Books As Christmas Presents – Coffee Table Art Books
New In For Christmas – Three Superb Coffee Table Art Book Collections
Kuniyoshi by Matthi Rorrer Prestel 2020
Best known for his depictions of fierce samurai warriors in battle, Utagawa Kuniyoshi also produced landscapes, portraits of Kabuki actors, and images of mythical animals. His dynamic action scenes and fantastic creatures are recognized today as precursors of manga and anime.
This dazzling volume by Matthi Forrer, one of the leading experts on ukiyo-e art, traces Kuniyoshi’s entire career. Chapters look at the major aspects of Kuniyoshi’s oeuvre; his book illustrations and portraits of fashionable women; his enormously popular series featuring actors, warriors, and landscapes; and the influence of Western art on his career. Meticulous, large-scale reproductions highlight the work’s clear outlines, elegantly muted palette, and precise details–from electrifying depictions of a tiger, mid-pounce, and light-hearted interpretations of Chinese folktales, to the terrifying figures of samurai swordsmen and romantic winter landscapes.
A Japanese-style binding and box complete this luxurious package that promises an endlessly absorbing journey into the life of Kuniyoshi during the latter days of Japan’s Edo period.
The Art of Florence 2 Volumes
A substantial and beautifully illustrated two-volume reference work covering the art and history of Florence, including architecture, sculpture and painting from the medieval period through the Renaissance. The Art of Florence immerses us in a city and a time of unparalleled cultural ferment. This important and uncommonly beautiful publication analyses the history of Florentine art in terms of the distinctly Florentine and Tuscan influences that shaped it-an approach never before employed in a study of this breadth and complexity. The fascinating and lucid text by Glenn Andres, John Hunisak, and Richard Turner gracefully links Florentine architecture, sculpture, and painting to the rich social fabric and the dramatic political life of the city. Woven into this compelling history is the most luxurious and comprehensive visual documentation available of Florence’s unrivalled treasures.
More than 700 colour images and another 854 duotones and architectural drawings have been reproduced with a meticulous care worthy of the Renaissance craft tradition. Joining visual beauty with intellectual rigor in a fashion that truly invokes the spirit of this great city, The Art of Florence presents as rich a vision of human creativity as we can find anywhere outside Florence itself.
The History of Venice Rome and Paris in Painting 3 Volumes Abbeyville Press
The History of Venice in Painting Abbeyville Press 2007
This vibrantly illustrated text traces the history of the Republic of Venice through its artistic heritage, from medieval mosaics to twentieth-century Futurist paintings. Including 350 full-color images, as well as 4 breathtaking gatefolds, The History of Venice in Painting is a treasure-trove of art, history, and culture. Here such panoramas as religious processions and gondolas criss-crossing the Grand Canal are displayed in a size befitting the subject’s grandeur.
The History of Rome in Painting Abbeyville Press 2011
Featuring over 294 full-colour illustrations and three stunning 8-page foldouts, showcasing the work of artists from Giotto and Michelangelo to the Italian Futurists and Picasso, “The History of Rome in Painting” is a true feast for art lovers, travellers, and historians alike. In art history as in the ancient Empire, all roads lead to Rome; here in one volume is the city as generations of painters have sought it, dreamed it, and captured it for all time.
The History of Paris in Painting Abbeyville Press 2009
The city of light, or the city of love, Paris is indeed a feast for the senses. Paris’s rich history has been justly captured by the many artists sheltered by its garrets and supported by its patrons for centuries. The History of Paris in Painting honours this celebrated city and its famous monuments by presenting readers with an artistic feast that will make anyone fall in love with Paris again and again.
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