Sixty gorgeous works of Islamic art, created in the Safavid, Uzbek, Ottoman and Mughal Empires, are reproduced in colour to the highest specification as full-page illustrations in this exceptional volume. Figures, genre scenes and stunning calligraphic pages all come with an authoritative commentary on the facing page, in many cases accompanied by further reproductions showing details in close-up. This was the age of the master artist whose work was eagerly sought by collectors and looted by invaders, not to mention being the currency of political gift-making. The calligraphic artist Mir 'Ali Heravi was forcibly taken from Herat to Bukhara, where he exercised an influence on generations of calligraphers both in India and Iran. The 18th century St Petersburg Album was probably taken as plunder. One of its earliest illustrations is a 14th century scene with a calligraphic border depicting an exploit of the hero Rustam. A 16th century leaf from a Persian manuscript is by Muhammad Muzzahib and depicts Arab brigands brought before the king, who lets them off against his better judgment only to see them return to brigandage. Firdawsi's Shahnama illustrated in the new metropolitan style shows Iskandar (Alexander the Great) outwitting a dragon. Still in the 16th century, a study of a courtly lady represents an idealised beauty of the time, with round cheeks and hennaed fingers. A young man holding a pomegranate is equally elegant in his pose and attire, while a youth in a landscape by Sadiqi Beg, from Isfahan, demonstrates a similar style of good looks with strongly marked brows. An enigmatic crowd scene of the mid-17th century shows a Mughal noble and Abyssinian general embracing at the head of mounted nobles, with a row of elephants behind. A delicate 18th century Indian painting depicts the Virgin Mary. 192pp, over 100 superb colour illustrations.
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In this retro age, the work of classical illustrators has been taken up and given a new twist by modern designers, and this stunning visual feast shows how Dali, Rodchenko, Rauschenberg, Blake, Klimt and other pioneers in design have been revisited and repurposed in an explosion of post-modern energy. A section on Victoriana is launched with a quote from Freddie Mercury, "I want to lead a Victorian life, surrounded by exquisite clutter", and Barnum's Circus, music hall pugilists and the advent of photography all contribute to reimagining the Victorian aesthetic. Art Nouveau gives us reworkings of Mucha, and Secessionist Vienna new versions of images created by Klimt. Mariana Palova's image of a woman emerging with a cup of tea from a red Klimt-like surface is particularly striking. Constructivist art of the 1920s was created with poster work in mind, and modern examples simply take the aesthetic further, particularly in Teo Brito's Constructivist interpretation of Beatles Album covers. Dada's complexity lends itself to modern technological reinterpretation, while in the era of Art Deco we are back in the land of sheer beauty with simplified forms, either swirling or geometric, and gorgeous rich colour tones. Nick Gaetano's elegant coffee and espresso images of 2010 display the authentic soulless elegance. Surrealism produces modern dream fantasies, for instance Sillada's "Cecilia's red tears", a symbolic fantasy representing women's domination by men. Americana, Pop Art, Punk and Comic Book art have all been repurposed in recent years, for instance Peter Blake's cover for Sgt Pepper was commandeered in 2011 for the Eastenders 25th anniversary, replacing the original celebrities with members of the cast. 224pp, softback, colour reproductions on every page.
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First published to accompany an exhibition of art of the same name at the at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham in October 2017 to January 2018, this rare exhibition catalogue is a celebration of Jan Steen's distinctive genius. Steen (1626-1679) is now widely admired as one of the most engaging and technically brilliant painters of the Dutch Golden Age. He produced a remarkable group of around 70 history paintings, depicting subjects taken principally from the Bible and classical mythology and history. The book concentrates specifically on his Old Testament scenes which represent some of his most ambitious works, none more so than the Wrath of Ahasuerus. In about 25 extant or securely documented paintings, Steen represented some 16 scenes from seven books of the Old Testament. We look closely at the paintings' resonances with Jewish history, culture, picture collecting and theatricality. Comparisons are made with Rembrandt and other great contemporary Dutch painters. Steen slowly shed his unfortunate reputation as a drunk and rather boorish character, and he was praised for his clarity and expressiveness, and his ability to render the humanity of his characters. We are led to understand his sarcastic and comical approach and note that his treatment of the subject of the Marriage at Cana, at which water was miraculously turned into wine, was probably the only Biblical miracle that could truly have touched Steen given his reputation as a jolly drinker. Samson and Delilah, Amnon and Tamar, the Head of a God, Esther accusing Haman at the Banquet, Jews in the Synagogue are among the full-page colour reproductions together with a useful timeline and many other woodcut and colour illustrations. 84 page large paperback.

A heavyweight quality Könemann multilingual edition by the well regarded art historian. The cycles of Water Lilies are a highlight in Claude Monet's work and found in collections around the world. They have become the most beloved pieces and never before has such a focus been paid as in this splendid showcase. Monet brought in the interplay of colour and light, the atmospheric water and air, and the beauty of nature and impressions together with such harmony. This enchanting collection is reproduced in close up detail on glossy white heavy paper stock and in the introductory pages also features such images as the Japanese Bridge, Charing Cross Bridge London before looking in detail at the pinks and greens and yellows and blues of Monet's garden at Giverny. There are reflections of the weeping willows, sunsets and the Water Lily Cycle as shown at the Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris, in a beautiful sweeping arc around the room, skylights above flooding the panorama in natural daylight and creating a synthesis of majestic royal purples and lilacs, light and space, painting and architecture, art and nature. 29cm x 27cm, 200pp, colour.
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At Yeovil School of Art in Somerset from 1953-1957, Derek Boshier demonstrated the graphic abilities - via a sketchbook of pencil and ink drawings, some coloured with crayon or gouache - of local scenes and European townscapes such as Vourbourg, Amsterdam (fig.5) that have characterised so much of his subsequent work. These images, based on direct observation, have made a lively contribution to social realism. Boshier was the subject of the innovative 1962 TV documentary Pop Goes the Easel, directed by Ken Russell for the BBC's prestigious art strand Monitor. Boshier became a formidable figure in contemporary art, springing from the British Pop Art movement of the 1960s alongside Sir Peter Blake and David Hockney with whom he studied at the Royal College of Art in the very next booth. His engagement with politics and popular culture is notable through his work with David Bowie and The Clash, and in the 21st century he remains a challenging and vibrant spirit, regularly exhibiting new work alongside younger artists. The book title is named after Bryan Ferry's first song on Roxy Music's debut LP. It traces the artist?s career and subsequent abandonment of painting in the late 1960s and 70s during which time Boshier investigated assemblages and collage, book works, set design and illustration as well as photography, film and sculpture. This experimentation with fresh modes of expression included record sleeve and stage sets for Bowie, and the visually explosive CLASH 2nd Songbook, and his role in curating the controversial group show Live at the Hayward Gallery in 1979. Relocation to Los Angeles in the 1990s provided Boshier with rich source material. Hollywood, celebrity, tabloid culture, US foreign policy and technology are preoccupations, the latter manifested by the use of smartphones and apps as recurring motifs. Recently Boshier has created new film works using his iPad. The book features essays by leading academics, curators, critics and practitioners and includes 302 big bold colourful illustrations. A Thames & Hudson 2015 first edition, 24 x 29.5cm.
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You don't have to be an artist to achieve great results on your iPad, and this refreshingly accessible book is perfect for skilled artists and aspiring creatives alike. There are step-by-step projects that teach the fundamentals of digital painting and easy and fun tricks that anyone can try. A glossary covers abstraction, composition, contour, tone, vanishing point and warm and cool colours, and there is a study of Monet's Water Lilies, so go crazy with those beautiful reds, pinks and purples, yellows and cool background and observe how the lilies are arranged in a Z shape, an effective path for the eyes to create movement and depth. In fact you can activate whole paintings and understand the layers and how they were created as you hone your skills. Decorate your puppy picture with extra coloured patches above the eyes and different patterns on the ears and a mat for him to sit on. A portrait of a cat captures his very expressive eyes and is really quite realistic. So too are some of the portraits of actual people from photographs or something more kitsch and iconic like the good old pink plastic garden flamingo. Try your hand at Van Gogh's Sunflowers but begin with very simple line drawings and understanding the tools on your iPad with through expert tutorials. 144pp, large paperback, colour.

This book is a sheer delight, showcasing over 100 magazine covers from the late 1950s onwards, with a commentary on the inside story of each by editors and designers. Magazine covers need to make their impact according to the 5/5 rule (within five seconds from five feet away). There has to be an arresting image, complementary wording, and above all the cover as a whole distils a cultural moment. In autumn 1962, just after Marilyn Monroe's death, the cover of Eros magazine featured a photographer's contact sheet showing stills of Marilyn from a shoot she had done six weeks before. In April 1968 the boxer Muhammad Ali had been sentenced to imprisonment for being a conscientious objector, and the cover photo of Esquire magazine shows him in his white shorts transfixed with arrows in imitation of medieval paintings of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. Private Eye's February 1965 cover featured a cartoon of Winston Churchill by Gerald Scarfe, one of the few really sharp satirical cartoonists at the time, showing the old man not in bulldog mode but hunched and decrepit. Vogue magazine of March 1966 captures Donyale Luna looking out at the viewer from behind her carefully manicured hand, the first woman of colour to feature on Vogue. The photographer was David Bailey and he describes how he got the best out of his nervous subject. The feminist Spare Rib was launched in 1972 as an antidote to fashion magazines, with a casual photo of two women wearing no make-up. Time Out has had some startling covers, including the green-all-over issue on jealousy in 1973. In 1977 the violence of the modern game of cricket was captured for Radio Times by Ralph Steadman's cartoon of bowler Dennis Lillee. In 1981 Rolling Stone magazine featured a naked John Lennon embracing a clothed Yoko Ono, photographed hours before he was shot, and in September 2001 the New Yorker's apparently black cover in fact faintly features the twin towers. Every cover in this superb book tells us something about ourselves. 256pp, over 100 colour reproductions.
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To search for van Gogh means to retrace his actual physical path to the mental states that inspired his art. It means to take our understanding of art and geography and apply at what we know of Vincent's feelings and musings on life, art, books and authors, or found in the vast collection of letters 820 in all, 658 of which were addressed to his brother Theo, dating between 1872 and 1890. For months two talented photographers retraced van Gogh's path on foot, or by train, following him from Holland to England, and on to Belgium and France. They wanted to use the magic of photography to re-create what Vincent had imagined on canvas, and in this special book, the two are set by side-by-side. One of the photographers died in 2015, and today it would no longer be possible to photograph these places as they did for the book. "I have a larger picture of the village church and effect in which the building appears to be violet-hued against the sky of simple, deep blue colour, pure cobalt. The stained-glass windows appear as ultramarine blotches. The roof is violet, and partly orange in the foreground, some green plants in bloom and sand with the pink flow of sunshine in it." These are van Gogh's own words of his church at Auvers; his painting is reproduced and on the facing page in a colour photograph of the church on a sunny day. Enjoy his visions of the moon and the stars and the nebula, his chair, bed and nightstand, the Bridge of the Englishman, self portraits of the artist as a young man, the Rue de la Gallette and windmills, a room with a view of Paris in the heart of Montmartre, prostitutes and brothels and houses and people and of course, chrome yellow and sunflower orange. Art historian Gloria Fossi examines van Gogh's personal and artistic journey, combining a deep knowledge of place and art with what is known of his feelings in an art volume the like of which we have never seen before. 240 very large pages with colour, reproductions, colour photos, maps, and archive images.
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Here is a practical guide to drawing and painting surfaces on canvas and paper to textiles and woods because every surface you draw on impacts everything in your artwork, from its texture and brightness to its colour and durability. Learn the basics of working on canvas, paper, panels, textiles, wood, metal, glass, stone and silk plus useful tips and techniques for preparing your supports and protecting your finished artwork. Paper comes in a variety of formats - pads and books, rolls and loose sheets and in types such as newsprint which is thin and inexpensive for creating loose sketches, kraft paper made of wood pulp and very strong, drawing paper varying in weight and colour, handmade paper, mould-made paper, Bristol board of multiple layers up to 4-ply and illustration board mounted to a hard core surface, marker paper or watercolour paper for fluid washes and available in three textures - hot-pressed, cold-pressed and rough - for you to choose depending on your painting style and the visual effects you want to achieve. Packed with visual examples, step-by-step tutorials and demonstrations to maximise your results in a variety of media. Vibrant colour illustrations and photographs, 112 page large softback.

Sub-titled 'The Life and Achievements of a Self-Taught Polymath, Artist and Wit from Devonshire', John Cranch was born in the same small town in the same year that Gray's Elegy was published. Taught to read and write but little else, only his own personality and talent allowed him to break free to become a respected lawyer, scholar and artist. But his story would be a dry one if thought of only in terms of social mobility, because even across two centuries his strivings, disappointments and successes have a modern human appeal. Significant amounts of his own writing and letters have survived, and the numerous quotations in this biography allow his own voice to speak to us. This took on greater historical significance when he was writing to relatives and acquaintances caught up in the events surrounding the birth of the independent United States of America. One important fact is that his uncle Richard Cranch was the brother-in-law and great friend of John Adams, second President of the United States. When John Cranch's (1751-1821) paintings appeared at auction in the 20th century, the importance of his art was finally appreciated. As a painter he often depicted domestic life of ordinary people and tradesman, popular themes of Dutch art in the period but not fashionable in England for some time afterwards. His role as mentor to the young John Constable is acknowledged nowadays. What should also be acclaimed to his fame was his pioneering antiquarian work, but despite the importance attached to preservation of ancient things, he sought to alert the world to their destruction. Cranch never married or had children. He appreciated the work of the blue stocking author Hannah More and this polymath certainly noted the talents of others which may have led to his near abandonment of his legal practice, which bored him. Long periods of his life were spent in Kingsbridge and Axminster in Devonshire, London and finally Bath. 203pp, illustrations.