An authoritative introduction to one of the most influential painters in the history of art, written by the pre-eminent authority on the subject and informed by the latest research. More versatile and less idiosyncratic than Michelangelo, more prolific and accessible than his mentor Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, though he died at only thirty-seven, is considered the single most influential artist of the Renaissance. Here, art historian Paul Joannides explores the different social and regional contexts of Raphael's work and discusses all aspects of his artistic output. He traces Raphael's career from his origins in Urbino, through his altarpieces made in Umbria in the shadow of Perugino, to the first flowering of his genius in Florence where he painted a series of iconic Madonnas that are among the most beloved images in Western art. Raphael's employment by the dynamic and demanding Pope Julius II gave him opportunities without parallel and encouraged the full expansion of his genius. As a sophisticate entrepreneur, he dominated Rome's artistic life and extended the range of his activities to that of architect, designer, pioneer archaeologist and theoretician. The foundation of Raphael's versatility and range was his supreme clarity of mind as a draughtsman. Knowledge of his drawings, on which Joannides is a leading expert, is central to understanding of his achievement, and they are thoroughly explored here.

Author Michael Chabon described Ben Katchor (b. 1951) as "the creator of the last great American comic strip." Katchor's comic strip Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer, which began in 1988, brought him to the attention of the readers of alternative weekly newspapers along with a coterie of artists who have gone on to public acclaim. In the mid-1990s, NPR ran audio versions of several Julius Knipl stories, narrated by Katchor and starring Jerry Stiller in the title role. An early contributor to RAW, Katchor also contributed to Forward, the New Yorker, Slate, and weekly newspapers. He edited and published two issues of Picture Story, which featured his own work, with articles and stories by Peter Blegvad, Jerry Moriarty, and Mark Beyer. In addition to being a dramatist, Katchor has been the subject of profiles in the New Yorker, a recipient of a MacArthur "Genius Grant" and a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a fellow at both the American Academy in Berlin and the New York Public Library. Katchor's work is often described as zany or bizarre, and author Douglas Wolk has characterized his work as "one or two notches too far" beyond an absurdist reality. And yet the work resonates with its audience because, as was the case with Knipl's journey through the wilderness of a decaying city, absurdity was only what was usefully available; absurdity was the reality. Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer presaged the themes of Katchor's work: a concern with the past, an interest in the intersection of Jewish identity and a secular commercial culture, and the limits and possibilities of urban life.

The most famous 18th-century copper engraver, Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) made his name with etchings of ancient Rome. His startling, chiaroscuro images imbued the city's archaeological ruins with drama and romance and became favorite souvenirs for the Grand Tourists who traveled Italy in pursuit of classical culture and education. Today, Piranesi is renowned not just for shaping the European imagination of Rome, but also for his elaborate series of fanciful prisons, Carceri, which have influenced generations of creatives since, from the Surrealists to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Edgar Allan Poe, Jorge Luis Borges, and Franz Kafka. Loosely based on contemporary stage sets rather than the actual dingy dungeons of Piranesi's day, these intricate images defy architectural reality to play instead with perspective, lighting, and scale. Staircases exist on two planes simultaneously; vast, vaulted ceilings seem to soar up to the heavens; interior and exterior distinctions collapse. With a low viewpoint and small, fragile figures, the prison scenes become monstrous megacities of incarceration, celebrated to this day as masterworks of existentialist drama.

The intention of this book is a direct invitation from an artist to explore her creative journey, ups and downs, to share it and inspire readers to tap into their own dreams, dive in their own thoughts and individual life paths. Its content is a simple yet complex and complete 400 pages, illustrated, in color, of a very rich artwork, in various media, commented, chronologically, on the background of her artist biography. The texts are written directly by the artist, like a letter, which makes it quite rare and precious. They include both symbolic and practical descriptions. The usual side effect for the readers is a boost in creativity and vitality.

In 1960, photographer William Claxton and noted musicologist Joachim Berendt traveled the United States hot on the trail of jazz. Through music halls and marching bands, side streets and subways, they sought to document this living, breathing, beating musical phenomenon that enraptured America across social, economic, and racial lines. The result of Claxton and Berendt's collaboration was Jazzlife, much sought after by collectors and now revived in this fresh TASCHEN volume. From coast to coast, from unknown street performers to legends of the genre, this defining jazz journey explores just what made up this most original of American art forms. In New Orleans and New York, in St. Louis, Biloxi, Jackson, and beyond, Claxton's rapturous yet tender images and accompanying texts examine jazz's regional diversity as much as its pervasive vitality and soul. They show the music makers and the many spaces and people this music touched, from funeral parades to concert stages, from an elderly trumpet player to kids who hung from windows to catch a glimpse of a passing band. With images of Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters, Gabor Szabo, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and many more, this is as much a compelling slice of history as it is a loving personal tribute.

One of the leading lights of the Impressionist movement, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) remains a towering figure in art history with enduring public appeal. Sun-kissed, charming, and sensual, his work shows painting at its most lighthearted and luminous, while championing the plein air and color innovations of his time. Renoir's oeuvre was prolific, with some several thousand works in his lifetime. Much influenced by forerunners such as Courbet, Degas, Manet, Delacroix, he worked with contemporary peers such as Monet to explore fresh uses of color and brushwork, rendering texture and depth with different-hued daubs. Drawn to intimate and tender human scenes, his subjects include lovers, mothers, and numerous nudes. As his career progressed, Renoir investigated different styles and techniques, shifting away from the feathery Impressionist touch to a more robust, classical corporeality, sometimes called his "Ingres period," and later to monumental pieces such as The Bathers. From the abundant output of his lengthy career, this essential artist introduction selects key Renoir works to explore his innovations in the art of painting, as much as his traditions in pursuit of beauty, harmony, and the female form. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features: a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

Barbara Earl Thomas's new body of work carries within it the sediments of history and grapples with race and the color line. At the heart of it lies a story of life and death, hope and resilience-a child's survival. With her quietly glowing portraits of young Black boys and girls, Thomas puts before us the humble question: can we see, and be present to, the humanity, the trust, the hopes and dreams of each of these children? The Geography of Innocence offers a reexamination of Black portraiture and the preconceived dichotomies of innocence and guilt and sin and redemption, and the ways in which these notions are assigned and distorted along cultural and racial lines. Two interconnected visual arguments unfold: a portrait gallery of children from the artist's extended community and an illuminated environment that appears like a delicate paper lantern. To accompany the visual elements, the book's essays examine Thomas's work in the context of different art historical portraiture traditions and political relevance. Thomas also contributes an interview and an essay reflecting on the current climate in which the work exists.

This title was first published in 2000: In their stunning simplicity, George Romney's portraits of eighteenth-century gentry and their children are among the most widely recognised creations of his age. A rival to Reynolds and Gainsborough, Romney was born in 1734 on the edge of the Lake District, the landscape of which never ceased to influence his eye for composition and colour. He moved in 1762 to London where there was an insatiable market for portraits of the landed gentry to fill the elegant picture galleries of their country houses. Romney's sitters included William Beckford and Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton. An influential figure, one of the founding fathers of neo-classicism and a harbinger of romanticism, Romney yearned to develop his talents as a history painter. Countless drawings bear witness to ambitious projects on elemental themes which were rarely executed on canvas. Richly illustrated, this is the first biography of Romney to explore the full diversity of his oeuvre.

In a century that was dominated by science and technology, the wide-ranging artwork of Michael Ayrton (1921-75) is truly a tribute to the enduring power of Greek myth. Theorists often discuss the link between myth and creativity, but rarely does one see this connection manifested so provocatively over the course of an artist's career. Fittingly, this British sculptor, painter, author, filmmaker, and maze designer was inspired by the story of the archetypal craftsman Daedalus -- father of Icarus and maker of the labyrinth that imprisoned the Minotaur -- and produced over 800 works that in turn enhance the myth's significance. Highlighting the interaction between myth and artist, word and image, Jacob Nyenhuis here presents a catalogue of these works, one that will enlighten Ayrton's British following while introducing him to an American audience.

A nonconformist who challenged Picasso's reign over the art world, Ayrton found in Daedalus a richly complex story of captivity and escape, ingenuity and creativity, flight and fall, success and failure. Ayrton's own journey into the labyrinth set him on a torturous path through life and into the psyche: he came to identify himself not only with the craftsman but also with the Minotaur, representative of the bestial nature hidden within all of us. He ultimately created a new visual syntax that expanded the meaning of the labyrinth in disturbing ways for the twentieth century. The intensity of Ayrton's journey is conveyed in this beautifully produced volume comprising biography, critical analysis, historical context, and an annotated catalogue of the works, many appearing in color.

Each year between 1819 and 1825, John Constable (1776-1837) submitted a monumental canvas to the Royal Academy of Arts in London for display in the annual Exhibition. These so-called six-footers vividly captured the life of the River Stour in Suffolk, where Constable grew up and where he returned to paint each year. The Leaping Horse, the last of these, now a major work in the Academy's collection, is the subject of this fascinating new book. Humphreys explores Constable's often avant-garde working methods, as well as his struggle to gain full acceptance within the art establishment of the early nineteenth century. With reproductions of his full-scale preliminary sketches as well as brand new photography of the painting itself, this book is the ideal companion for art lovers who seek a deeper appreciation of Constable's iconic depictions of the English countryside.

An updated edition of this classic survey, a thorough overview of Paul Cezanne's life and work. For Picasso he was 'like our father'; for Matisse, 'a god of painting'. Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) is widely regarded as the father of modern art. In this authoritative and accessible study, Richard Verdi traces the evolution of Cezanne's landscape, still-life and figure compositions, from the turbulently romantic creations of his youth to the visionary masterpieces of his final years. The painter's biography - his fluctuating reputation and strained relations with his parents, wife and close friend Emile Zola - is vividly evoked using excerpts from his own letters and from contemporary accounts of the artist. Cezanne was torn between the desires to create art and to seek inspiration - to master the themes of the past, through his copying sessions in the Louvre, and to explore the eternal qualities of nature in the countryside of his native Provence. In this way the artist sought 'to make of Impressionism something solid and durable, like the art of the museums'. In this richly illustrated overview Verdi explores the strength, vitality and magnitude of Cezanne's achievement.

This jewel-like book evokes unmistakable Italian landscapes and cityscapes. Anne Desmet's pen commits every detail to paper, and the small-scale format emphasises her distinctive flair for capturing the relationship between extreme foreground and distance. This is an opportunity to explore Italy, from Apennines to Veneto, through the eyes of a very particular artist.

This title was first published in 1980: Drawing upon released documents, memoirs and party-history works, the process and impact of the political campaigns in China between 1950 and 1965 is documented. Complete with extensive interviews with Chinese scholars and former officials, the book reviews the findings of the first edition.

The sixteen studies in this book include six specially translated from Greek and another two published here for the first time. They deal with the art of painting in Crete at a time when the island was under Venetian rule. The main emphasis is on the 15th century and especially on the painter Angelos. More than thirty icons with his signature survive, and at least twenty more can be reliably attributed to him. Angelos was the most significant artist of a particularly significant era. It was at this time that the centre of artistic production migrated from Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire to Candia, the capital of Venetian-occupied Crete. These studies try to reconstruct the personality of this late Byzantine painter, Angelos, not only through his icons but also through his will (1436), now in the State Archives in Venice. In this context they also explore the status of the Cretan painter in society. The large number of extant Cretan icons clearly indicates the striking increase in production from the 15th century onwards. Similarly, archival documents are used to examine the trade of icons in Crete and the way Cretan artists had to organize their workshops in order to meet the requirements of the market.

These delightful Halloween decorations are eye-popping examples of the best made, including pristine pieces from the Beistle Company archives, shown in over 395 color photographs. The text presents comprehensive information for collectors, including detailed descriptions and little-known-facts, release and production dates, materials, makers' marks, and values. Party games, hats, and masks appear as well as lanterns, shades, and die-cuts. They seem to jump off the pages to excite you. Lots of wonderful suggestions are made throughtout the book for interesting uses for displaying the decorations today. Their artistic beauty will make you smile, remembering youthful Halloween stories, and want to add to your own collection.

"The Ordinary and The Odd" is the first book from artist and graphic designer, Swen Swenson. Swenson's use of simple and minimilst illustrations, evoking playful and sometimes odd encounters is a pleasure for any viewer of his work. His style is instantly recognisable and each image conjures the imagination to create stories that can be both quirky and also calming. In this book we see Swenson encapsulate a variety of themes including: urban landscape, nature, transport and engineering and human life. Through subtle and peaceful tones, each image touches on a quiet moment that is perhaps contrasted with a surprising twist or sense of anticipation. Graphic illustration is ever more present in our visual world and media. Characters and scenes depicted are relatable to a wide audience and Swenson's work is relates to our lives through recognisable content in his art, requiring us to stay still, consider the scene and reflect.

This book explores the interaction between collectors, dealers and exhibitions in Pablo Picassos entire career. The former two often played a determining role in which artworks were included in expositions as well as their availability and value in the art market. The term collector/dealer must often be used in combination since the distinction between both is often unclear; Heinz Berggruen, for instance, identified himself primarily as a collector, although he also sold quite a few Picassos through his Paris gallery. On the whole, however, dealers bought more often than collectors; and they bought works by artists they were already involved with. While some dealers were above all professional gallery owners; most were mainly collectors who sporadically sold items from their collection. Picassos first known dealer was Pere Manyach, whom he met as he travelled to Paris in 1900 when he was only 19 years old. As his representative, Manyach went about setting up exhibitions of his works at galleries in the French capital, such as Bethe Weills and Ambroise Vollards. Picassos first major exhibition took place in 1901 at Vollards. Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler and Leonce Rosenberg came in after Vollard lost interest during the Cubist period, as they had a manifest preference for the new style. Like Vollard, later dealers often preferred the more conventional Neoclassical phase in Picasso. This was the case with Leonces brother, Paul Rosenberg. The book is organized chronologically and discusses the interaction between Picassos collectors, dealers and exhibitions as they take place. Once collectors acquired an artwork, their willingness to lend them to exhibitions or their necessity to submit them to auction had a direct impact on Picassos prominence in the art world.

Back in print for the first time in nearly thirty years, here is Yoko Ono's whimsical, delightful, subversive, startling book of instructions for art and for life.

"Burn this book after you've read it." -- Yoko

"A dream you dream alone may be a dream, but a dream two people dream together is a reality."

"This is the greatest book I've ever burned." -- John