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Books > Arts & Architecture > Art forms, treatments & subjects > Art treatments & subjects > Iconography, subjects depicted in art > Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes > General
A rare invitation into the mysterious lives of owls around the
world, with spectacularly revealing photographs and fascinating
details Perhaps no other creature has so compelling a gaze as the
owl. Its unblinking stare mesmerizes; its nocturnal lifestyle
suggests secrets and mystery. This lavishly illustrated book
celebrates owls from every corner of the world and offers abundant
details on fifty-three of the most striking and interesting
species, from the tiny Elf Owl of southwestern American deserts to
the formidable Blakiston's Fish Owl, the largest of all owls. Mike
Unwin has long studied and admired these remarkable birds from cold
northern forests to tropical rivers and beyond. He explains how
owls evolved into the supreme feathered predators of the night, and
he examines their breeding and hunting behaviors, unusual calls,
and the cultural myths and superstitions that surround different
species. More than two hundred dramatic color photographs in the
wild, taken or selected by David Tipling, capture the wondrous
beauty of each owl and the drama of life in its own home region.
As downhill skiing became popular in 20th-century Europe, resorts
in the Austrian, German, French, and Swiss Alps commissioned
paintings of their ski runs to turn into maps. The best of these
paintings are now featured in this book showing the artists'
ability to combine technical virtuosity, geographic information,
and creative flair. The undoubted master of panoramic map painting
is H. C. Berann, and many examples of his works are shown in this
beautiful volume, along with a select handful of artists from
throughout Europe. Detailing scenes of the Alpine range from
Slovenia to France, each of these images was created by hand from
aerial photography, mostly shot by the artists on helicopter rides
through the mountains. The paintings themselves cleverly combine
multiple perspectives so that all trails, terrain, and mountain
features are visible. In these exquisite reproductions, the
paintings have been stripped of all references to the ski trails,
allowing viewers to focus entirely on the beauty of the colours,
composition, and detail. A joy to study and savour, these dramatic
and vivid paintings recall a time when the human hand was the best
means of translating the Alps' towering beauty to the general
public.
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