history of a beautiful art form
923350
The book is small but full of both historical aspects of classical ballet and new techniques demanded by current day choreographers. An excellent book for teens as well as adults.  An easy read with fine illustrations.
1116356
This book is well written, with a graceful style and entertaining anecdotes, but is is also well researched with vivid detailed histories of the items and their craftsmen.  But worth the price alone are the hundreds of close-up photographs showing the detail of these beautiful pieces.  Well done!
1886197
This is a large book full of pictures of beautiful artworks.  While there are some photos of sculpture and some of drawings, the bulk of what is reproduced here is painting.  While many pages have multiple artworks, there are also quite a few where the painting is given a full page for more close observation and study.

The quality of the reproductions is quite good, if not quite superb.  The captions and text describing the art and artists are very good and most helpful for the general reader.  The book opens with several articles on the National Gallery and its history and policies.

The plates are organized chronologically and by the national schools of their times.  The earliest artworks are circa the 13th century and concludes with works of the 20th century.

You could spend many days enjoying this glorious selection of art and still find many more days of study before you exhaust all that is offered in this fine book about a great national treasure.
2788396
This is an AMAZING book! So much information about the artworks and artists! Lots of beautiful reproductions as well! It was a gift and she ABSOLUTELY Loved it! I would highly recommend it!
229291
The artwork in this book by Greg Hildebrandt is beautiful in its use of color and light, and it has great fantasy themes.  His work can at times be kitschy, but I don't mean that in a bad way.  By ignoring stuffy conventions about what makes great art, he has really put his own personality and feeling into the art.  A wide variety of sources have been included as examples of his art: personal paintings of his children, advertising, commissions for collectors, posters, calendars, books, etc.  This makes it fascinating and valuable to me as another artist.  The only negative aspect of this book is that half the text (not by Greg) is very pretentious and vague, in a "dark and stormy night" kind of way.  Just ignore that and read the rest of the text, where Greg gives insight into his history and techniques.  Or just look at the beautiful pictures.
2138509
This book contains an impressive set of images--they look more like batik than traditional rubbings. I love rubbings over photographs since they are free from any light distortions of traditional photography and details are telegraphed to the surface with solid graphic lines making features stand out. Thank you Joan Patten for the wonderful work you did to preserve these ancient sculptures!
1482142
The Book Beautiful, whether manuscript, incunabulum, vellum or leather-bound, was once for the rich or for use in the Church.  But in time, every commercial printer could produce a beautiful book and the cover is often what made it sell.  Richard Minsky's book shows us the beautiful books ordinary people could buy from American publishers by and before 1900.  He profiles the book cover artists, discusses their styles and innovations, and analyzes the effects they produced with their design, working within and exploiting a new medium: the cloth book cover, limited in size and to the effects that could be produced with brass die stamping.  As one who has admired this art (and scoured library sales for examples) for many years, I am delighted and thankful that someone has managed to bring this art to a wider public appreciation.  One can page through this book in amazement at a series of artful illusions or study and read how the artist achieved her or his effect.  For myself, Richard Minsky has reminded me why I have admired and collected these books and reanimated my delight in looking at them!
3502783
Fabulous art with a view of how the Mayan ruins appeared in the the mid 1800's as they were first explored.  This is a wonderful Coffee Table book for those of us intrigued by the Mayan Culture.  It's chock full of pictures on almost every page!  The talented Mr. Catherwood kept a detailed pictorial diary of their journeys.  One would have to be a very dedicated explorer and artist to create so many wonderful paintings under the circumstances they must have endured.  And the story of their travels and what they did endure is woven throughout the book amid all the Art!
 When you consider all of that, the book is no less than a miracle.
6835
I, as many think of Egypt when hieroglyphics or ancient murals are spoken of. If you would like a comprehensive description and photographic, drawings, and depictions of memorizing and beautiful examples of the forgotten lands of the Pre-Columbian culture, this is your book.
 Being a person who knows antiquities very well, moderate, or just are brushing the subject you are in for a beautiful treat. Grab this book and you won't regret it.
 My favorite culture is the Mayan, I believe there is so much left undiscovered, especially with the recent uncovering of the largest Pyramid of the world and possibly the oldest (according to history - look at photos of the Sphinx in Egypt, you'll note photos taken from 1850 and on show a completely different monument, before it was reconstructed. Where the air, sand, and water erosion showed an object over, some say 850,000 years old. Even if this was true and many archeologists would have a huge hole in their theory of life.)
 I bring up Egypt because of another colossal structure in South America, known as Machu Picchu & Puma Punku. Enjoy a book, and I'm sure many more will come to follow.
4805810
The Victorian painters are enjoying a posthumous comeback and one of the more famous of these elegant painters was Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema.  Exceedingly popular in his time, the modern, reductionist movements of the post-Freud 20th Century brushed his work under the rug - except for those collectors and lovers of the human figure who refused to allow the body to be cubed, flattened, distorted, and abstracted.

Now with the return of the appreciation of the human form Alma Tadema's paintings are enjoying a resurgence of popularity.  Russell Ash certainly gives us reason to see why in this lavishly illustrated, beautiful book filled to overflowing with complete paintings and fragments or details of perfect ladies languishing in flora and classical vistas.  Paintings that once were labeled as 'corny' are now being appreciated as suggestions of what made the Victorian Era unique.

Ash writes well and thoughtfully minimizes written word space for the flow of the pictorial value of the  book.  This is simply a lovely volume honoring a misunderstood and in the past under appreciated artist.  Grady Harp, August 05
1259358
Part of the Oxford History of Art Series, this text on medieval architecture by Nicola Coldstream is an excellent survey of the development of architectural forms throughout the medieval period. Designed for the art major who is taking courses on architectural forms and history, the text provides a well-rounded presentation on the subject. Commencing with the derivation of the word "gothic," the book goes on to describe gothic's subsequent development as an architectural form through some five hundred years, and presents the differentiating features of the early, high, and late gothic, the flamboyant, and the rayonnant forms.

After this orientation to the term "gothic," the text moves into a section on "Structure and Design," which covers floor plan design, architectural models, the role of the architect, and constructive geometry. A large section of the book covers the symbiotic roles of patrons and builders. Later sections of the book cover issues such as architectural space and representational art in great detail. Numerous full-color diagrammatic images support the text, and maps are also used as needed, making this book quite an impressive introductory text to the subject that should orient any reader to the subject.

It is rare to find a book on such a theme that is simultaneously printed on high-quality semi-gloss paper, presented with the majority of its images in full color, be small enough to comfortably hold, and at the same time, be reasonably priced. This book, however, fits the bill admirably. The only small quibble would be that not ALL the photos are color. The majority indeed are, but it is unfortunate that, in an attempt, no doubt, to keep the cost down, a number of the photos are reproduced only in black and white. Nevertheless, and especially when one considers the price, it is pleasing to find the majority of photos are in color, and reproduced in good quality, as well. I highly recommend this book as an outstanding part of the library of a medievalist, an art scholar, or simply anyone interested in the emergence of gothic architecture. That the book is available at less than $15 is simply incredible.
571648
This book accompanies an exhibit of the same name at the Denver Art Museum running through September 25, 2016. The reproductions of the pieces are excellent, and the book does a fine job of providing backgrounds for the works by way of biographies of the artists and some history of the times. Worth buying if you're at all interested in this genre and period of art. And if you can make it to Denver to see the works in person, do so.
3757825
Beautiful book printed on heavy, slick paper. Excellent Wonderful reproductions with a short bio of the artist as well as explanatory notes about the artists style and how they contributed to the development of impressionism. A great introduction for someone with a minimal knowledge of art.
2973203
Such a beautiful book. The artwork is laid out chronologically by periods in the Mr. Wong's life. The accompanying text is informative yet succinct. You really get a sense of the evolution of an artist. Ultimately, you judge an art book by the art inside. There are a lot of amazing works to see, in various media. Beacon Hill Books shipped way faster than expected and in sturdy packaging.
316546
This is a beautifully photographed record of the many spectacular Mediterranean Revival homes in Florida. It would be a wonderful addition to any collection of large art and architecture books and particularly attractive on a coffee table or console. The text is interesting and informative, but the lush color photography is the real star. A inspiration for both admirers of Mediterranean architecture and professional architects and designers.
4651847
This is a lavishly illustrated art book and an engaging written piece of scholarship. It gave me many insights into the artists prickly personality and what he was striving for in his art.

There were many surprises: like the contention that Czanne had a traditional idea of portraiture, even though his portraits were unlike anything that had been done.

The text follows Cezannes portraits from the early aggressive impasto through his famous constructive brushstrokes to his thinly painted, subtly nuanced surfaces. In addition to the great numbers of vibrant reproductions, there are dramatic close-ups of seminal portraits that invite the reader to examine Czanne s brushwork.

The chapters are mostly organized around a Cezannes subjects.  This becomes very interesting. We get a more objective view of Madame Cezanne, who has been unjustly vilified for being a sourpuss. We explore the drama that ensued when Cezanne painted Parisian intellectuals (he was far more comfortable painting family members and country people). We meet his favorite people, like the gardener who did so much more for Cezanne than garden. And we hear about the challenges of modeling for Cezanne, who required absolute stillness and sometimes over a hundred sittings.

There are short biographical sketches of Cezannes subjects, including himself.  Theres a good chronology, and even this section is rich in reproductions. The text is seeded with fun quotes from Cezanne that bring his complex character to life.

I cant get to the London exhibit of these portraits, so Im grateful to have the book.
1403449
This book relates great works of art and architecture to history, because a culture"s art gives knowledge about what the society was like. The history of the color purple, cave art, Stonehenge, The Code of Hammurabi Stone, Egyptian art, Christian art in the catacombs, Vienna Genesis, Augusta Primaporta, and many great artists are included in this book. Fun hands on projects follow each lesson. Bronze foil is included. A wonderful supplement to any history curriculum, but especially if you are using Greenleaf Press, Beautiful Feet Books, or Diana Waring" History Alive!