Masterworks
10 total works
Bauhaus inherited the mantle of beauty and craftsmanship from the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th Century but was founded on geometric principles, associated with Art Deco and firmly rooted in the challenge of modern production methods. Kandinsky, Klee, Franz Marc and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy taught at the Bauhaus school – created by Walter Gropius in 1919 and closed by the Nazis in the early 1930s – which influenced a wide range of design, from buildings to typography, furniture and painted forms. This luxurious new book explores the origins and extensive influence on the contemporary art and architecture.
The rise of the Art Nouveau style across Continental Europe and the US in all forms of art was remarkable and is explored in this beautifully illustrated book. Discussing the movement first as a whole, then from the angle of the graphic arts and finally as manifested in the fine arts, it focuses on the style in two dimensions. From the work of well-known figures such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Gaudí and Tiffany to beautiful posters and illustrations advertising everything from coffee to costumes, and even including an exploration of the links to Synthetism and Symbolism among other movements, the book is a treat from start to finish.
"For lovers of art history, this lavishly illustrated and well-written book is an absolute gem." – Italia! Magazine
Leonardo da Vinci was the epitome of the Renaissance humanist ideal, a logical polymath of epic proportions who excelled and had interests not just in art but in invention, anatomy, architecture, engineering, literature, mathematics, music, science, astronomy and more. His oeuvre is astounding and he is rightly famed for his masterpieces of painting such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and his astonishingly technical and graceful drawings. The phenomenon that was Leonardo would not of course have flourished to such an extent had it not been for the patronage and sponsorship of the Medici family, who commissioned a large proportion of the art and architecture of the era and fostered a fertile climate for creativity. This sumptuous new book offers a broader view of this master artist in the context of this environment, alongside the work of other key artists who benefited from the Medicis, from Brunelleschi through Donatello to Michelangelo and Raphael.
Leonardo da Vinci was the epitome of the Renaissance humanist ideal, a logical polymath of epic proportions who excelled and had interests not just in art but in invention, anatomy, architecture, engineering, literature, mathematics, music, science, astronomy and more. His oeuvre is astounding and he is rightly famed for his masterpieces of painting such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and his astonishingly technical and graceful drawings. The phenomenon that was Leonardo would not of course have flourished to such an extent had it not been for the patronage and sponsorship of the Medici family, who commissioned a large proportion of the art and architecture of the era and fostered a fertile climate for creativity. This sumptuous new book offers a broader view of this master artist in the context of this environment, alongside the work of other key artists who benefited from the Medicis, from Brunelleschi through Donatello to Michelangelo and Raphael.
William Morris was an outstanding character of many talents, being an architect, writer, social campaigner, artist and, with his Kelmscott Press, an important figure of the Arts and Crafts movement. Many of us probably know him best, however, from his superb furnishings and textile designs, intricately weaving together natural motifs in a highly stylized two-dimensional fashion influenced by medieval conventions. Following on from the bestselling success of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Alphonse Mucha, of the same series, this delightful new book offers a survey of his life and work alongside some of his finest decorative work. It is a richly beautiful book.
Perhaps no individual is more associated with the 20th century art deco revival than Russian-born French artist and designer, Erté. Although his talent spanned many creative fields, Erte is perhaps best-known for his theatre and fashion designs, which were often later translated into beautiful silkscreen prints. Few can fail to be charmed by Symphony in Black, one of his most famous designs depicting a slender figure walking her dog. Throughout his lifetime Erté designed over 200 covers for Harper's Bazaar and his works have been reproduced and copied countless times since, oozing a timeless air of class and sophistication. Combining fresh and thoughtful text and beautiful illustrations, including jewellery and sculpture inspired by his two-dimensional designs, this coffee-table book is the definitive Erté companion.
The tender roots of Modern Art can be seen in the wild sea paintings of Turner, as early as the mid 19th Century, but it took the Impressionists and the Pre-Raphaelites to break the elite classical mode, until the final blows were dealt in the early 1900s by Kandinsky, Klee and Picasso. Modern Art was a reaction to the gathering pace of industrialisation of the late Victorian world, and the desire for art that looked forwards not behind to classical myth and legend. But once the beast of modernism had been unleashed it fragmented into many different forms, each of which are explored in this striking, heavily illustrated new book.
This beautifully illustrated book is a celebration of Art Deco’s expression through the graphic arts and illustration. Divided into three sections – the movement, its fashion and advertising – the reader gains great insight into the artists and innovators that helped popularize the Art Deco movement, such as Georges Barbier, Erté, Cassandre and Paul Colin. While the main focus for this intriguing book is centred on graphic art, numerous examples of other forms of Art Deco are also featured. Nestled among the posters and paintings, sculpture, objets d'art and jewellery assert their similarity, whether through line, form or theme. These echoes serve to show the creativity fertility of the period as styles and ideas traversed artistic media.
"A must-have book for anyone interested in Dutch masters and the Dutch Golden Age." – Timeless Travel Magazine
Today we marvel at the shimmering light, the detail and hidden significances within the subtle techniques of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Van Eyck, Frans Hals and their compatriots. The luminescent art of the Dutch Masters grew from the bounding confidence of the newly independent Netherlands in the early 1600s. Shed of religious conflict it encouraged a wealthy mercantile class that sought the oceans of the world in search of riches and influence, and a new sensibility in art that cast light across the actions and objects of daily life.
The Dutch Masters are characterized by the abandonment of religious patronage, allowing, for the first time, a relentless focus on everyday subjects: the taverns, breakfast tables and living rooms of the newly wealthy and the places they loved to visit.
This wonderful new book, also highlighting the work of the pioneering Rachel Ruysch, is the latest addition to Flame Tree’s highly successful Masterworks series.
Today we marvel at the shimmering light, the detail and hidden significances within the subtle techniques of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Van Eyck, Frans Hals and their compatriots. The luminescent art of the Dutch Masters grew from the bounding confidence of the newly independent Netherlands in the early 1600s. Shed of religious conflict it encouraged a wealthy mercantile class that sought the oceans of the world in search of riches and influence, and a new sensibility in art that cast light across the actions and objects of daily life.
The Dutch Masters are characterized by the abandonment of religious patronage, allowing, for the first time, a relentless focus on everyday subjects: the taverns, breakfast tables and living rooms of the newly wealthy and the places they loved to visit.
This wonderful new book, also highlighting the work of the pioneering Rachel Ruysch, is the latest addition to Flame Tree’s highly successful Masterworks series.
A gorgeous new edition with the cover printed on silver. Vincent van Gogh is considered one of the world's greatest painters, his work having had a huge and far-reaching influence on 20th-century art as well as remaining visually and emotionally powerful to this day. We all know of Van Gogh's troubled genius, but now through his letters to his brother Theo, as discussed in this beautifully illustrated and fascinating giftbook, you will discover the true depth of the artist's thoughts, beliefs, ambitions and his struggle with his mental illness. Containing translations of some of the most revealing letters and insightful commentary, alongside photographs of the letters themselves and his best-loved artworks, this is a real treat.
Though very much an individual and spiritual artist, Alphonse Mucha was a defining figure of the Art Nouveau era and is loved for his distinctive lush style and images of beautiful women in arabesque poses among the plethora of paintings, posters, advertisements and designs he produced. Admire a whole range of his work here in its full glory with succinct accompanying text.