Art & Photography

Although often associated with the key figures of Belgian Symbolism, Leon Spilliaert in fact demonstrated a peculiarly individual (read more)

Although often associated with the key figures of Belgian Symbolism, Leon Spilliaert in fact demonstrated a peculiarly individual style. Born in Ostend, he worked there for most of his career. An introvert and insomniac who suffered from poor health as a young man, Spilliaert wandered the night-time streets of the North Sea resort, creating mysterious and highly atmospheric depictions of its dark docks, beaches and promenades.

Almost entirely self-taught, he drew influence from such painters as Odilon Redon and James Abbott McNeill Whistler, as well as the writers Edgar Allan Poe and Friedrich Nietzsche. This book brings together over a hundred works from international collections, including a series of haunting self-portraits that Spilliaert created in his twenties. Authoritative authors discuss the artist's singular approach and put his career in context alongside that of his more famous compatriot and contemporary James Ensor.

Published:28 Feb 2020 (hide)

Leonilson emerged as a seminal figure of the Brazilian contemporary art world during the 80s. Leonilson travelled extensively throughout (read more)

Leonilson emerged as a seminal figure of the Brazilian contemporary art world during the 80s. Leonilson travelled extensively throughout Europe, and his paintings, drawings, and installations were featured in solo and group shows in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, in addition to many exhibitions held in Brazil. In 1991, the artist tested positive for HIV.

This diagnosis compelled a decisive shift in his career, as Leonilson began to develop his intimate embroideries, a practice he continued until his death in 1993 at the age of 36. (hide)

Drawing expert Jake Spicer introduces you to the most important skill in the artist's repertoire: life drawing. Life class remains (read more)

Drawing expert Jake Spicer introduces you to the most important skill in the artist's repertoire: life drawing. Life class remains a key component of nearly every art degree in the UK. From understanding relationships and proportions and considering basic anatomy, to learning about mark-making and tonal values, Jake takes you through the process of drawing the most rewarding of subjects.
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Giorgio Vasari's The Lives of the Most Famous Painters, Sculptors and Architects (1550 and 1568) is a classic of cultural history. (read more)

Giorgio Vasari's The Lives of the Most Famous Painters, Sculptors and Architects (1550 and 1568) is a classic of cultural history. A monumental assembly of artists' lives from Giotto to Michelangelo, it paints a vivid picture of the progress of art in the hands of individual masters. This illustrated standalone edition of Vasari's Life of Raphael offers a new translation of this rich and remarkable 'Life', elegantly rendering Vasari's literary text in modern terms.

A work of authoritative skill and precision, the translation preserves Vasari's compelling narrative, while beautifully reproduced illustrations bring it newly to life. Editors Paul Joannides and Rick Scorza bring together the original and expanded Italian editions of 1550 and 1568, with succinct commentary drawing upon their expert knowledge of Raphael's career. (hide)

For professional photographers, chasing the light, waiting for it, sometimes helping it, and finally capturing it is a constant preoccupation (read more)

For professional photographers, chasing the light, waiting for it, sometimes helping it, and finally capturing it is a constant preoccupation and for some, an obsession. Drawing on four decades of working with light, Michael Freeman takes a simple but practical approach to interpreting, reacting to, and capturing photography's most valuable commodity. Practical advice is organised into three straightforward sections: Waiting, Chasing, and Helping.

Begin by mastering the art of patience, and recognise the immense value of anticipating and planning for gorgeous light that's just over the horizon. Then learn the techniques to meet otherwise transient and fleeting lighting conditions halfway, with quick thinking and fast reactions. Finally, make the most of the tools at your disposal to enhance and manipulate light as you find it, covering everything from in-the-field shooting choices to technical transformations in post-production. (hide)

The first authoritative collection of drawings by legendary modern architect Lina Bo BardiLina Bo Bardi (1914-92) was one of the (read more)

The first authoritative collection of drawings by legendary modern architect Lina Bo BardiLina Bo Bardi (1914-92) was one of the most prolific and visionary architects of the twentieth century. Raised in Italy under Mussolini's Fascist regime and emigrating to Brazil after World War II, she championed the power of architecture and design to embrace everyday life. Her boldly modernist designs range from concrete-and-glass structures like the S o Paulo Museum of Art and the culture and leisure center SESC Pomp ia to furniture and jewelry.

This is the first book to examine one of the most intimate and expressive features of her life and work, but one she rarely shared with the public--drawing. Bo Bardi produced thousands of drawings in her lifetime, from picturesque landscapes drawn when she was a child, to sketches made as part of her daily routine as an architect, to fanciful drawings that show different aspects of her private life. In this beautifully illustrated book, Zeuler Lima, the world's leading authority on Bo Bardi, brings together a careful selection of these and other drawings, many of them never published until now.
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Lion follows internationally collected artist Mark Adlington's three-year mission to find lions in six very different habitats across (read more)

Lion follows internationally collected artist Mark Adlington's three-year mission to find lions in six very different habitats across East and Southern Africa. The resulting body of stunning paintings, drawings and sketchbooks represent the countless months of patient waiting, observation and interaction which have given the artist a unique insight into this most beautiful of big cats. With written contributions from frontline lion conservationists, without whose help and support the project would have been impossible, this is a book which will delight and inform art and nature lovers alike.
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'The Liverpool Art Book' is a tribute to one of the UK's most iconic cities. An impressive artistic collection taking the reader (read more)

'The Liverpool Art Book' is a tribute to one of the UK's most iconic cities. An impressive artistic collection taking the reader on a tour through the colourful spirit of Liverpool and its history: inspired by its vibrant, modern buildings and imposing symbols of commence, its statues of icons such as the Beatles and Cilla Black, and its majestic skyline, Liverpool's very own artists highlight its beauties in the most unique way. (hide)

The lives of the sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf have long been celebrated for their central roles in the development of (read more)

The lives of the sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf have long been celebrated for their central roles in the development of modernism in art and literature. Inspired by European post-impressionism, Vanessa's experimental work places her at the vanguard of early twentieth-century art, as does her role in helping introduce many key names - Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso - to an unsuspecting public in 1910. Virginia took these artistic innovations and applied them to literature, pushing the boundaries of form, narrative and language to find a voice uniquely her own.

Yet their private lives were just as experimental. Forming the core of the Bloomsbury Group, they welcomed into their London and Sussex homes a host of their talented peers and followed their hearts in the pursuit of love. Vanessa's marriage to art critic Clive Bell was shaken early on by his flirtation with her sister, but this allowed her to find happiness with fellow artist Roger Fry. (hide)

Every year, more than ten million visitors from around the world visit the Louvre s 68,000 square meters of gallery space containing (read more)

Every year, more than ten million visitors from around the world visit the Louvre s 68,000 square meters of gallery space containing more than 35,000 works of art. The Louvre is widely considered the most innovative of the world s preeminent museums. This gorgeous tome is a celebration of an enduring institution and the magnificent works of art that it houses.

Rather than showing only isolated images of the artworks themselves, this book shows many of the pieces in the context of the beautiful galleries and spaces where they live, to give the reader an experience similar to being at the Louvre. The Louvre explores the eight centuries of fascinating history surrounding the museum, which began in the Middle Ages as a fortress, then became a royal residence which continued to enlarge, expand, and develop over the centuries with the most brilliant architects and painters being called to work on this architectural masterpiece. In 1793, the Louvre confirmed its role as a temple of the arts when it was made the first national museum open to the public.

Published:8 Sep 2020 (hide)