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Featuring more than 150 treasures from several of the world’s most prestigious collections, Making Marvels explores the vital intersection of art, technology, and political power at the courts of early modern Europe. It was there, from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, that a remarkable outpouring of creativity and learning gave rise to exquisite objects that were at once beautiful works of art and technological wonders. By amassing vast, glittering collections of these ingeniously crafted objects, princes flaunted their wealth and competed for mastery over the known world. More than mere status symbols, however, many of these marvels ushered in significant advancements that have had a lasting influence on astronomy, engineering, and even international politics. Incisive texts by leading scholars situate these works within the rich, complex symbolism of life at court, where science and splendor were pursued with equal vigor and together contributed to a culture of magnificence.
Stunning portraits by the renowned Renaissance artist illuminate fascinating figures from the European merchant class, intellectual elite, and court of King Henry VIII. Nobles, ladies, scholars, and merchants were the subjects of Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98–1543), an inventive German artist best known for his dazzling portraits. Holbein developed his signature style in Basel and London amid a rich culture of erudition, self-definition, and love of luxury and wit before becoming court painter to Henry VIII. Accompanying the first major Holbein exhibition in the United States, this catalogue explores his vibrant visual and intellectual approach to personal identity. In addition to r...
This book provides an introduction to the concept of cultural memory, offering a comprehensive overview of its history, forms and functions.
New translations of classic French fables.
The history of design in Italy is explored in this authoritative and comprehensive work. Design periods include the era of Piranesi, the eclecticism of the 19th century, the futurism of the early 20th century, the dogmatic fascism of the interwar period, the designs of Pier Luigi Nervi and on to the present day.
Lavishly illustrated, this book thoughtfully presents and discusses architectural images which both derive from and inspire the act of building. Beautiful illustrations fill the pages, paying tribute to the process of image-making as an exercise of the imagination. Also covered are techniques for composing architectural images, including how to employ the best media and graphic devices, and more. 157 b&w illus., 50 color illus.
A revelatory history of the first artist collective in the United States and its effort to reshape nineteenth-century art, culture, and politics The American Pre-Raphaelites founded a uniquely interdisciplinary movement composed of politically radical abolitionist artists and like-minded architects, critics, and scientists. Active during the Civil War, this dynamic collective united in a spirit of protest, seeking sweeping reforms of national art and culture. Painting Dissent recovers the American Pre-Raphaelites from the margins of history and situates them at the center of transatlantic debates about art, slavery, education, and politics. Artists such as Thomas Charles Farrer and John Henr...
Focusing exclusively on examples from the 16th century, the great age of Italian drawing, this stunning volume, published to accompany an early-1994 exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, includes 124 prized works from The Metropolitan, the Pierpont Morgan Library, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and some 20 private collections in New York. The catalogue is organized by school and, within each section, chronologically by artist. Each drawing is illustrated and presented with a discussion that places it in the context of the artist's career and explores the purpose for which it was made. Paper edition (unseen), $35. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
This travel guide to Antarctica provides information necessary to visitors on all budgets, including advice on getting there, accommodation, local cuisine, places to visit, language tips, and health and safety. This edition includes a section on Antarctic wildlife and tips on choosing a tour.
Shortly before Gauguin made his first Tahitian journey in 1891, he spent nearly two years in the remote Breton fishing village of Le Pouldu. Seeking creative isolation in a "primitive" setting, he pursued his art accompanied by several followers. One of them was the Dutch painter Meyer de Haan, who was able to pay the living expenses in Le Pouldu and was also knowledgeable in literary and philosophical matters that fascinated Gauguin. Their association resulted in some of Gauguin's most remarkable works, including the Wadsworth Atheneum's symbolist portrait of de Haan inscribed "Nirvana." This and the rich variety of paintings and sculpture by Gauguin produced in 1889-90 are the focus of thi...