Vincent van Gogh continues to fascinate more than a century after his death in 1890. Yet how much of what is commonly known about this world-renowned artist is accurate? Though he left thousands of works and a trove of letters, the definitive Van Gogh remains elusive. Was he a madman who painted his greatest pieces in a passionate fury, or a lifelong student of art, literature and science who carefully planned each composition? Was he a loner dedicated only to his craft or an active collaborator with his contemporaries? Why is he best known for self-mutilation and ""The Starry Night""? This book has biographers, scriptwriters, lyricists, actors, museum curators and tour guides, among others, presenting diverse interpretations of his life and work, creating a mythic persona that may in fact help us in the search for the real van Gogh.

The artistic achievements of Romaine Brooks (1874-1970), both as a major expatriate American painter and as a formative innovator in the decorative arts, have long been overshadowed by her fifty-year relationship with writer Natalie Barney and a reputation as a fiercely independent, aloof heiress who associated with fascists in the 1930s. In Romaine Brooks: A Life, art historian Cassandra Langer provides a richer, deeper portrait of Brooks's aesthetics and experimentation as an artist-and of her entire life, from her chaotic, traumatic childhood to the enigmatic decades after World War II, when she produced very little art. This provocative, lively biography takes aim at many myths about Brooks and her friends, lovers, and the subjects of her portraits, revealing a woman of wit and passion who overcame enormous personal and societal challenges to become an extraordinary artist and create a life on her own terms. Romaine Brooks: A Life, introduces much fresh information from Langer's decades of research on Brooks and establishes this groundbreaking artist's centrality to feminism and contemporary sexual politics as well as to visual culture.

Terrifying beasts, imaginary landscapes, portraits and ornaments - "All Manner of Murals" (papers presented during a series of symposia dedicated to the history, techniques and conservation of British secular wall paintings) celebrates the many ways we have decorated our day-to-day lives with wall paintings. Murals by their very nature must remain in and on the structures for which they were designed, inextricably at one with their surroundings, and so offer glimpses of vanished ways of living. Whether painted in a humble cottage or a grand palace, they illustrate the march not only of history, but of our view of ourselves. At once strange and strangely familiar, the ancient wall painting emerging from under layers of whitewash has much to tell us about how our predecessors saw the world around them. The tradition of wall painting, arguably the oldest of art forms, continues to this day, and our descendants may find our own values and views reflected in the murals, private and public, that we leave behind. The 20 papers collected in this volume (from 3 symposia hosted by the Stone and Wall Painting Group of the Institute of Conservation [Icon]) explore over 500 years of secular wall paintings, right up to contemporary work, looking at why and how they were painted, and the best ways of caring for them to ensure that future generations can also find in 'all manner of murals' a source of wonder and of kinship to their past.

Whether you specialize in drawing--even cartooning and animationuor prefer media such as acrylic, oil, pastel, or watercolor, a good knowledge of perspective is invaluable. It is the foundation of all great paintings and drawings, no matter what medium. "Perspective" shows you everything you need to know to make objects look three dimensional. Practice the methods of measuring and dividing areas proportionately; then learn how we perceive depth and distance, and how to render it correctly on paper or canvas. You will learn the basics and beyond, covering concepts like foreshortening; cast shadows; reflections; and even one-, two-, and three-point perspective. And once you have a good grasp of the basics, it's easy to graduate to more complex and irregular forms. This comprehensive guide will show you how!

A pioneer not only of the art but also the fashion world, Frida Kahlo is beloved for her signature portraits and the bold, innovative clothing she wore in them. This fabulous paper doll set features Frida and 30 of her signature ensembles. Bilingual explanatory captions contextualise how and when she wore each outfit. Also includes a bonus paper doll of husband Diego Rivrera complete with two outfits of his own.

Spanning seven centuries, this selection of fifty iconic paintings offers readers a crash course in art history while presenting gorgeous color reproductions that are a pleasure to contemplate. Starting with Giotto's Arena Chapel frescoes and continuing through Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, as well as works by Monet, van Gogh, Cassatt, Cezanne, Dali, Kahlo, Hopper, Pollock, Rothko, and O'Keeffe, nearly every important painter is represented in this book. It features works that may be familiar to the eye, but whose histories are even more fascinating. Readers will learn about the painters who created them, the reasons for their importance and the places the paintings can be found. As entertaining as it is informative, this beautiful book is the perfect introduction to great paintings that have stood the test of time.

How did maps of the distant reaches of the world communicate to the public in an era when exploration of those territories was still ongoing and knowledge about them remained incomplete? And why did Renaissance rulers frequently commission large-scale painted maps of those territories when they knew that they would soon be proven obsolete by newer, more accurate information? The Mapping of Power in Renaissance Italy addresses these questions by bridging the disciplines of art history and the histories of science, cartography, and geography to closely examine surviving Italian painted maps that were commissioned during a period better known for its printed maps and atlases. Challenging the belief that maps are strictly neutral or technical markers of geographic progress, this well-illustrated study investigates the symbolic and propagandistic dimensions of these painted maps as products of the competitive and ambitious European court culture that produced them.

The papers in this volume constitute a substantial body of work that provides a wide-ranging overview of current research on the technology and practice of Old Master paintings, covering some 700 years of European painting, from the thirteenth century to the early twentieth century, including works by Guido da Siena, Bellini, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Fernando Gallego, Holbein, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rubens, Murillo, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Whistler, van Gogh and Munch. Six of the contributions focus on technological or historical aspects of specific artists' materials. These papers were presented at a conference held at the National Gallery to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the National Gallery Technical Bulletin. The Bulletin has a long history of publishing interdisciplinary research on the technical examination of paintings to inform both art-historical study and issues relating to the material history of a work. This type of research was the central focus of the conference and provided the overall thematic link between the contributions presented. Contains essays on the work of a wide range of artists, including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Hans Holbein, Albrecht Altdofer, Caravaggio, Rubens, Thomas Gainsborough, Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Christen Kobke, Bartolome Esteban Murillom and El Greco.

Allen W. Seaby's life has been described as "a classic tale of Victorian self-improvement." But there is more to the tale than just upward mobility. A. W. Seaby was a pioneering, innovative and inspirational man who rose to become a prominent print-maker, teacher, author and illustrator. Best-known for his colour woodcut printing using traditional Japanese methods, and as a prominent wildlife artist, the story of Seaby's many accomplishments is recounted by his grandson, who inherited Seaby's love of birds and became internationally renowned in his own right, Robert Gillmor. Alongside this personal recount, Martin Andrews (Seaby's successor as President of the Reading Guild of Artists) selects aspects of his career and expands upon his techniques, his illustrative methods, his circle of fellow artists and the books he published to give a full and rounded account of a man whose work is currently enjoying a well-deserved renaissance.

No other artist, apart from J. M. W. Turner, tried as hard as Claude Monet (1840-1926) to capture light itself on canvas. Of all the Impressionists, it was the man Cezanne called "only an eye, but my God what an eye!" who stayed true to the principle of absolute fidelity to the visual sensation, painting directly from the object. It could be said that Monet reinvented the possibilities of color. Whether it was through his early interest in Japanese prints, his time as a conscript in the dazzling light of Algeria, or his personal acquaintance with the major painters of the late 19th century, the work Monet produced throughout his long life would change forever the way we perceive both the natural world and its attendant phenomena. The high point of his explorations was the late series of water lilies, painted in his own garden at Giverny, which, in their approach toward almost total formlessness, are really the origin of abstract art. This biography does full justice to this most remarkable and profoundly influential artist, and offers numerous reproductions and archive photos alongside a detailed and insightful commentary. About the series Bibliotheca Universalis - Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe!

A companion volume to Lessons in Classical Drawing that breaks down the foundational skills and techniques of painting in a format that is accessible and manageable for all readers. With the same direct, easy-to-follow approach of Juliette Aristides's previous books, Lessons in Classical Painting presents aspiring artists with the fundamental skills and tools needed to master painting in the atelier style. With more than 15 years of experience in ateliers and as an art instructor, Aristides pairs personal examples and insights with theory, assignments and demonstrations for readers, discussions of technical issues and inspirational quotes. After taking a bird's eye look at painting as a whole, Aristides breaks down painting into big-picture topics like grisaille, temperature, colour and composition, demonstrating how these key subjects can be applied by all painters.

In the summer of 2021, Miriam Cahn's project FREMD das fremde in the southern valley of Bergell in the Swiss canton of Grisons provoked a lasting echo both in the public and the media. The world-renowned contemporary artist, who has lived in the valley for years, set new, unexpected accentuations with her most recent work in the historic Palazzo Castelmur. As part of a multi-layered performance, the publication embraces the theme of being a stranger and advances a deepening of the discourse. The book reflects the conceptual openness of Miriam Cahn's artistically as well as socially arousing project. The works have been captured by internationally acclaimed Swiss photographer Lukas Wassmann, representing their special spatial constellation arranged by the artist herself.

Compiled by members of the Bosch Research and Conservation Project and published on the 500th anniversary of Hieronymus Bosch's death, this is the definitive new catalogue of all of Bosch's extant paintings and drawings. His mastery and genius have been redefined as a result of six years of research on the iconography, techniques, pedigree, and conservation history of his paintings and on his life. This stunning volume includes all new photography, as well as up-to-date research on the individual works. For the first time, the incredible creativity of this late medieval artist, expressed in countless details, is reproduced and discussed in this book. Special attention is being paid to Bosch as an image maker, a skilled draughtsman, and a brutal painter, changing the game of painting around 1500 by his innovative way of working. Distributed for Mercatorfonds

A survey of 21 contemporary artists who specialise in painting gardens. The artists come from the United Kingdom as well as Europe and the United States. They work in a wide range of media including watercolour, acrylics, oils and tempera. For each artist, there is a brief biographical thumbnail sketch, reproductions of a variety of their work, and comments from the artists on their painting styles and working practices. The result is a intriguing look at this fascinating subject. A beautiful book with a foreword by Sir Roy Strong.

Historical background, step-by-step instruction, materials, permanence. 85 illus.

W.B. Yeats was one of Ireland's greatest writers and arguably the finest twentieth-century poet in the English language. This book brings together over seventy of his poems from all stages of Yeats's extraordinary life: a wonderful legacy that shows, without a doubt, that his heart belonged to Ireland - 'I am', he wrote, 'of Ireland'. Each poem is beautifully complemented by a wide range of paintings, prints and drawings, the majority by Irish or Irish-based artists and often ones who were contemporaries of the poet. Many of the pictures can be seen in Irish public collections, particularly the National Gallery of Ireland. Complete with a detailed introduction and brief notes on the artists, this is the perfect gift for any Yeats fan.

This volume, the second in the series to catalogue the Gallery's collection of decorative arts, mainly draws from the renowned collection of the Widener and Steele families. It focuses primarily on Chinese ceramics from the Qing period, including earthenware, stoneware, and polychrome porcelain. In addition, rugs and carpets from the collection of Peter A.B. Widener are catalogued and published here for the first time.

"A revelation. No one will ever view Andrew Wyeth's apparently tranquil works the same way again after reading this vivid and astonishing portrait of the turbulent, driven man who paints them. Richard Meryman has written a wonderful book."
- Geoffrey C. Ward

At its most fundamental level, this stunning and unique biography describes a distinguished painter's enterprise of transmitting emotion onto a flat surface. It explores all the factors that have combined to create Andrew Wyeth -- his childhood in a hothouse of creativity; his hypersensitivity; his formidable wife; his identification with people marginalized and misunderstood -- all which have made him an American icon. In the process, his realist works in watercolor and tempera, including the famous "Christina's World," have gained him a special and secure niche in the history of American art.

The book is a portrait of obsession -- how single-mindedness has affected Wyeth's relationships and transformed his world into a realm of secrecy and fervid imagination. Those who read this book will never look at Wyeth's work as they did before. It reveals the artist's dark depths, as well as the ruthless, angry, child/man fantasist who paints the basic brutalities of existence -- death and madness --that vibrate eerily beneath his pictures' calm surfaces.

Richard Meryman's narrative is almost novelistic, with its larger-than-life characters and subplots: the tragedy of C.C. Wyeth; Betsy Wyeth's campaign for independence and individuality; the byzantine 15-year-long drama of the Helga paintings; the eccentric and creative Wyeth clan; and the idiosyncratic land and people of Maine and Pennsylvania.

Based on 30 years of research, frequent visits and countless conversations with the artist, his family, friends, admirers and critics, Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life is the only book about the man and the artist that gets behind his carefully guarded screen, tells the full story of his life and reveals his complex personality and the motivations for his paintings.

Painting is one of the most rewarding ways of expressing yourself. It sparks creativity, engages the imagination and relaxes you, reducing stress levels and leaving you feeling mentally clear and calm. Most people assume that the ability to paint is a skill you either have or you don't, so although they would like to paint they lack the confidence to do so. But painting can be readily learned with the right teacher to guide you, and a clear approach and encouraging voice are often all that's needed to get you on the right track. That's where this book, Acrylics, comes in. Adrian Burrows is an enthusiastic and accomplished artist and teacher who explains the fundamentals of painting with acrylics in a helpful and accessible manner. Adrian shows you what you need in terms of tools and materials, and explains and illustrates all the basic techniques. Ten step-by-step tutorials, covering a variety of subjects, then put these techniques into action. Each tutorial is broken down into stages, with clear instructions and photographs for readers to follow, plus plenty of helpful tips and troubleshooting advice. There are also special features on painting trees, skies and figures.

Illustrated with 167 full colour images, this landmark book charts Alexander Moffat's career from student days at Edinburgh College of Art in the 1960s to the recent Scotland's Voices. Iconic portraits of major figures in literature and the other arts are represented. The cultural significance of the visual chronicle Moffat has created lies in his approach to portraiture. He aims not only to capture a sitter's appearance but also to convey something of their inner character, reaching 'a balance between emotional expression and compositional order'.

From Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grand Jatte to Hopper’s Nighthawks, one of the world's greatest collections of paintings in the palm of your hand.

The Art Institute of Chicago houses some of the most celebrated paintings from the nineteenth century to the present. Included in this collection are numerous masterpieces of realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, and contemporary art. Today a number of these paintings are revered as icons of modern culture, emblems of the inspired experimentation that has taken place on both sides of the Atlantic, and around the world.

For the last century, the Art Institute has supported the achievements of the most distinguished artists from Europe and America, acquiring and exhibiting now-beloved works of Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, and others. This folio is presented as both an introduction to this collection and as a survey of the styles, subjects, and themes of Western art of the last two centuries, from the linear classicism of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres through the optical studies of Claude Monet and the Impressionists; from the lyrical, colorful abstractions of Vasily Kandinsky to the fractured picture planes of Pablo Picasso and the Cubists; from the enigmatic compositions of Salvador Dali and the Surrealists to the media-appropriated Pop-art portraits of Andy Warhol. These magnificent paintings eloquently narrate the discussions of the nature of art, quality, innovation, style, and form that have defined the modern era in art history.

This new title in the highly-successful "Design Series" features the design work of the acclaimed artist Peter Blake. Best known of the British pop artists, Peter Blake came to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s with iconic works like "On the Balcony" and "First Real Target" both now in the Tate Gallery. Tate held an exhibition of his works in 1983 as well as a more recent retrospective at Tate Liverpool in 2007. His famous works for album covers, such as "The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the Band Aid single "Do They Know Its Christmas", the Oasis greatest hits album "Stop the Clocks" and Paul Weller's "Stanley Road" brought him to a wider audience. This stunningly designed book celebrates the brilliant creative talent of a unique British artist. "The Design Series" is the winner of the Brand/Series Identity Category at the British Book Design and Production Awards 2009, judges said: 'A series of books about design, they had to be good and these are. The branding is consistent, there is a good use of typography and the covers are superb'.

This book presents the Gianfranco Luzzetti collection housed in the historic complex of the former convent of the Clarisse in Grosseto, a new museum in the city. The collection is the result of the donation to the Municipality, in 2018, of over 60 works from the personal heritage of Luzzetti, an antiquarian from Grosseto, deeply linked to his land. The paintings, of great quality, trace Italian art from the 14th to the 19th century, with particular attention to Florentine art of the 17th century. The collection includes masterpieces by Antonio Rossellino, Giambologna, Rutilio Manetti, Passignano, Niccolo di Pietro Lamberti, Corrado Giaquinto, Camillo Rusconi, Pier Dandini and Giovanni di Tano Fei, as well as important works by Donatello and Beccafumi and works already donated to the Municipality of Grosseto in past years, of Santi di Tito and Cigoli. This volume, with introductory texts regarding the history of the site, the birth of the Museum and the Collection, is complemented by an anthology of writings by Luzzetti and bibliographic apparatuses. Research and texts: Sandro Bellesi, Marco Ciampolini, Roberto Contini, Elena Dubaldo, Lucia Ferri, Claudia Ganci, Cecilia Luzzetti, Gianfranco Luzzetti, Andrea Marchi, Mauro Papa, Marcella Parisi, Francesca Perillo, Gianluca Sposato, Angelo Tartuferi. Italian edition, with English translation in the appendix.