History of art Books

The classic book on the art and history of weaving--now expanded and in full color Written by one of the twentieth century's leading textile artists, this splendidly illustrated book is a luminous meditation on the art of weaving, its history, its tools...

How the nature illustrations of a Renaissance polymath reflect his turbulent ageThis pathbreaking and stunningly illustrated book recovers the intersections between natural history, politics, art, and philosophy in the late sixteenth-century Low...

An exploration of the artistic and cultural influences that shaped writer and illustrator Edward GoreyThe illustrator, designer, and writer Edward Gorey (1925-2000) is beloved for his droll, surreal, and slightly sinister drawings. While he is perhaps...

A stunning portrait of the nocturnal moths of Central and South America by famed American photographer Emmet Gowin American photographer Emmet Gowin (b. 1941) is best known for his portraits of his wife, Edith, and their family, as well as for his images...

The most pervasive gods in ancient Rome had no traditional mythology attached to them, nor was their worship organized by elites. Throughout the Roman world, neighborhood street corners, farm boundaries, and household hearths featured small shrines to...

Photography Reinvented brings together thirty-five works by eighteen critically acclaimed artists who, through innovative experimentation and visionary conceptual scope, have changed the course of contemporary photography. From the seemingly objective,...

The first book to explore the role of images in philosophical thought and teaching in the early modern period Delving into the intersections between artistic images and philosophical knowledge in Europe from the late sixteenth to the early eighteenth...

What is Chinese painting? When did it begin? And what are the different associations of this term in China and the West? In Chinese Painting and Its Audiences, which is based on the A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts given at the National Gallery of...

An unprecedented survey of the origins and evolution of Chinese architecture, from the last millennia BCE to todayThroughout history, China has maintained one of the world's richest built civilizations. The nation's architectural achievements range from...

A facsimile edition of the artist's fascinating working notebooksBrooklyn-born Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-88) was one of the most important artists of the 1980s. A key figure in the New York art scene, he inventively explored the interplay between words...

This lavishly illustrated volume is the first major global history of ornament from the Middle Ages to today. Crossing historical and geographical boundaries in unprecedented ways and considering the role of ornament in both art and architecture,...

This is a cultural history of mathematics and art, from antiquity to the present. Mathematicians and artists have long been on a quest to understand the physical world they see before them and the abstract objects they know by thought alone. Taking...

A fun and stunningly illustrated introduction to the art of linear optimizationLinear optimization is a powerful modeling method for discovering the best solution to a problem among a set of available alternatives. It is one of today's most important...

This richly illustrated book provides an anthology and summation of the work of one of the world's leading historians of Chinese painting and calligraphy. Wen Fong helped create the field of East Asian art history during a distinguished five-decade...

In this wide-ranging and authoritative book, the first of its kind in English, Wood tracks the evolution of the historical study of art from the late middle ages through the rise of the modern scholarly discipline of art history.Synthesising and...

The Mind's Eye focuses on the relationships among art, theology, exegesis, and literature--issues long central to the study of medieval art, yet ripe for reconsideration. Essays by leading scholars from many fields examine the illustration of theological...

A beautifully illustrated examination of the women artists whose inspired search for artistic integrity and equality influenced Expressionist avant-garde culture.Women Artists in Expressionism explores how women negotiated the competitive world of modern...

Stories for Ways and Means features original "grown up" story collaborations by some of this era's most compelling storytellers from the worlds of music and contemporary art.Ten years ago Jeff Antebi, the founder of music publisher Waxploitation, had an...

A rich vein of the artist's mature work, depicting the foundations of landscape and placeFrom the mid-1860s until shortly before his death, Paul Czanne (18391906) created 27 canvases that take rock formations as their principal subjects. This is the...

Princeton's Great Persian Book of Kings presents the first comprehensive examination of a beautifully decorated yet relatively unknown manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings), created in 158990 in the flourishing cultural center of Shiraz. Held by...

The Princeton University Art Museum's collection of Spanish drawings includes masterworks by artists such as Jusepe de Ribera (15911652), Bartolom Esteban Murillo (16171682), Francisco Goya (17461828), Pablo Picasso (18811973), and Salvador Dal...

The essays in More than One examine sequentiality and serialism in the practice of photography from the medium's earliest years to the present. Contributors explore nuances of syntax and sense raised by works like photographic albums, books, thematic...

Since the beginning of time, there has been struggle. The epic clash of being against being. Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Triceratops. Giant Squid vs. the Sperm Whale. The Circle vs. the Square. This is a chronicling of some of the greatest...

In this Japanese ink painting book renowned Japanese master Shozo Sato offers his own personal teaching on the beautiful art of sumi-e painting.Sumi-e: The Art of Japanese Ink Painting provides step-by-step, photo-by-photo instructions to guide learners...

The late 1950s and early '60s were the golden age of science fiction, an era when the farthest reaches of imagination were fed by the technological breakthroughs of the postwar years. While science fiction writers expressed the dreams and nightmares of...

This is an updated version of the enduring classic that first introduced the concept of "imperfect beauty" to the West. Text, images, and book design seamlessly meld into a wabi-sabi-like experience. "Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect,...

Drew Struzan has created some of the most iconic movie poster images of the last 30 years, from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to "Star Wars: Episode III". This is the first book to cover his movie work in depth. Featuring over 300 pieces of artwork,...

Sure to be a classic, Donald Richie's concise, profound insights into the mysteries of Japanese Aesthetics.This provocative book is a tractate-a treatise-on beauty in Japanese art, written in the manner of a zuihitsu, a free-ranging assortment of ideas...

From Cutie Honey and Sailor Moon to Nausica of the Valley of the Wind, the worlds of Japanese anime and manga teem with prepubescent girls toting deadly weapons. Sometimes overtly sexual, always intensely cute, the beautiful fighting girl has been both...

This is the second volume of the comic trilogy from Ubisoft. Escaped from Abstergo with the help of Lucy, Desmond joins the Assassins in their fight against the Templars. But, betrayed by Patient 13, the Assassins leave Rome for Monterrigioni. On the...

Chinese Art is a guide to the meanings behind the hundreds of common motifs and symbols found in all forms of Chinese art. A thorough examination of the diverse usage of natural symbols, colors, numbers, inanimate items and personages,Chinese Art...

Japanese Ink Painting: Lessons in Suiboku Technique teaches beginners the fundamental techniques ofsuiboku, a form of Japanese ink painting.Suiboku is considered to be a type of Japanese painting known as sumi-e. It adds water to emphasize the shading of...

This book surveys the art scene in Bali for the past two hundred years. The author shows how Balinese painting has deep local roots and has followed its own distinctive trajectory, yet has been heavily influenced by outsiders. Indian artistic and...

Astronomical auction prices in the late 1990s first drew many people's attention to the phenomenon of the early Papunya boards, the thousand small painted panels created at the remote Northern Territory Aboriginal settlement of Papunya in 1971-72...

Japanese woodblock prints, or ukiyo-e, are the most recognizable Japanese art form. Their massive popularity has spread from Japan to be embraced by a worldwide audience. Covering the period from the beginning of the Japanese woodblock print in the 1680s...

"An excellent reference work on the subject."-Library Journal (starred review)For fans, culture watchers, and perplexed outsiders, this expanded edition offers an engaging tour of the anime megaverse, from older artistic traditions to the works of modern...

Things Japanese takes a delightful look at over sixty objects that are uniquely Japanese. Each spread is dedicated to a different item everything from folding paper fans to lacquer ware combs and ceramic tea bowls. Each object...

An impressive cult movie art collection, featuring art from Gallery 1988, a Los Angeles art gallery that focuses on pop-culture themed artwork. Be prepared to see your favourite cult movies as you've never seem them before! Gallery 1988's annual...

The art of Japanese woodblock printing, known as ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), reflects the rich history and way of life in Japan hundreds of years ago. Ukiyo-e: The Art of the Japanese Print takes a thematic approach to this iconic...

Amazing Origami provides the ultimate origami experience giving you 144 sheets of paper-featuring 19 new designs created just for this kit-and instructions for 17 delightful origami models. Providing everything you need to create and display your origami...

The Japanese sword, a unique work of art in steel, can be appreciated from a number of viewpoints. Its functionality as a weapon, the sophisticated metallurgy and scientific thinking utilized by the swordsmith, the shape of the blade itself, and the...

Matisse or Kahlo - Hirst or Emin - whose artworks have been the most influential? The most shocking? The most expensive? These cards allow art lovers of all ages to play off popular artists and compare them to the trailblazing women we should all know.....

Piece together the world of the genius that is Frida Kahlo in this art history jigsaw puzzle that tells the story of her life, her art and her career.  Taking centre stage is Frida herself surrounded by iconic elements of her life. Woven into the...

Be guided and inspired by the world's greatest artists with this creative set of oracle cards. Are you suffering from creative block? Struggling to make a difficult life decision? Find out what Picasso, Pollock, Kahlo and other great artists would have...

For those born in Australia, it’s easy to take citizenship and its responsibilities for granted. But there is much more to being an Australian citizen than having a passport and the right to vote.

For the first time, Sydney’s Art Deco buildings of the 1930s and 1940s are identified and gloriously displayed with contemporary photographs alongside archival images. Sydney Art Deco explores the impact of the Art Deco style on the landscape and life...

The Orientalism debate, inspired by the work of Edward Said, has been a major source of cross-disciplinary controversy in recent years. John MacKenzie offers a comprehensive re-evaluation of this vast literature of Orientalism and brings to the subject...

Embark on a tour of the world's greatest artistic movements and works, from prehistoric cave paintings to performance art with The Art Book, the latest in the stunning Big Ideas series. The Art Book explores the most celebrated artworks by history's...