Taschen provides a wonderful collection of reference books
350757
Taschen provides a wonderful collection of reference books. My daughter is an interior designer and we enjoy looking at their various publications
2163238
Although there are few paintings in the collection itself (mainly drawings), a large number of paintings are actually represented in the book to illustrate essays on Klimt's most important patrons and muses (some of which I had not seen in reproduction before) - these form about half the book, with interviews, contemporary documents, letters and photographs - I found this section the most interesting - there are also good essays on his background and his relationships to other artists, contemporary reception of his work, and his inspirations (especially fascinating were the visual comparisons of his drawings of nudes to the work of a contemporary erotic photographer, where the similarities are too many and complex to be put down to pure coincidence). Most poignant is the essay on three of the most prominent Jewish families of the period who were major collectors of Klimt's work - the Lederers, the Bloch-Bauers, and the Zuckerkandls, based on a mind-boggling 193 references. These families began the century at the pinnacle of contemporary society, and were at the centre of Vienna's cultural life; their stories make for harrowing reading - for example, Elizabeth Bachofen-Echt, the daughter of Adele Bloch-Bauer, survived the Third Reich by claiming that she was Klimt's illegitimate daughter and therefore of mixed race - and are worth the price of the book in themselves. Layout and reproductions are superb, as is the general quality of the book. A joy to the eye and definitely one of the best art books on the market.
3977624
It's an economically-produced monograph of a wide breadth of Chipperfield's work. I suspect it was produced as a means to quickly broaden access to his work with the rise of his public profile. What is ISN'T is a definitive, deep archive of the sort that Renzo Piano, H&dM and Richard Meier have notably published in volumes, nor is it the publishing blockbuster of coffee-table ambition that architects like Zaha Hadid and Calatrava have published with Taschen. It's also an excellent resource for young architects and students for both its quality and clarity of representation as well as its focus on fundamentals of form and materiality.

I've docked a star simply because more text could have been useful to really articulate the development of the projects in a similar  manner to what Steven Holl has done with his "anecdotes" portion of his Architecture Spoken monograph, which is a pretty good comparison for scope.
1958431
Whether you are already a passionate collector of these wonderful pieces of art and history or a novice just starting the adventure of collecting, Wendy's book is a treasure. As my love of chocolate molds and my collection grow, I  find myself turning the pages over and over again. The book is well-organized, informative, and full of beautiful photographs. The author is obviously knowledgeable and very enthusiatic about her subject. Somehow the book has the ability to both sooth and excite. I truly can't wait until her next book is available. Enjoy.
4698746
The superb quality I expect from "Reader's Digest" is demonstrated in this collection. Over the years, I have clipped many of these quotations out of the pages of the "Reader's Digest."  There are in a file; unfortunately, that means they are not very accessible.  In this work, they are collected in one place for me, and they are organized by category.  That makes it easier to browse through the offerings to find just the right quotation to meet my needs.  It is also much more professional and polished than my clippings in a file folder.  ;)  Each section is accompanied by a cute illustration, similar to the one on the cover.

The index includes a list of subjects, in alphabetical order, but does not hyper-linked to the quotes themselves, which would have been nice.  (Maybe we can see that in the next edition of the book.)  It would also be nice to have an index of quoted persons, too.  However, I absolutely love this book, especially in this electronic format.  And you can quote me on that!
1545145
My wife bought this book for me for my birthday this summer, direct from Taschen. Taschen always has superb art books with great color photography, and this one is as good as any I have ever seen. I was unfamiliar with the work of Ando Tadao, and I am now pleased to say that as a result of this book, I have become a fan. Ando's blending of interior and exterior space (walk through a central courtyard, with a tree, to get from one part of the home to another), plus his use of concrete to create calm surfaces, have me wishing to see his buildings in person. The book has text in English, German, and French, and features both photos from multiple angles and also reproductions of his orginal drawings so that you can study the transition from plan to reality.

Great book. Fascinating architecture.
1619282
As you'd expect from Taschen, this book contains beautifully printed reproduction of Hiroshige's magnificent series. I practically get lost in them every time I open the book. It's not just that the imagery is so evocative or that the commentary helps bring each scene to life. I learn a bit about composition, especially as it applies to woodcuts, and can even study the grain of the printing blocks left in the images.

More than just the content, though, this is a wonderful artifact. There's the luxurious feel of any well made book, of course, but the slipcase with its faux-ivory closures and the stab binding  make this something unique. I have other very enjoyable books of ukiyo-e, but none that please so many of my senses.

-- wiredweird
3676570
This is an excellent reference...the picture are beautiful and there is a a very complete display of the entire product line.  The pricing of the individual items is representative of the prices you will find on ebay and will give you a jumping off place when shopping in antique and consignment shops.  I really came away much more informed after spending a few hours reviewing it.
1518115
This exhibition catalogue is a must have item for anyone who has a serious interest in China's rich textual tradition. I have already put Visible Traces on my Christmas wish list in hopes that my relatives, who have no idea why I have been studying Chinese literature and history all these years, will break down and give me something related to my life's work. And I haven't written a wish list in ages, that's how much I want a copy of this on my bookshelf. And if they don't give me a copy, I'll give one to myself as a gift once I finish my PhD.
If you didn't have an opportunity to see these rare books, maps and artefacts when they were on display in New York or Los Angeles, or if you don't feel like buying a plane ticket to visit the National Library of China in Beijing, this catalogue is an economical way to savor what you missed. The editorial review does a wonderful job of summarizing the contents, so I won't repeat that. The color photography certainly does justice to the original works. I enjoyed seeing the photographs of a 1621 manuscript on Tang poetry because it's connected to my own research, but there is something in this volume for anyone who loves Chinese culture. The reader will find scrolls of Buddhist sutras, delicate drawings of gentlemen playing the game of go, specialist monographs on the varieties of crysanthemums, illustrated manuals on goldfish, albums of Beijing opera characters, oracle bones, pictorial rubbings and multi-color maps of the Chinese empire, and more.
For the specialist the bibliography is detailed enough to start tracking down other extant copies of the items in the exhibition as well as general information to be found in secondary sources.
That said, why didn't I rate this book a 5? Only a couple reasons. Some sections of maps and charts have been magnified, and are less distinct than their smaller scale originals, which some readers will find frustrating. Every reader will have a different reason why they love this book. I wanted to be able to see the whole 1621 poetry collection. A crysanthemum connoisseur will want to see every flower illustration. Map lovers will wish that all the maps had been printed. In other words, every one will wish the book were bigger and that it covered his or her interest in more detail (even at the expense of someone else's). At 337 pages, however, it's already a large volume. After savoring each page, you may find yourself falling for some new aspect of Chinese culture and you'll realize you may have to buy that plane ticket to China after all. Visible Traces will whet your appetite, but it won't quench your thirst, which is fine because no one volume could ever contain all the glories of China's print culture. DO NOT show this catalogue to your kids, unless you are happy for them to fall in love with Chinese history and art and study for PhDs instead of becoming a lawyer or getting an MBA.
720303
Schiffer are well renound for publishing high quality reference books and this is no exception. The book features information and photos of many rare, unique and interesting items, some of which will not be seen elsewhere. Whether a collector, researcher or enthusiast this is the book to buy on the subject.
4751122
When I finish the reading I can tell something about it.
But the illustrations are PERFECT!!! I'm always drawing from this book.

I whish Taschen publish something like this on Raphael and Drer someday.
4822501
I like the generous offerings of art subjects like this set available on Kindle. One can obtain a broad overview of an artist's work for an extremely reasonable price. This collection has many images of a new favorite artist for me. I never heard of the Russian painter Illya Repin before and I like to think I have some arts background. He combines the realism style with impressionism with a very satisfying mastery. Many of his portraits show so much of the personality, they look as if they were just photographed in a moment ago. Lighting, anatomy, and compassion, too are well expressed in his works. Repin's works are so good, I think he has taken a top place in my personal taste, among Matisse, Sisley, and the realism phase of Dali, and yes, Norman Rockwell and N.C. Wyeth. They are all masters. And I got a Sisley collection from the same compiler on my Kindle, too!

The scanning is ok for the ebook, I think the files were saved in jpeg, so in zoom, the pixilation blurs details that maybe a png format might have worked better, but, for 533 images to fit, that may not have been technically useful. I can definitely afford this ebook to become acquainted with the artist, and decide if I want to get a better detailed but no doubt more expensive and less extensive set. I have it on my Kindle, and when I am waiting for appointments, it passes the time quickly. I recommend this set, it's just too good for the price--and I think the School of Wandering Artists which included Repin that was set up to provide art to the working people near their home towns, would find this Kindle edition to suit their purpose.
3700065
This captivating book is a breath of fresh air for publications on nineteenth-century European art. Its rich illustrations, compelling stories and well-curated list of artists from the major movements of nineteenth-century European art make it a "one-stop" reference that is both informative and engaging. The great reproductions of some of my favorite works of art alone made buying the book worth every dollar.
4835879
Every time I pick up a Taschen book, its excellent production quality makes me smile. No different for this current offering from them. At just a fraction under 7" x 10" the proportions of the book makes it most portable and a joy to handle on the go or in bed.

The ribbon markers are especially useful for contemplating a number of symbols discovered together taken from our own dreams or active imagination. There are a variety of images both ancient and contemporary to complement each entry, as well as sub-headings e.g.: under the Human World section, you will find sub-headings at the top left hand page indicating whether you have landed on "Human Body" or "Movement & Expression" or "Work & Society". Goodness. This is the kind of care all books should be designed with. My copy came shrink-wrapped with a Taschen postcard tip-in.

The whole book appears deceptively simple and the images including accompanying text entries are equally important. Each "brief" page of text offer profound commentary by the world's art and mythology scholars, among others. When available, each entry ends with illustration captions and text credit to promote further individual research.

This book is highly recommended and should the reader need more information can find sample pages at both the Taschen and ARAS websites.
238903
This is the first Taschen Basic Architecture volume about a living architect.  The earlier Taschen volumes have been about the Modernist masters such as Mies, Le Corbusier, Loos, Wright, Kahn and Neutra.  If there is any living architect who can measure up to this Pantheon of Greats, it is Pritzker Prize winner, Tadao Ando.

Like the other volumes in this series, there is a short biographical essay, followed by short chapters that focus on key works.  The German Publishing Company Taschen publishes some of the best architectural books.  Their books are always of the highest quality and reasonably priced.  At Ten Dollars, it is hard to imagine a better introduction to the works of one of the most important architects of the Twentieth Century. Highly recommended.
3377471
I found this book to be a terrific reference for any artist beginning to explore pastels.  There are lots of charming paintings by the author, and demo photos of how the paintings came into being.  There is also a WONDERFUL section on supplies: what and where to get them, how they're priced, and if they're worth it.  Yet, I do wish that the author had spent a little more time on showing and explaining works that were JUST done in pastels and less on mixed media with pastels.  But that's just my opinion.  It's a great book and worth buying, regardless of how much of a purist you may be.
2790437
Really an amazing book with beautiful illustrations comparing the works of artists and their influence on later artists' works. This is an invaluable contribution to art history as well as a beautiful collection of art works. Very readable to laymen as well as to experts.