Buildings of every shape and size and from all corners of the world, populate this colourful and beautifully produced book that introduces children to history's most iconic architectural feats and the people behind them. In lively illustrated spreads, young readers will learn how Christopher Wren reconstructed an 11th-century cathedral after London's great fire of 1666 to become the St Paul's Cathedral that we know today and how its dome survived the Blitz. They will find out how Thomas Jefferson, in building his plantation, Monticello, created a new architecture for a new nation. They will be introduced to the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Zaha Hadid and can examine in detail the wonders of the Eiffel Tower, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and Rome's most beautiful theatre. The book proceeds chronologically, accompanied by a timeline to offer helpful historical context. Each architect's entry includes a concise biography, illustrations of major works and lively texts that speak directly to young readers. Additional information about the buildings pictured, suggestions for further reading and online resources will satisfy the most curious of minds.

Arguably the most important movement in the history of modern art, Impressionism changed the way audiences perceived painting. This elegant and portable book overflows with images and information about the movement's leading figures, tracing its development as different artists took up the challenge of redefining light and space in two dimensions, revealing the role of recent scientific discoveries, the changing landscape of Paris, and how audiences reacted to this seismic shift. The work of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Caillebotte, Degas, Morisot, Seurat and others are given special attention, with generous, full-page illustrations of their masterpieces. Chronologically arranged, the book provides important biographical detail on the aritsts and describes historic events in the context of the latest scholarship. It also includes suggestions for further reading.

Brimming with stunning reproductions and illuminating texts, this handy and accessible book is the perfect introduction to the famous Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer.

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1521) is considered the most important German painter and graphic artist of the Renaissance period. His numerous self-portraits, his impressive altarpieces, and his detailed copperplate engravings are world-famous. Dürer's works are icons of art history, whose quality and innovative power still set the trend for artists worldwide today. Even during his lifetime, this brilliant visionary, who self-confidently depicted himself posing as Christ, was able to successfully market himself, even establishing the first logo in history with his monogram.

In addition to an illustrated biography that places Dürer within his historical context, many of his most famous paintings and drawings are presented and clearly explained.

16th-century Europe was a time of unprecedented economic expansion, cross-cultural trade, religious upheaval, warring empires, and scientific advancement. With unfettered access to the court of Henry VIII, Hans Holbein had a front-row seat to the royal drama and intrigue, and his detailed, highly narrative portaits tell us much about aristocracy. This volume features dozens of full-page reproductions of Holbein's key works accompanied by extensive commentary that explores his masterful portraits of prominent European figures such as Thomas More, Erasmus, and Thomas Cromwell. It also reveals the artist's talent in other media, such as woodcuts, frescoes, jewelry, and metalwork. Reproductions of these items, as well as Holbein's exquisite, palm-sized miniatures and his highly detailed studies in pencil, chalk, and ink illuminate an artist of unparalleled versatility and impressive commercial acumen.

This spellbinding look at the history and development of illusionistic art reveals wide-ranging techniques that have piqued the public's fascination with this medium. Beautifully reproduced, the images featured in the book includes centuries-old work such as the scenery at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy, and the ceiling frescos at the Wurzburg Residence in Germany, that showcase processes such as trompe l'oeil and anamorphosis. It also features work from the 20th and 21st centuries, including Rene Magritte's classic surrealist works; M. C. Escher's magical and mathematically precise drawings; the seemingly undulating paintings of Bridget Riley; the manipulated photography of Andreas Gursky; Duane Hanson's eerily lifelike sculptures; JR's larger-than-life portrait photographs; and George Rousse's mind- bending constructions. The book also has examples of amazing street art including subway graffiti and a sidewalk painting that makes pedestrians think twice. This extraordinary and informative guide to all kinds of artistic trickery will satisfy scholars as well as everyday fans.

The newest addition to Prestel s highly successful 50...You Should Know series offers the perfect introduction to the best contemporary photographers and their most iconic works. This globetrotting collection of contemporary photographers and their work is a great way to become familiar with the wide variety of techniques and styles embraced by the medium. Organized chronologically by year of birth, each photographer is introduced in double-page spreads that feature reproductions of their work and a perceptive and concise appreciation of their life and career. From Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama, famous for his images of post-war Japan, to Richard Mosse, an Irish conceptual documentarian who uses infrared film to document war in the Eastern Congo from a bold new perspective, this book offers an exciting array of familiar and not-so-familiar works. Among the photographers included are Nan Goldin, William Eggleston, Sebastia o Salgado, Sally Mann, Nobuyoshi Araki, Dayanita Singh, Juergen Teller, and Alec Soth.By reaching across the globe and including artists whose work is experimental, groundbreaking, thought-provoking, or beautiful, this book presents a panoply of today s most remarkable photographers. "

Chronologically arranged, each chapter focuses on a particular work or idea that changed the course of photography. Presented in beautiful spreads and with informative text, the book opens with photography's genesis in the form of the camera obscura. Centuries later, Daguerre, Niepce, and Talbot invented their own means of capturing light on paper. The book covers groundbreaking genres such as still life, landscape, portraiture, and nudes. Sections on the role of photography in journalism illustrate how the camera's presence on battlefields, on city streets, and in factories helped inform and reform the modern world. Fashion, animals, Surrealism, and staged portraits are also explored. Perfect for perusing or reading from cover to cover, this book illustrates how photography developed from a concept to a world-changing force--one that attempted to shed light on truth yet can also obscure and alter reality in dazzling ways.

In this beautifully produced volume, young readers are given the opportunity to study masterpieces of Impressionist work in great detail. From Monet's Impression, Sunrise, which is attributed to starting the movement, to Seurat's pointillist masterpiece, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, each painting is reproduced on its own page with descriptive texts, biographical details of the artist, and entertaining facts. Along the way readers will learn the historic context of these paintings as well as a variety of artistic terms. The book also offers playful suggestions for creating Impressionist art at home or school as well as ideas that will help young readers appreciate why the Impressionist style was at once revolutionary and timeless.

This lively and engaging volume in Prestel's successful "Children Should Know" series opens a door into the fascinating world of architecture. Buildings of every shape and size, and from all corners of the world, populate this colorful and beautifully produced book that introduces children to history's most iconic architectural feats and the people behind them. In lively illustrated spreads, young readers will learn how Christopher Wren reconstructed an 11th-century cathedral after London's great fire of 1666 to become the St Paul's Cathedral that we know today, and how its dome survived the Blitz. They will find out how Thomas Jefferson, in building his plantation, Monticello, created a new architecture for a new nation. They will be introduced to the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, and Zaha Hadid and can examine in detail the wonders of the Eiffel Tower, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and Rome's most beautiful museum. The book proceeds chronologically, accompanied by a timeline to offer helpful historical context. Each architect's entry includes a concise biography, illustrations of major works, and lively texts that speak directly to young readers. Additional information about the buildings pictured, suggestions for further reading, and online resources will satisfy the most curious minds.