This study provides a new analysis of the pictorial ensemble of the Torre de la Parada, the hunting lodge of King Philip IV of Spain. Created in the late 1630s by a group of artists led by Peter Paul Rubens, this cycle of mythological imagery and hunting scenes was completed by Diego Velazquez. Despite the lack of a written program, surviving works provide eloquent testimony of several basic themes that embody neo-Stoic ideals of self-restraint and prudent governance. While Rubens set the moral tone through his serio-comic Ovidian narratives, Velazquez added an important grace note with his portraits of ancient philosophers, and royals and fools of the court. This study is the first to consider in depth their joint artistic contributions and shared ambition. Through analysis of individual works, the authors situate these pictorial inventions within broader intellectual currents in both Spanish Flanders and Spain, especially in the advice literature and drama presented to the Spanish king. Moreover, they point to the lasting resonance of Torre de la Parada for Velazquez, especially within his late masterworks, Las Meninas and The Spinners. Ultimately, this study illuminates the dialogical nature of this ensemble in which Rubens and Velazquez offer a set of complementary views on subjects ranging from the nature of classical gods to the role of art as a mirror of the prince."

In 1797 Friedrich Schlegel wrote that "philosophy of art usually lacks one of two things: either the philosophy, or the art." This collection of essays contains both the philosophy and the art. It brings together an international team of leading philosophers to address diverse philosophical issues raised by recent works of art. Each essay engages with a specific artwork and explores the connection between the image and the philosophical content. Thirteen contemporary philosophers demonstrate how philosophy can aid interpretation of the work of ten contemporary artists, including: Jesse Prinz on John Currin Barry C. Smith and Edward Winters on Dexter Dalwood Lydia Goehr and Sam Rose on Tom de Freston Raymond Geuss on Adrian Ghenie and Chantal Joffe Hallvard Lillehammer on Paul Noble M. M. McCabe and Alexis Papazoglou on Ged Quinn Noel Carroll on Paula Rego Simon Blackburn and Jerrold Levinson on George Shaw Sondra Bacharach on Yue Minjun. The discussion ranges over ethical, political, psychological and religious concepts, such as irony, disgust, apathy, inequality, physiognomy and wonder, to historical experiences of war, Marx-inspired political movements and Thatcherism, and standard problems in the philosophy of art, such as expression, style, depiction and ontology of art, as well as major topics in art history, such as vanitas painting, photography, pornography, and Dadaism. Many of the contributors are distinguished in areas of philosophy other than aesthetics and are writing about art for the first time. All show how productive the engagement can be between philosophy, more generally, and art.

The jewel-like watercolours of renowned Irish botanical artist Wendy Walsh portray a personal selection of about 100 plants that grow wild in Ireland or are cultivated in Irish gardens. Presented in 33 thematic sections,Walsh's subjects range from well-loved and distinctive native plants to exotic species introduced from the New World and Asia, unusual plants that grow in some of the most extreme environments in Ireland, and striking hybrids created by plant breeders. Lively and accessible horticultural descriptions by distinguished botanist E. Charles Nelson accompany the paintings, celebrating the story of each plant along with its natural beauty. The great gardens, famous plantsmen, fascinating journeys and natural phenomena that have shaped the flora of Ireland spring to life in Dr Nelson's engaging text. This elegant and unconventional guide will kindle the imagination of any plant lover or admirer of the Irish landscape.

Enter The Madman's Gallery and discover an extraordinary, illustrated exhibition of the greatest curiosities from the global history of art, featuring one hundred magnificently eccentric antique paintings, engravings, illustrations, and sculptures, each with a fascinatingly bizarre story to tell. Brought to light from the depths of libraries, museums, dealers, and galleries around the world, these forgotten artistic treasures include portraits of oddballs such as the British explorer with a penchant for riding crocodiles, and the Italian monk who levitated so often he's recognized as the patron saint of airplane passengers. Discover impossible medieval land yachts, floating churches, and eagle-powered airships. Encounter dog-headed holy men, armies of German giants, 18th-century stuntmen, human chessboards, screaming ghost heads, and more marvels of the human imagination. A captivating odditorium of obscure and engaging characters and works, each expertly brought to life by historian and curator of the strange Edward Brooke-Hitching, here is a richly illustrated and entertaining gallery for lovers of outre art and history. A GLOBAL SURVEY: Here are European painters who used ground up Egyptian mummies as pigment, examples of the antique Japanese art of Gyotaku (fish stone rubbings) using dried fish as printing plates, a Parisian art hoax featuring paintings actually created by a chimpanzee, and much more. ODDITIES ABOUND: Depictions of the demon worms believed to cause toothaches carved into human molars: Check. A nude version of the Mona Lisa painted by the "bad boy" apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci: Here it is. The most admiring portrait of a cannibal likely ever produced: Presented in full color. EXPERT AUTHOR: Edward Brooke-Hitching is a master of taking visually driven deep dives into unusual historical subjects, such as the maps of imaginary geography in The Phantom Atlas or ancient pathways through the stars in The Sky Atlas, imaginative depictions of heavens, hells, and afterworlds in The Devil's Atlas, and the strangest books imaginable in The Madman's Library. Perfect for: Fans of beautifully illustrated works, art history, and unusual world atlas collections Readers of quirky history such as Schott's Miscellany, Atlas Obscura, and the wildly popular QI series (for which the author is a writer and researcher) Gift for a graduate, teacher, or student of world history, art history, library science, archeology, sociology, or any discipline engaged in the exploration of curiosities and human nature

Learn how to create beautiful loose and expressive florals, still lifes, motifs, animals, modes of transport, and fruits and vegetables in vibrant watercolor with touches of pen and ink. In Go with the Flow Painting, author Ohn Mar Win (Instagram: @ohn_mar_win) offers beginner-friendly techniques, tips, and step-by-step lessons that show how to get the most out of these mediums and paint confidently in this captivating style. Discover a new visual language that renders subjects with soft edges and luminous color. Capture just enough detail to suggest familiar flowers, animals, and objects and allow your unique expression and style to flourish. Begin with essential supplies and learn the key characteristics of loose watercolor. Practice basic techniques that lay the foundation for this style, such as working wet-on-wet, creating color gradients, layering, and creating shapes. Learn the best way to use brushes, and explore easy methods of working with pen and ink to add striking linework and details. Step-by-step lessons show how to capture the essence of a subject without worrying about perfectly executing every detail. Learn how to paint captivating hot air balloons, tiger lilies, French macarons, a colorful chameleon, and more. Embracing this flowing approach to watercolor allows you to develop a freer style and create artwork that's alive and exciting, instead of overworked. Go with the Flow Painting also features: How to mix colors directly on paper to get unique and beautiful effects Warm-up exercises to help get into a flow state of mind Information on colors and color values, and how best to use them Ideas and inspiration for creating cards, invitations, and more Explore watercolor in a new way that will open up a new world of creativity.

Definitive introduction to the art and artists of Mexico during great artistic movements of the twenties and thirties. In-depth discussion of major figures-Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros-as well as 40 other artists: Galvan, Cantú, Meza, more. Fascinating insights, political and social movements, historical context, etc. 95 illustrations.

In 1954, following her death, Frida Kahlo's possessions were locked away in the Casa Azul in Mexico City, her lifelong home. Half a century later, her collection of clothing, jewellery, cosmetics and other personal items was rediscovered. Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up offers a fresh perspective on the life story of this extraordinary artist, whose charisma and entirely individual way of dressing made her one of the most photographed women of her time. Specially-commissioned photographs show her distinctive Mexican outfits alongside her self-portraits, an unprecedented pairing that is enriched by iconic images taken in her lifetime.

While much has been written on Marcel Duchamp - one of the twentieth century's most beguiling artists - the subject of his flirtation with architecture seems to have been largely overlooked. Yet, in the carefully arranged plans and sections organising the blueprint of desire in the Large Glass, his numerous pieces replicating architectural fragments, and his involvement in designing exhibitions, Duchamp's fascination with architectural design is clearly evident.As his unconventional architectural influences - Niceron, Lequeu and Kiesler - and diverse legacy - Tschumi, OMA, Webb, Diller + Scofidio and Nicholson - indicate, Duchamp was not as much interested in 'built' architecture as he was in the architecture of desire, re-constructing the imagination through drawing and testing the boundaries between reality and its aesthetic and philosophical possibilities. Marcel Duchamp and the Architecture of Desire examines the link between architectural thinking and Duchamp's work. By employing design, drawing and making - the tools of the architect - Haralambidou's work performs an architectural analysis of Duchamp's final enigmatic work Given: 1. The Waterfall, 2. The Illuminating Gas...demonstrating an innovative research methodology able to grasp meaning beyond textual analysis. This novel reading of his ideas and methods adds to, but also challenges, other art-historical interpretations. Through three main themes - allegory, visuality and desire - the book defines and theorises an alternative drawing practice positioned between art and architecture that predates and includes Duchamp.

Learn how to paint adorable animals, flavorful fruits, lively plants, and more in this free-and-easy approach to watercolor. Artist Natalia Skatula has a beautiful, whimsical style that will charm you through 12 simple step-by-step projects and over 100 worked examples. Beginning with an overview on materials and equipment, Natalia then covers the general techniques needed to achieve the paintings, along with her top-10 personal tips for success. Projects include: A majestic whale An adorable sloth Elephants Pandas Dogs Llamas Bears Foxes Rabbits And more! This book also includes a range of presentation ideas to inspire you to put your finished work on display or gift it. The gallery of examples that follows includes plants, cats, beetles, birds, sealife, jungle creatures and fruits, giving you a treasure-trove of references for your painting. This book also makes the perfect gift for artists of all ages, especially plant and animal lovers. Find the inspiration and technique to start your watercoloring adventures with this beautiful guide!

Jean Simeon Chardin (1699-1779) was arguably the most talented French painter of the eighteenth century, best known for his original still lifes. Composed of simple, everyday objects, these works glow with warmth and magic, from the dull iron of the kitchen pans, to the glaze of the green earthenware jug or the shining copper of the cauldron. There is no superfluous detail or search for decorative effect; the beauty of his paintings lies in their minimalism. His contemporary, the philosopher Diderot, looking at The Olive Jar exclaimed: 'All you have to do is take these biscuits and eat them ... pick up the glass of wine and drink it ... O Chardin! It's not white, red or black pigment that you crush on your palette: it's the very substance of the objects.' Chardin received early recognition for his work, becoming an Associate of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and full Academician in 1728 at the age of almost 29. Following the success of his early still lifes and inspired by Dutch seventeenth-century artists, whose work was very much in vogue in Paris at the time, Chardin went on to paint some exquisite genre scenes and portraits, remarkable for their realism and honesty as well as for their skilful technique. His works had a tremendous influence on subsequent artists, inspiring painters as diverse as Manet and Cezanne.

Sold in packs of 6. Gorgeous, foiled, handmade greeting cards, blank inside and shrink-wrapped with a gold envelope. Themed with our art calendars, foiled notebooks and illustrated art books. Our greeting cards are printed on FSC paper and wrapped in biodegradeable cellobag, and are themed with our art calendars, foiled notebooks and illustrated art books. This example features Van Gogh's 'Almond Blossom'.

In this visually stunning and much anticipated book, acclaimed art historian Joseph Koerner casts the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel in a completely new light, revealing how the painting of everyday life was born from what seems its polar opposite: the depiction of an enemy hell-bent on destroying us. Supreme virtuoso of the bizarre, diabolic, and outlandish, Bosch embodies the phantasmagorical force of painting, while Bruegel, through his true-to-life landscapes and frank depictions of peasants, is the artistic avatar of the familiar and ordinary. But despite their differences, the works of these two artists are closely intertwined. Bruegel began his career imitating Bosch's fantasies, and it was Bosch who launched almost the whole repertoire of later genre painting. But Bosch depicts everyday life in order to reveal it as an alluring trap set by a metaphysical enemy at war with God, whereas Bruegel shows this enemy to be nothing but a humanly fabricated mask. Attending closely to the visual cunning of these two towering masters, Koerner uncovers art history's unexplored underside: the image itself as an enemy. An absorbing study of the dark paradoxes of human creativity, Bosch and Bruegel is also a timely account of how hatred can be converted into tolerance through the agency of art. It takes readers through all the major paintings, drawings, and prints of these two unforgettable artists--including Bosch's notoriously elusive Garden of Earthly Delights, which forms the core of this historical tour de force. Elegantly written and abundantly illustrated, the book is based on Koerner's A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, a series given annually at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Between 1790 and 1910, Danish painters developed a national school of art that matched the artistic centres of France, Germany and Britain. The range of outstanding works created by Nicolai Abildgaard, Jens Juel, Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, Christen Kobke, P. S. Kroyer and Vilhelm Hammershoi reflect and refract the great stylistic tendencies of European art of the 19th century, including Classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism and Symbolism. Illustrated with over two hundred key works of art drawn from the leading Danish collections, this is the only book available in English that surveys Danish painting across the 19th century. Written by a major scholar in the field, and featuring all the icons of the Danish Golden Age, this is an essential addition to all art libraries.

Through intricate patterns, rich color, and startling juxtapositions. Douglas Johnson entices the viewer into a world in which dream, myth, and ritual have a power transcending everyday reality. He is a true original, whose magically evocative works defy classification. The artist's inspiration draws its richness from the ancient cultures of North America, Mexico, Peru, Egypt, and Asia. His gem-like miniatures, often depicting pre-Columbian ruins, scenes of early Indian life, and exquisite birds and flowers, have gained wide critical acclaim over the past 30 years, and are represented in numerous private, corporate, and museum collections. Robert Ewing's biography of Johnson discusses the experiences and influences that shaped him as an artist. Viewing 80 full-color reproductions of his paintings, readers will understand why collectors and critics continue to be astonished and captivated by Douglas Johnson's mysterious images.

Learn to paint tropical watercolor flowers and foliage in simple steps with this free and easy approach to watercolor painting for beginners. Marie Boudon's beautifully presented creative course will get you started in this expressive and fun medium. Find out about the essential materials you need, learn about color mixing for an on-trend jungle palette, get expert tips on transparency, overlays and negative space, discover ideas for compositions and then work step-by-step through over 20 tutorials for jungle plants and flowers. From palm trees, monstera leaves and other jungle foliage to tropical flowers such as hibiscus, bird of paradise and anthurium, you'll find easy exercises and inspiring ideas for jungle-themed art, which is a huge trend in interiors and surface pattern design. Along the way, be inspired by Marie's gorgeous ideas for presenting the finished work as art pieces, journal pages, handmade stationery and greetings cards, inspirational quote frames, personalized gifts and more.

Create Better Compositions by Design

The path to better painting begins with "Mastering Composition." This effective guide blends clear, visual instruction with 5 step-by-step demonstrations to show you how to plan and paint your best work yet.

Composition is the key, and here you'll learn to design paintings with new skill and confidence. It all begins with the armature or structure of the picture plane. Every great painting has one, and you'll see through several famous examples exactly how the Old Masters used armatures to create movement, narrative, harmony and fluidity. Based on these examples, you'll practice what you've learned following a series of hands-on demonstrations.

Once you understand the basic principles of design, you'll be amazed at how quickly and effectively your compositions come together. Soon you will be painting more boldly and confidently than ever before with less reworking and overworking.

Whether you're a beginner looking for basic instruction or a more advanced painter troubleshooting a specific problem, the proven methods in this book will work for you. Ideal for all mediums, "Mastering Composition" gives you the knowledge you need to create powerful paintings out of every subject.

J.M.W. Turner's elegant pencil sketches and watercolours of Venice are so poignant and evocative that the gentle sound of water lapping against gondolas can almost be heard when looking at them. In this beautiful selection, Ian Warrell employs the very finest examples of Turner's Venetian studies to either guide your next visit or awaken your memories of trips past. Join Turner as he progresses through the city, beginning at St. Mark's Basilica with the Campanile towering above and the coral-coloured exterior of the Doge's Palace. Drift onward toward the Bridge of Sighs and take a detour past the Hotel Europa where Turner preferred to stay. Travel onwards past the Giardini Reali, the Punta della Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute on your way to San Giorgio Maggiore and the Accademia. Drift away from the bustling markets around the Rialto on the Grand Canal heading toward the Frari and the Scuola di San Rocco, demonstrating the inspiration taken from Venetian masters such as Tintoretto and Veronese.

The panorama is primarily a visual medium, but a variety of print matter mediated its viewing; adverts, reviews, handbills and a descriptive programme accompanied by an annotated key to the canvas. The short accounts, programs, reviews, articles and lectures collected here are the primary historical sources left to us.

A study of the changes in the style of Guercino and of related 17th century Italian painters.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti is amongst the most famous figures of the late- Victorian era. An eminent artist and one of the founder members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, his art and life have fascinated scholars for decades. His ideas have, however, been little studied, as specialists, while acknowledging his use of symbolism, have tended to avoid analysing its nature and its sources, as well as its content. In 'The Stream's Secret', the author highlights a facet of the artist's work not previously much explored. Rodger Drew offers a comprehensive analysis of the painting and poetry of Rossetti, showing that the artist widely employed themes and motifs drawn from the Hermetic magical system that later developed into Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry. Drew connects this symbolism with a comprehensive European tradition dating from Plato and Pythagoras, running through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance and later periods. This deep insight into Rossetti's works allows the reader to gain a better understanding of the existing bond between Rossetti's paintings and his poetry, as well as to appreciate the importance of symbolism as a language in the artist's oeuvre. More generally, Drew gives his reader an overall view of the use of this symbolism in the art of the Aesthetic Movement. The book is a wholly original study of Rossetti's symbolism, and will be an essential resource for teachers, researchers, and Art History students, and for anyone interested in the Pre-Raphaelite Movement. This is a fundamental guide to a proper understanding English art in the late nineteenth-century. The Author: Rodger Drew was born in London in 1951, and obtained his PhD in Art History and English Literature at Glasgow University. The Stream's Secret develops ideas from his doctoral thesis. He has worked for many years as a designer, and currently divides his time between art and writing.

The painting collections in the state museums of Florence are unequalled for their quality, historical significance, and for the sheer number of works; never before have they been presented in a publication of such splendid technical quality. The Uffizi, the Palatine Gallery, the Accademia, and the other national collections-to which the Contini Bonacossi donation and the works recovered by Rodolfo Siviero have recently been added-constitute the greatest museum complex in the world. It is a complex unified by its history, closely tied at first to the Medici family, who were originally patrons and benefactors but who later, as their political power waned, came to be characterized as collectors and preservers of heritage. These museums bear witness to the Florentine supremacy in the arts that was established by Cosimo I with the invaluable assistance of Vincenzo Borghini and of Giorgio Vasari.