This stunning series of pocketbooks from Kew offers a snapshot into the diverse and beautiful world of plants. Each book lavishly showcases choice examples from individual plant groups or collections, and in this pocketbook a selection of plants are showcased from Honzu Zufu, a Japanese 17th century multi-volume manual of medicinal plants with a unique botanical style. Published to coincide with the new Japan festival at Kew Gardens in October 2020. The Library, Art and Archives at Kew is one of the most extensive botanical libraries in the world, with the oldest item dating back to the 1370s. In this pocketbook series from Kew, each book presents 40 botanical paintings from the collection, illustrating the variety within each plant group, as well as the diversity of the collection and artistic styles. An introductory chapter by a Kew expert provides an overview of the plant group or theme, and extended captions accompany each painting. The luxury finish on these books make them a must-have gift item, printed on uncoated paper and with a cloth and foil finish.

The nineteenth century in France witnessed the emergence of the structures of the modern art market that remain until this day. This book examines the relationship between the avant-garde Barbizon landscape painter, Theodore Rousseau (1812-1867), and this market, exploring the constellation of patrons, art dealers, and critics who surrounded the artist. Simon Kelly argues for the pioneering role of Rousseau, his patrons, and his public in the origins of the modern art market, and, in so doing, shifts attention away from the more traditional focus on the novel careers of the Impressionists and their supporters. Drawing on extensive archival research, the book offers fresh insight into the role of the modern artist as professional. It provides a new understanding of the complex iconographical and formal choices within Rousseau's oeuvre, rediscovering the original radical charge that once surrounded the artist's work and led to extensive and peculiarly modern tensions with the market place.

In the late eighteenth century, the British took greater interest than ever before in observing and recording all aspects of the natural world. Travelers and colonists returning from far-flung lands provided dazzling accounts of such exotic creatures as elephants, baboons, and kangaroos. The engraver Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) harnessed this newfound interest by assembling the most comprehensive illustrated guide to nature of his day.

"A General History of Quadrupeds," first published in 1790, showcases Bewick's groundbreaking engraving techniques that allowed text and images to be published on the same page. From anteaters to zebras, armadillos to wolverines, this delightful volume features engravings of over four hundred animals alongside descriptions of their characteristics as scientifically understood at the time. "Quadrupeds "reaffirms Bewick's place in history as an incomparable illustrator, one whose influence on natural history and book printing still endures today.

A Sparrow's Life's as Sweet as Ours is a collection based on the Bird of the Month column in The Oldie, which is written by an instigator of the magazine, John McEwen and illustrated by renowned wildlife artist Carry Akroyd. In this beautiful new book, painter and printmaker Carry Akroyd presents a sequence of her small screenprints, full of variety and colour, that illustrate British birds in all four seasons of the year. These stunning prints give full rein to her extensive knowledge of the British landscape, and what shines out of these dynamic designs is Carry's deft capturing of each bird's characteristics set beautifully in relation to its habitat. Her consideration of each species combines accuracy with elegant simplicity. John McEwen's accompanying text is written with charm and concision, and his original columns have been updated for this new collection. John's light, eclectic approach connects snippets of ornithology, history, etymology and cookery, all expressed with wit and knowledge. His writing is spiced with poetry - from Chaucer to the present - as well as facts and stories, while personal and other anecdotes are included to inform and, above all, entertain.

The French, Italian, and Austrian Alpes, the Pyrenees...Master photographer Stefan Bogner presents breath-taking photographs of mountain passes, taken during the winter season.

Through words and photographs, environmental scientist Gretchen C. Daily and photographer Charles J. Katz describe how one relict tree-the magnificent Ceiba pentandra in Sabalito, Costa Rica-carries physical and spiritual importance. The people in the town of Sabalito call the tree la ceiba, a term said to be derived from a Taino word referring to a type of wood used for making canoes in the West Indies. Ceiba evokes times and places where people hollowed out the great cylindrical trunks and glided along languid rivers winding through lush tropical forest. Today the tree is known by different names in regions ranging from southern Mexico and the Caribbean to the southern edge of the Amazon Basin and in western Africa. The ceiba has survived what is probably the highest rate of tropical deforestation in the world. It is a legendary and vital tree in centuries-old forests in places like Costa Rica that were once almost completely forested (98 percent in the mid-twentieth century) and decades later have suffered devastating deforestation (34 percent by 1980). One Tree grew out of a conversation between photographer Chuck Katz and acclaimed ecologist Gretchen Daily about the relict tree-a single tree that remains standing in a pasture, for example, after the forest has been cleared from the land, and takes on iconic importance for the animals, plants, and people in the ecosystem. During a trip the authors took to Costa Rica, Katz focused his lens on the ceiba and a story was born. In descriptive language interwoven with scientific fact, Daily discusses the tree's historical and natural history and the ceiba species in general. She touches on the science of the Costa Rican rainforest and its deforestation and the cultural traditions, legends, and folklore of forests and relict trees. Katz's photographs of the massive tree and the village that takes care of it create an intimate work celebrating the visual and biological intricacies of trees.

This is the story in pictures of Atlantic City, the iconic American shore resort, as it emerges from its latest crisis. The city of 40,000 people has been through many transformations in its history: 19th-Century health retreat, Prohibition-Era speakeasy, mid-century nightclub hub and East Coast gambling Mecca. The near-depression of the late 2000s and increasing competition from the spread of gambling across the country upended many schemes of casino impresarios and other developers. Many blocks of the city were leveled for casinos that never opened. The rate of defaults on home loans was the highest in the nation for a time. At the lowest point of the financial crisis the State of New Jersey took over the city's finances. Now it seems the tables may have begun to turn. These pictures are an attempt to capture the city and the people who live there.

This is a fascinating volume that uses illustrated manuscripts to gain a unique insight into the gardens of the Renaissance. Whether part of a grand villa or an extension of a common kitchen, gardens in the Renaissance were planted and treasured in all reaches of society. Illuminated manuscripts of the period offer a glimpse into how people at the time pictured, used, and enjoyed these idyllic green spaces. Drawn from a wide range of works in the Getty Museum's permanent collection, this gorgeously illustrated volume explores gardens on many levels, from the literary Garden of Love and the biblical Garden of Eden to courtly gardens of the nobility, and reports on the many activities - both reputable and scandalous - that took place there.

Enjoy the Meditative Act of Tracing as You Create Stunning Floral Artwork Take a deep breath, get out your favorite pen and ease into the tranquil process of tracing these gorgeous and modern botanical illustrations. Renowned artist Anna Oszvald brings you 40 breathtaking drawing projects designed for you to trace over and bring to life right in the pages of this book, thanks to the sturdy high quality art paper. As you draw over Anna's lines, you'll get comfortable with the motion and rhythm of sketching while seamlessly creating delicate florals, lush greenery and other wonders of the natural world one stroke at a time. Here's how each project works: The left-hand side of the page has tutorials that teach you how to capture all those minor details, like the graceful folds of a daisy's petal or dense complexity of a passionflower's center. The right-hand side has the illustration in full waiting for you to breathe life into it with your newfound skill. And thanks to the relaxing medium of tracing, there's no pressure! Simply follow the lines and get lost in the natural beauty as you unwind from the stresses of the day. You can even take these drawings one step further and color them in with marker, watercolor paints or any medium you like. In addition to these 40 projects, you'll find 10 bonus tear-out pages to hang on your wall, give as a gift or frame and keep forever. Take a stroll through Anna's beautiful garden as you hone your drawing skills with each calming stroke of your pen.

Blue Ridge Dreaming celebrates the magic and drama of one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the United States. When New York native Mike Poggioli moved to Asheville, North Carolina, he traded in cityscapes for the towering peaks, lush forests, and sparkling rivers of the Blue Ridge Mountains. His moody, dreamy landscapes follow golden light and delicate fog through the changing seasons with his distinctive color palette of oranges and blues. Home to the country's two most popular national parks - the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park - the Blue Ridge area has fascinated nature lovers for centuries with its beauty. Let Mike Poggioli and Blue Ridge Dreaming transport you to this gorgeous terrain.

Humankind has a special relationship with rain. The sensory experience of water falling from the heavens evokes feelings ranging from fear to gratitude and has inspired many works of art. Using unique and expertly developed art-historical case studies - from prehistoric cave paintings up to photography and cinema - this book casts new light on a theme that is both ecological and iconological, both natural and cultural-historical. Barbara Baert's distinctive prose makes Looking Into the Rain. Magic, Moisture, Medium a profound reading experience, particularly at a moment when disruptions of the harmony among humans, animals, and nature affect all of us and the entire planet. Barbara Baert is Professor of Art History at KU Leuven. She teaches in the field of Iconology, Art Theory & Analysis, and Medieval Art. Her work links knowledge and questions from the history of ideas, cultural anthropology and philosophy, and shows great sensitivity to cultural archetypes and their symptoms in the visual arts.