonabai found ways to transform her oppressive environment into expressions of courage, beauty and joy in living. Although her artistic voice was singular, her message was global. Sonabai is one of the self-taught artists of India, a country where encrusted traditions overlay one another in a complexity that defies full comprehension. She created an entirely new artistic expression, an art form never seen before in India, a world of color, light and whimsy all her own. Contents:
Foreword; Preface; Puhputra; Sonabai; Legacy; A personal view; Acknowledgements.

Delhi Then and Now comprises two masterful essays that trace the story of Delhi from the days when it was known by other names Indraprastha, Firozabad, Dinpanah to its reincarnation as New Delhi. Historian Narayani Gupta takes us through the city of Sultans, Mughal emperors and viceroys, while journalist Dilip Bobb shows us the face of New Delhi as it is now. A rich portfolio of archival photographs and illustrations, together with vibrant new pictures, edited by Pramod Kapoor, capture Delhi in all its glory past and present.

Delhi Then – A city of empires and dynasties, Delhi through the ages has evoked nostalgia of its history written on the red sandstone walls. From Quila Rai Pithora to the palace on Raisina Hill, the changing face of Delhi is remarkably discernible in these photographs – a special collection that give words to the spoken and unspoken history of this city. Delhi Now – A city of dreams and desires, Delhi’s urban landscape is incomplete without the stones of seven ancient cities which give it a distinct meaning, a distinct outlook. A modern city on the move, the colors and digital vibrancy of the photographs capturing Delhi in all moods and moments, is as imposing as the grand old structures of yesteryears. A twin city of old-world charm and new extravagance, Delhi has evolved through the ages and is looking forward to an era that will be remembered down the ages.

This is the exceptionally rich story of Rembrandt’s fame and influence in Britain. No other nation has witnessed such a passionate – and sometimes eccentric – enthusiam for Rembrandt’s works. His imagery has become ubiquitous, making him one of the most recognised artists in history. In this book, some of the world’s leading experts reveal how the taste for Rembrandt’s paintings, drawings and prints evolved, growing into a mania that gripped collectors and art lovers across the country. This reached a fever pitch in the late 1700s, before the dawn of a new century ushered in a re-evaluation of Rembrandt’s reputation and opportunities for the wider public to see his masterpieces for themselves.

The story of Rembrandt’s profound and inspirational impact on the British imagination is illustrated by over 130 sumptuous works by the master himself, as well as by some of Britain’s best-loved artists, including William Hogarth, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Eduardo Paolozzi and John Bellany.

Foreword; Introduction; 1 Rembrandt’s Fame in Britain, 1630 1900: An Overview- Christian Tico Seifert; 2 Rembrandt and Britain: The Modern Era – Patrick Elliott; 3 ‘The Finest Possible State’: Cataloguing and Collecting Rembrandt’s Prints, c.1700 1840 – Stephanie S. Dickey; 4 From Studio to Academy: Copying Rembrandt in Eighteenth-century Britain – Jonathan Yarker; 5 Regarding Rembrandt: Reynolds and Rembrandt – Donato Esposito; 6 Rembrandt: Paragon of the Etching Revival – Peter Black; 7 Rembrandt and Britain: A ‘Picture Flight’ in Three Stages, 1850 1930 – M.J. Ripps; Catalogue; Bibliography.

This absorbing introduction to the story of Rembrandt s rampant fame and influence in Britain is filled with beautiful images. The story of ‘Rembrandt mania’ began in 18th-century Britain with passionate, and often eccentric, collectors acquiring artworks by any and every means. As the craze for Rembrandt ebbed and flowed, each new wave of enthusiasm brought him ever-greater fame and influence, and collectors became increasingly ingenious. This master’s impact not only on collectors and the public but also on British artists over the last four centuries is explored, with lavish paintings, drawings and prints from artists such as Henry Raeburn, Joshua Reynolds and James Abbott McNeill Whistler shown alongside some of Rembrandt’s most famous masterpieces.

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was the Chief of the Indian Army from 1969 to 1973. This book is a reflection on Sam, his character traits, sense of humor, moral and professional courage and the enigma that made up his personality. It presents a unique insight to his thinking and his style of dealing with a spectrum of situations from the sublime to the mundane. Above all, it portrays his humility, his honesty and his respect for men in uniform, regardless of rank. The book is anecdotal and an easy read as it walks you through his life from childhood to the pinnacle of glory. The political canvas, woven lightly into this very personal story, highlights how a brilliant military strategist shaped the destiny of the Indian subcontinent. Family photographs, copies of citations, handwritten notes and personal correspondence make this book a treasure to read and acquire.

One of the best known works of Mir Mosharraf Hossain, Bishad Sindhu (Ocean of Melancholy) is an epic historical novel centered around events that led to the battle of Karbala and its aftermath. The book revolves around the tragic story of Hassan and Hussein, grandsons of the great Prophet Muhammad, who were exterminated by their bitter enemy Yazid, the son of the king of Damascus, for his desire for Zainab – Hassan’s beautiful wife – and his greed for the throne of Medina. The plot is dramatic, has a mythical undertone to it, and deeds of heroism and supernatural occurrences render an epic flavor to its narrative. The storyline explores the sufferings and agonies of human life and the covetousness and hatred of men, and, at the same time, imparts a historical background to the bloodbath and killings that took place in Karbala, Iraq on the 10th of October, AD 680. Contents: A Short Biography of Mir Mosharraf Hossain; Translator’s Introduction; The Language of Bishad Sindhu; The Indian Connection; Prologue; Muharram Parva: The Story of Muharram; Chapter I to Chapter XXVI; Uddhar Parva: Operation Rescue; Chapter I to Chapter III; Chapter IV to Chapter XXX (Summary); Yazid Badh Parva: The Slaying of Yazid; Chapter I to Chapter V (Summary); Epilogue; Translator’s Acknowledgements.

Fifteen years ago, Eduardo Mencos (farmer, landscape designer and photographer) and Charles Quest-Ritson (historian, writer, journalist and editor) conceived the idea of going on a trip around the world, like Jules Verne, but with the olive tree playing the leading role. The outcome of that adventure through 26 countries is this book, which tells the story of humankind through the olive tree and its fruit. In the book, the authors take an in-depth look at a tree that is so familiar to us all and yet still remains so much of a mystery in terms of its many different guises.

With over 200 spectacular photographs taken by Eduardo Mencos, accompanied by an erudite text written by Charles Quest-Ritson, the book sweeps through the manifold manifestations of the olive tree and its distinguishing traits. It covers the origin and later domestication of the tree, all of the different roles it has played and the significance it has had at different times throughout history, its importance in the Bible, right through to the most innovative contemporary methods used today for growing and cloning olive trees, together with the prominent place it holds in the Mediterranean diet and its different uses.

The intention of this long journey is to awaken a vision of the olive tree that is imbued with beauty, poetry and curiosity.

This updated fourth edition of a classic book shows the Antinori Winery, located in the extraordinary hilly landscape covered by the vineyards of Chianti, halfway between Florence and Siena. The client required a building that enhanced the surrounding landscape and territory, and bore witness to the cultural and social valence of the places where wine is made.

The conceptual theme of the project has taken the form of a shell that is wholly below ground, without roofs, walls, streets and parking spaces, according to a design which attempts a difficult but necessary reconcilement between the natural and the artificial. It is precisely the story of this constant research, of the indispensable connection between architecture and landscape, which represents the fulcrum on which the whole of this book pivots.

Hundreds of photographs have immortalized years of work on the site, telling the story of all the phases that have made it possible to realize this extraordinary project. The images, along with numerous technical drawings on every scale, critical and descriptive texts, illustrate the design process that has led to the construction of a new landscape.

These pages tell the story without words of a journey through Spain in which the author, the photographer Fernando Manso, visited unknown and hidden corners and captured them on the plates of his large-format camera. From the remotest parts of Galicia to those of Almería, he passed through coasts, deserts and mountains, stopping at old churches, ghostly castles or majestic cathedrals, in forests and gorges, at natural pools and salt mines, and at cemeteries, Arab baths and hermitages carved out of the rock.

Fernando has made the light of these places into the leading figure of his journey. His is a different light, as he has relinquished blue skies and brilliant sunshine, often the stuff of clichés, to make way for visions of places that appear to us with such intimate truth that even if we know them, we can barely recognize them. This is thanks to his technique, his art and the patience with which he waits for the light.

Fernando’s luxury is being able to use all the time in the world to draw us into an artistic heritage that is sometimes secret and hard to reach, and which the viewer has to know how to see. He reveals these places, often in danger of disappearing, after detailed investigation. Both architecture and landscape – for he knows that natural scenery is also a major patrimony that has to be affectionately preserved and protected from speculation – belong to all of us, and we are responsible for their care. We must be aware of this.

The result of that trip is this publication, with beautiful images in reproductions of exceptional quality that present us with a vision of Spain in a different light.

Written jointly by Graham Watts and Woranuj (Laem) Maneerungsee, both journalists in Thailand, in Thai and English under the pen name Tamlin Bea. This book draws on the famous Thai epic poem and imagines two young teenagers magically transported into the story of The Ramekin.

Totsaken lands two contemporary Thai teenagers in the bewildering world of The Ramakien, in which Prince Ram, assisted by the wily Hanuman and his monkey army, seek to rescue Ram’s wife Sida from the clutches of the Demon King. In this telling, they cannot do it without the help of the children, a girl with near superpower martial arts skills and a boy with nerdish technical skills and the courage of a lion. In the process they have to defend their own world from the rage of the Demon King.

Totsaken is a fast-paced and exhilarating novel requiring no prior knowledge of the poem but brings the Thai epic vividly to life for a new generation. It’s a fantastical, gripping and exhilarating novel.

The photo-tear-off-calendar will delight us again every day in 2025 with an ­instant photo and its own little story. ­­The front side of the calendar page always presents an instant picture in original size, on the back side is a short text about the origin of the photo as well as ­information about the photographer and the used film used. 

Sharing this story was not something that Christopher Capozziello ever set out to do, but, over the years, one picture has led to another and a story has emerged. Capozziello says, “The time I have spent with my brother, looking through my camera, has forced me to ask questions about suffering and faith and why anyone is born with disability. Nick has cerebral palsy. Taking pictures has been a way for me to deal with the reality of having a twin brother who struggles through life in ways that I do not.” Capozziello’s photographs take us on a journey through his worries and inquiries, ending his debut book with a different sort of question: what comes next? Part two of the book is a journey he and his brother take across the United States. The work has been shown throughout the United States and has won 33 national and international awards. “The collection, titled The Distance Between Us, is both a brother’s touching tribute and Capozziello’s attempt to come to terms with the reality his brother lives and one from which he happened to be spared”. The Mail

Hand-In-Hand: Ceramics, Mosaics, Tapestries, and Wood Carvings by the California Mid-Century Designers Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman is the first monograph of the artists whose oeuvre was critically influential and is now seen as the epitome of California mid-century modernism. With a preface by Jonathan Adler, the book tracks the couple’s careers in the decorative arts from their beginnings to the creation of Jenev Design Studio and its eventual shift to ERA Industries, as well as their involvement in every prestigious California Design exhibition from 1954 to 1976. Additionally, after almost 30 years of work they continued to create and develop their styles. The Ackermans became known for their uses of a wide spectrum of mediums including weaving, ceramics, wood carvings, and mosaics. The Ackermans’ individualistic and innovative techniques also ensured that great design be both accessible and affordable. Featuring many never-before-seen preparatory drawings and color guides, this book tells the heartening story of a successful collaboration and celebrated partnership, in not only design, but in life.

Tel Aviv is colorful and cosmopolitan, a city full of contrasts and flavors. Boker Tov brings this atmosphere and delicious Israeli streetfood directly to your kitchen. The funky recipes offer a wide variety of fresh herbs and greens, refreshing tastes and spices. Learn how to make typical Middle Eastern dishes, such as baba ganoush and labneh, but also sabich (a pita bread with fried aubergine), tasty dips and Fattoush salad.

A paragon of modern design, this book charts the history, rise and fall of the world’s best-selling patented teapot.

The extraordinary story of the renowned potter and educationalist David Leach, from his birth in Tokyo in 1911 to his international acclaim at Lowerdown Pottery, Devon.

From Atoms to Patterns tells the intriguing story of the Festival Pattern Group – a unique collaboration between scientists and designers at the Festival of Britain. Conceived by Dr Helen Megaw, a leading Cambridge crystallographer, and spearheaded by the Council of Industrial Design, the Festival Pattern Group co-opted diagrams of atomic structures for patterns on everyday products, including textiles, wallpapers, ceramics and glass. The result was a weird and wonderful collection of furnishings and accessories decorated with scientifically accurate crystal structure designs. Featuring numerous hitherto unpublished images and drawing on extensive new research, From Atoms to Patterns provides a definitive account of the Festival Pattern Group and explores the science behind the designs. Written by design historian and curator Lesley Jackson.

In 2005, to mark the first anniversary of the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean that took so many lives, the BBC commissioned Tew Bunnag, along with other authors from the affected countries, to write a short story to be broadcast on Radio 4. Tew wrote the moving Lek and Mrs. Miller. Exceptionally well-received he decided to write a collection of stories surrounding the Tsunami. These were inspired by his experiences working in the South of Thailand for an NGO helping and talking to those who were suffering from the aftermath, and who suffered the devastation at first hand and dealing with the loss of their families and friends, as well as, in some cases, their livelihoods. Though their themes are tied to the tragedy that took place the stories touch on universal issues that go beyond the actual event such as loss, recovery and continuation after a tragedy. The collection, published to commemorate the tsunami in 2004, is a deeply moving and poignant read for all contemporary fiction readers.

Composed over two thousand years ago, the Ramayana was transmitted to Southeast Asia in the first centuries CE. Over the years, it was adapted to suit local customs and traditions. The story of Rama’s exile with his wife Sita, her abduction by the evil ogre king Ravanna, her rescue and Rama’s triumphant return to Ayodhaya, was one which captured the imagination of the kings of Siam, Cambodia and the islands of the Indonesian archipelago. A story of the triumph of good over evil was then visualized in stone carvings, drama, shadow puppets and mural paintings. Among the latter, Thailand and Cambodia have the finest examples. In In the Shadow of Rama, long-standing expert in the Ramayana, Dr. Vittorio Roveda, examines the most beautiful examples still remaining to us. In Siam, we tour the famous murals of the Grand Palace in Bangkok and the intricacies of the shadow puppets, Nang Yai. In Cambodia, Roveda presents a special study of the delicate and expressive murals of Wat Bo, as well as commenting on the murals of the Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh. He also explains how in Siam the Ramayana became the Ramakien and in Cambodia the Reamker. This magnificent volume is the culmination of Vittorio Roveda’s 20 years of research and a visual feast for all those fascinated by the art of Southeast Asia.

Family of Migrants is inspired by the legendary exhibition Family of Man, an ode to humanity created by photographer and curator Edward Steichen, that opened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1955. At the time, Family of Man told the universal and timeless story of humanity. Family of Migrants will do the same, but with a focus on perhaps the most universal and timeless topic of all: migration.

This book features around 400 photographs and will show the most striking photography on the subject of migration, bringing together photographers and photos from all over the world. Old and new photos, made between the late 19th century and the present day, as well as color and black-and-white are shown side to side. The photos deal with topics such as departure, journey and arrival, and themes like family, loss and love. Together they show that the movement of people around the world is a timeless and universal phenomenon that shaped our world.

The book accompanies the inauguration of the FENIX museum in Rotterdam, April 2025.

Vincent van Gogh boarded the last train from The Hague to Hoogeveen on Tuesday, September 11, 1883. He stays there for several weeks, then moves to Nieuw-Amsterdam/Veenoord and visits Zweeloo. The landscape makes a deep impression on him. Everywhere around him he sees landscapes that remind him of the work of his great examples: the Dutch landscape painters of the 17th century, the 19th-century Barbizon School of France and his contemporaries of the Hague School. It inspired him to set to work himself. His period in Drenthe is an important moment in Van Gogh’s development as an artist that ultimately made him world famous. This book sheds new light on perhaps the least known chapter in Van Gogh’s life story.

“an excellent short book, which focusses in detail on a single work, a newly restored screen by William Bell Scott” — Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, Volume 29, 2024-2025, p.128

William Bell Scott’s screen, The King’s Quair, was commissioned by James Leathart, an important collector of Pre-Raphaelite art. The beautifully decorated folding screen took as its inspiration The Kingis Quair, a 15th-century Scots poem attributed to James I of Scotland. Depicting key scenes from the king’s 18-year imprisonment in Windsor Castle, it is adorned by exquisite botanical details and gold leaf.

Split into three parts, this book reveals the history of the screen’s commission, details the remarkable imagery of the screen itself, and finally situates the screen in its historical context by explaining the fascinating personal relationships that were the backdrop to its creation, including Scott’s relationship with the artist and heiress Alice Boyd.

Drawing together the chivalric medieval tale of an imprisoned, love-struck king with the vibrancy of the Pre-Raphaelite social circles in which Scott moved, the reader is given a vivid picture of how this captivating artwork was created. Illustrated with new photography of the screen, this book is a vital new part of the story of British, as well as Scottish art.