Changed the World S.
2 total works
Why is it that certain paintings fascinate us so? Whether prehistoric cave paintings or Renaissance masterpieces, this volume explains the story behind the people and events depicted in the world's most renowned works of art. Through amusing and compelling insights and approaches art's icons are presented in an unconventional manner and it is described why many of these works became symbols of an entire age. The authors take account of themes, such as love, dreams, revolution, and war, to explain why many of these works were considered important in their day, and why they have remained crucial ever since. A visual narrative accompanies these famous topics, so many of which are bound up with historic human drama, including the power politics of King Louis XIV and the tragic life of Vincent van Gogh. Included also is anecdotal information on Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", Michelangelo's "Adam" and Marc Chagall's "Fiddler" symbolic of the fate of the Jews and the theme of the world-famous musical "Fiddler on the Roof."
Focusing on the world's most intriguing palaces from Versailles to palaces in Japan, this book offers architectural detail, historical background and anecdotes about the people and events that enrich these palaces and assure their place in history. From Versailles, Windsor Castle and the Chateaux of the Loire to Hearst's San Simeon, the Palace of the Winds in India and the Acheillion in Greece, to other glorious palaces in Egypt, Cuba, and Japan, readers can learn what life was like inside these imposing walls, as well as the incidents of undaunted courage, villainous treachery, pivotal alliances and glittering celebrations that changed the world outside these walls forever.