A beautifully written book with beautiful art and sigil work
934008
A beautifully written book with beautiful art and sigil work. It's a great introduction to the path of Maergzjiran magick. I would recommend this book to any who feel drawn to a darker path.
391932
This is a beautifully written tribute to the author's very special and talented son, and so much more. It is so touching, and informative as well. We are invited into their lives to see their struggles and triumphs, tears and smiles, joy and love. There is an abundance of life lessons and examples of how to be more mindful and appreciative of all that is around us. The author's son, Clayton, was truly creative and talented.  I truly enjoyed learning more about art in general, and seeing and reading the art that Clayton created. Clayton left an amazing imprint upon this earth and Betty captured it beautifully.
4701862
The Encyclopedia of Fernal Affairs is easily one of the most beautiful art books I have ever seen, and I've seen many of them. Better almost than the craftsmanship of those whose artwork adorns these pages, is the subversive, political, erotic, and just plain magical material displayed. I could sit for hours looking and wondering at the works in this book.
511291
I have put this, not new, but still beautiful book, on the reading list for a class I am teaching, Into The Heart of Art. This book stirred a lot of controversy when it was first published, because it's a brazen and obvious portrayal of the life of the well known artist, Gauguin, borrowing so unmistakeably from his life and yet, not at all Gauguin, because the artist portrayed has a very same but different life. The beautiful old copy of this book, which I got from Amazon, has lovely prints of Gauguin's paintings within, and if you can get it, I heartily recommend this particular edition! Somerset Maugham is a wonderful writer. The book itself makes us all ponder the nature of the creative spirit that pushes a person to the extremes of giving up so much that is "comfortable" to pursue his or her art. The Gauguin portrayed in this book is not a sympathetic character, and yet, he is pursued by his Muse. There are beautiful, memorable quotes about art in this book. Purchase it. Find them. Enjoy!
3487240
A most  beautiful book in which religion is represented not just through wods, but through the  glorious works of painters. It is treasure and a joy to have
3224701
This is a fantastic little book of beautiful art, focusing on the female nude.  This book is not filthy nor is it pornographic; it is a wonderful testament to the beauty and majesty of the unclothed female and her most delightful and unfortunately commonly hidden treasures.

The book shares its title with the 1866 Gustave Courbet masterpiece (currently in the Musee dOrsay in Paris).  The painting is featured in the book, but the book is not about the painting; the painting is more an inspiration and point of visual and cerebral reference for of the book.

The book comes in at 6 high by 6  wide and 1 thick.  It is hardbound, with a paper dust jacket.  It has 255 numbered pages.  There is no introduction, no dedication, no acknowledgements, nothing up front to provide any kind of context or theme.  The book just launches right in, with no pretense.  The format is interesting, with the featured artwork on the right side, with a vertical triptych of portrait-oriented details from the artwork on the left edge of the left page, with prose in the remainder of the left page.  The artworks title, artist and details are provided at the bottom of the left page.

The prose opens with the Old Testament Song of Songs, which runs in sections for approximately three dozen pages, and is followed by various poems from the 16th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries, finishing with an extended essay on the female sex and related subjects by Hans-Jrgen Dpp (one of the authors/compilers), entitled Ecstasy.  The organization of the prose is a little confusing, with some of the breaks coming at strange, not entirely intuitive points in the sentences/narratives.  The prose complements the visuals nicely, but not in specific ways; the effect is a much broader accompaniment to the overall flow of the female nudes.

The artwork comes in as sketches, etchings, paintings, drawings, and photographs, color and B/W.  The oldest artwork is from the early 1500s, and the most recent artwork is a Picasso drawing from 1971.  The artwork is arranged chronologically.

As for artists, you get Picasso, Klimt, Rembrandt, Rubens, Degas, Gauguin, Rodin, Titian, Toulouse-Lautrec, van Gogh, Renoir, and many others.  The Courbet original is on p. 49.

This content, both visual and text, is for a mature audience.  Per its namesake, the focus of the book is on the female nude, and more specifically, per the title and the Courbet work itself, the more, ah, open display of feminine attributes.  Some of the content is most definitely erotic, with depictions of exhibitionism, voyeurism, and some simple, tasteful onanism.

Price: At approximately $14, this is a great deal for this outstanding collection of luscious art.

Bottom line: this is a very enjoyable, beautiful book on a supremely beautiful subject, at a great value.  If you enjoy classic art and/or the female nude, this one is for you.
238171
I was pleasantly surprised by this beautiful coffee table book devoted to the art and writings of the great "Prophet of Lebanon" Kahlil Gibran. It contains not only some if his most famous quotes, but obscure one also.  Not to mention his spiritual and provocative drawings and paintings. A wonderful gift idea for anyone who already appreciates Gibran or for someone who would like to know more. It is very high quality and the works are exquisitely reproduced.
4658025
This was a present for a friend - but I want a copy too. The quality is unsurpassed. The artwork is gorgeous and the paper is thick and sturdy. A beautiful addition to any library and will be a pleasure to hold and read.
703676
This is a beautiful book that was both written and illustrated by this young man.  He worked tirelessly for almost a year on the book.  It is a legend of a young boy saving his people and combines classic legend style and story of the Southwest. The artwork is very reflective of the flowers and animals of the Southwest. It is for middle school and younger children but can also be enjoyed by older kids and adults for the incredible art work and the legend.
1688584
When I received this gorgeous book, I was impressed with the quality of the paper, the detail in his drawings-the care and love involved in creating such great whimsical works of art. Truly a book to purchase for yourself, friends and children. To be enjoyed and treasured.
4954221
This is an incredibly beautiful and inspiring book, not a how-to, but brimming with ideas.  It illustrates what a consumate artist can do in creating books based using historical subjects.
157588
Although a Protestant (Presbyterian), I study Orthodox Christian iconography with one of the Prosopon School's master Iconographers.  This book, illustrated with many, many colorful images by the hand of the founder of the Prosopon School, is absolutely beautiful in every respect.  After seeing it for the first time, I had to have one.  Now that I have one in my own home, I want to share it with . . . everybody!  So, I will be acquiring additional copies as gifts for my church library, for my young grandchildren, other family members, and cherished friends.  The illustrations are not strictly iconographic (being painted before the founding of the Prosopon School) and some have a charming almost Celtic (more likely Russian) folk art flavor.  Because of this, the book will appeal to all who appreciate beautiful art, especially Christian oriented art, even children and young people.  It is NOT necessary to be familiar with Orthodox iconography to enjoy this book.  Words escape me when I attempt to describe the beauty of this book.
1376980
beautifully written  fasinating story  history in the making  -abook for all art lovers and and lovers of gistory and good writing
2812644
The Turquoise and silver work are beautiful.  The artist is a master craftsman. I bought it as a gift for an old friend but I'm very tempted to purchase one for myself.
3060672
A rare history, written by an artist whose artful touch is felt throughout.
2084539
This is just a very beautiful book, in every way. The spectacular quality of the printing, the unsurpassed quality of the paper used-  these contribute to the overall feel of something that is very special. Of course, the images are the thing-  and Mr. Stanford's use of objects to create his works is novel and brilliant-  they seem at the same time very new and also very familiar. You will spend hours looking through this collectible-  and you will leave it out on a coffee table for others to see. As a collector of wonderful books, I give this my highest recommendation. Your art book collection will be that much more complete.
3768041
I was skeptical when I first heard about a Bible book written by a renowned computer expert, but what a treat!  Each verse is a beautifully illuminated and researched unit, with a page devoted to a socio-historical review of the time period, another page to the illuminated verse, and two pages explaining the verse in its specific context.  Knuth's writing is easy to read while remaining challenging and the art is a visual feast.  This is a wonderful book for anyone even remotely interested in the Bible and a joy for anyone with a love of calligraphy and some of its beautiful manifestations.