César (1921-1998), an emblematic sculptor of the 20th century who was nonetheless considered provocative by the critics of his days, is a major artist of the New Realist movement. The creator of a protean art form, he is best known for his human footprints (one of his Pouce sculptures is on display in the Tuileries gardens) and his Compressions. He represented France at the Venice Biennale in 1994, a sign of his international recognition. Twenty years after his death, the centre Pompidou organised a retrospective of the artist’s work, exhibiting over a hundred of his works. This book is a re-issue, with 150 new index cards, of a publication conceived in close collaboration with the artist in 1994. This new version of the book remains faithful to César’s wishes and becomes the first book in a trilogy of catalogues raisonné. It looks back at the early years of his work – with his bestiaries and his work on iron – through to his first compressions in the 1960s.
Text in English and French.
“This is a celebration of slow interiors that evolve over time, rather than interiors designed and meticulous, using just the latest fads.” — Enki Magazine
“…full of ideas for anyone who wants to foster a slower pace of life at home—especially in the kitchen. The cooking zones featured in its pages aren’t your typical modern farmhouse kitchens with subway tile–clad backsplashes and industrial pendant lights. There’s a sense of effortlessness behind each one.” — Domino
This book showcases stunning homes that embody the perfect mix between modern and rustic. Rustic furniture in an otherwise sleek interior, rough wooden elements, a calm colour palette with a unique finish. The photos of these dream interiors accompanied by interesting stories and unique approaches will inspire you to get started yourself. In the same series as Living in Country Style – 9789401489973.
Fruit. The word itself conjures up mouthwatering memories of crunchy apples, luscious strawberries, sweet bananas, succulent melons and juicy pineapples, to which we can add the splendid tropical fruits on our supermarket shelves. They are one of nature’s most wonderful gifts but providing us with a healthy source of food is not the reason that plants produce such delicious fruits. It is therefore quite legitimate to ask what fruits are, and why they exist. As will be revealed, the true nature of fruits is concealed in what is buried in their core: their seeds. The key role that both play in the survival of each species explains the manifold strategies and ruses that plants have developed for the dispersal of their seeds. Whether these involve wind, water, humans, animals or the plant’s own explosive triggers, they are reflected in the many colours, shapes and sizes of the fruits that protect the seeds and in the extraordinary way that some fruits have adapted to the animals that disperse their seeds, and the animals to the fruits they relish. In this pioneering collaboration, visual artist Rob Kesseler and seed morphologist Wolfgang Stuppy use scanning electronmicroscopy to obtain astonishing images of a variety of fruits and the seeds they protect. Razor-sharp cross-sections reveal intricate interiors, nuts and other examples of botanical architecture and reproductive ingenuity. The black and white microscope images have been sumptuously coloured by Rob Kesseler highlighting the structure and functioning of the minuscule fruit and seeds some almost invisible to the naked eye and in so doing creating a work of art. Larger fruits, flowers and seeds have been especially photographed. The formation, development and demise of the fruits are described their vital role in the preservation of the biodiversity of our planet explained. Fruits are the keepers of the precious seeds that ensure our future; some are edible, others inedible and many, quite simply, incredible.
More than other painters, the Impressionists wanted to shake off the dust of the studio, and swarmed the noisy streets of Paris, filling the cafés and living in garrets and humble little dwellings on the hill of Montmartre, which still seemed like the countryside at the time, its slopes covered with vineyards and vegetable gardens. Nor did they limit themselves to the city, planting their easels in the clearings of the forest of Fontainebleau, on the coast of Normandy, in the rustic villages in the Oise Valley and in Bougival and Argenteuil on the banks of the Seine. Like their Naturalist friends Zola and Maupassant, they liked to mix with the locals so they could experience the places directly, painting everywhere, even on a boat, like the one where Monet had his floating studio.
Join the Impressionists en plein air with this elegant notecard set.
These notecards (each measuring 133 x 110 mm) feature sixteen appealing landscape paintings by the Impressionists, from a sun-dappled garden by Monet, to a festive picnic by Renoir, to a harvest field by Pissarro, to a beach scene by Cassatt. Housed in a sturdy and attractive box, this notecard set is the perfect stationery for anyone who loves great art or beautiful scenery.
Artists included: Gustave Caillebotte, Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase.
Issue 20 of LA+ journal brings you the results of our fifth international design ideas competition. LA+ EXOTIQUE asked entrants to redesign the forecourt of the Museum of Natural History in Paris. The Museum—founded in 1793—sits within the Jardin des Plantes grounds, which include themed gardens, a zoo, and five themed galleries. In addition to its collections, the Museum is an active research institution studying the evolution of life on this planet. LA+ EXOTIQUE showcases the award-winning designs and a comprehensive Salon des Refusés. The issue will also feature an essay by LA+ creative director Catherine Seavitt and interviews with jurors Julia Czerniak, Sonja Dümpelmann, Catherine Mosbach, Signe Nielsen, and Marcel Wilson.
“I have known G (Gurjit Singh Matharoo) since the days I was a student, and him, my teacher, who gave one-liners or sometimes just one-word lessons at the School of Architecture1. One day, he was on the public phone at the School, maybe a distress call from a client, and as I was jaywalking past him, he pulled me over and asked to join him. As destiny would have it, I ended up as a proud intern in his three-person studio.
Those were his struggling days, and with the practice gathering pace, a magazine approached him for an article on his work. He, instead, asked me to write something hurriedly. Just to avoid my discomfort with academic jargon, I said I would write about wit in his work, to which I was a key witness.”
Buildings for People and Plants by WORKac is a thoughtfully curated architectural exploration by Amale Andraos and Dan Wood, the New York-based design firm’s co-founders. The compelling volume, featuring ten of WORKac’s most recent projects, such as Kew Gardens Hills Library and Museum Garage, navigates through the interconnected realms of architecture, environment, and social sustainability.
The book is structured to present a singular narrative thread by Andraos and Wood that showcases how these projects engage with their specific cultural and environmental contexts to support both people and plants. It includes a critical essay by distinguished architecture critic and writer Nicolai Ouroussoff that contextualises WORKac’s practice within the architectural landscape. With a focus on visual presentation, which is a hallmark of Andraos and Wood’s approach, it is a critical and visual treat that extends the narrative of their previous monograph, WORKac: We’ll Get There When We Cross That Bridge (2017) and showcases their latest explorations in architecture and community-centric design.
Tuscan cooking lives in the region’s homes and gardens, its small shops and market stalls. With From the Markets of Tuscany, at once a collection of traditional, seasonal recipes and a guide to the area’s top food markets, Giulia takes readers on a journey through her beloved Tuscany, exploring famous places but also more remote areas – from Florence’s urban streets and enchanting Volterra to mountainous Garfagnana and the wilds of Lunigiana, the gentle rolling hills of Val d’Orcia, and the vineyards and olive groves of Chianti. Through photographs, words and recipes, Giulia tells the story of Florence’s historic markets, local organic farmers’ markets, and the weekly market days held in Tuscan towns and villages. She also explores Tuscany’s coastal fish and seafood markets, together with the roadside vendors of the Maremma area, with their vibrant fresh fruit and vegetable stands. With each encounter, Giulia delves into the stories of Tuscany’s food markets, drawing on memories and recipes that taste of home.
“Words and ideas are as one – and at war – in Finlay’s witty, elegant work…” — The Guardian
In celebration of the centenary of artist, poet and landscape designer Ian Hamilton Finlay’s birth, Fragments draws together 100 of his artworks. With each piece accompanied by a short text, either by the artist or by a noted writer on Finlay’s work, this book accompanies a series of eight exhibitions taking place in Basel, Brescia, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Palma de Mallorca, London, New York and Vienna in May 2025.
Best known for his Little Sparta – a seven-acre site at Stonypath farm in Scotland that has attained almost-mythical status – and for his installed guillotines, A View to the Temple, at Documenta Kassel 1987, Finlay’s large body of work can be found in museums, parks and gardens worldwide. His artistic creations also incorporate short stories, poems and concrete poetry, many of which have been published by his own publishing house Wild Hawthorn Press, and which, with a mixture of wit and beauty, engage with the relationship between violence and civilisation.
The World’s Best Beaches takes you to 200 breathtaking beaches scattered across the globe. This book is a true tribute to the most beautiful coastlines, where every beach lover can find their paradise. From pristine, pearl-white sands in the tropics to dramatic cliffs along rugged shores, these carefully selected destinations are all worthy of your bucket list. Be inspired by gorgeous photos that make you dream of your next beach adventure, and plan your trip with the practical information provided. This book is a must-have for anyone who loves sun, sea, and sand.
“Agriculture and the arts meet in a pioneering new book that highlights the power of regenerative practices.” – Waitrose Weekend
“From Northern Irish handkerchief-makers to Scilly Isles fisherman who know when to let stocks replenish, a new book showcases radical solutions to our environmental problems” – The Guardian
“This book treats us all to a glimpse through the lens of a movement for change that is gathering pace … there is hope here” – Dan Saladino, BBC Journalist, author of Eating to Extinction
We Feed The UK is an acclaimed storytelling campaign, pairing photographers and poets with the UK’s most inspiring custodians of soil, sea, and seed.
This landmark publication brings together over 40 collaborators from the environment and arts sectors to share ten deeply human stories from every corner of the UK – from Black-led community gardens in the heart of London, to all-women worker cooperatives in Edinburgh, and traditional fishing practices off the southern coast. Each chapter pairs striking visual narratives with evocative poetry, capturing a landscape not only of geography, but of care, resistance, and renewal.
The ten powerful stories in this book prove a future is possible where nature-friendly farming has a positive impact on our climate, wildlife, and communities. We Feed The UK is a call to attention. It captures a moment of transformation, led not by policymakers or corporations, but by everyday people planting the seeds of change with their own hands. These are the stories we need now: rooted in hope, grown in resistance, and harvested for a liveable future.
Scenes of gardens and of love, idyllic hunting parties, picturesque farms, and lifelike animal figurines in porcelain were popular motifs in table decoration from the Baroque to the beginning of the 19th century. These ‘worlds in miniature’ were intended to initiate conversation among the table guests – and of course attest to the discerning taste of the hosts. The decorative pieces were, for all intents and purposes, part of the furnishing scheme and finished off the room’s interior as a total work of art down to the last detail. Central to this was the artisanal sophistication and the perfect mastery of the latest techniques, which breathed new life into the miniatures.
Following on from Courtly Companions: Pugs and Other Dogs in Porcelain and Faience, now Courtly Pleasures presents the most beautiful table decorations produced by a variety of manufacturers, all from the abundant treasures of a southwest German private collection.
Text in English and German.
All About Eve is the latest series of the American artist Ruth Marten (*1949) which she has been developing since 2022. Here she unfolds a complex interplay involving the boundaries of reality, time, and genre.
She began her career as a tattoo artist and later worked as an illustrator for various publishers and magazines. It was during this time that she discovered the technique of overpainting and collage, subsequently to become integral to her artistic practice. Marten’s works are based on old graphic prints from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as on photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By reworking the originals, she creates a fascinating link between historical representations and contemporary perspectives.
The All About Eve series reflects on the radical cultural shift of the 1920s: the heliogravures reworked by Marten depict female dancers from a French variety theatre, embodying the new freedoms of the post-war era. Through her artistic reworkings, Marten emphasises the diversity and complexity of female possibilities, infusing them with her characteristic dash of humour and subversion.
In this follow up to Storied Interiors (2018), interior designer Patrick Sutton presents seven beautiful and unique residences. Taking a deep dive into Sutton’s distinctive approach, acclaimed author Vicky Lowry tells the story of each home and how listening to his clients has inherently shaped the design.
The seven homes, located in Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming, run the gamut from a crisply furnished, minimalist countryside retreat and a classic yet contemporary seaside estate, to a historic house given new life with striking furnishings and seductive colours, and a property in Jackson Hole with a pared-down aesthetic rather than the typical trappings of the American West. While Sutton’s objectives for every project might be similar—discovering the ‘story’ to help him craft a design that is influenced by the location, history, and his clients—he is adept at working in a variety of styles, with an approach that remains fluid and open-minded.
Each project in Tailored Interiors is illustrated with gorgeous photography and accompanied by a narrative about the client, their aspirations, and Sutton’s compassionate approach to the design. It is through vision and empathy that Sutton creates such rich, meaningful, and liveable interiors and helps his clients achieve their dreams.
“The collection is an extraordinary one, and the catalog will be of interest to Johnsonians as well as book collectors.” —The Johnsonian News Letter
“It is elegantly and humanely presented and handsomely produced, and will enrich the field of 18th-century studies.” — The Book Collector
“…it presents a cornucopia of information that creates a conversation between its numerous entries.”— The Colophon Bookshop
The Age of Johnson: The Library of Loren and Frances Rothschild brings together the most comprehensive collection of rare books and autograph works in private hands of the 18th-century literary giant Samuel Johnson, together with extensive collections of the works of the other principal authors of the period long-known as the Age of Johnson— including James Boswell, Edmund Burke, Frances Burney, Oliver Goldsmith, Hester (Thrale) Piozzi, Alexander Pope, and Jonathan Swift.
An introduction to each of these authors provides information placing the author in his or her historical and literary context, and the descriptive entries for each of the over 900 individual manuscripts, letters, and rare books records bibliographical information, significant facts, and critical information about the work recorded.
The individual entries, when viewed in the aggregate, survey and illuminate the breadth and depth of the literary and intellectual canon of the authors of the Age of Johnson, illuminate their relationships and their works to one another. The text taken as a whole demonstrates why Samuel Johnson, as an individual and as an author, defined the era long named for him.
Between 1966 and 1989, Inken and Hinrich Baller realised 25 buildings in (then West) Berlin and a private residence in Switzerland. Although most of these structures were designed and built within the narrow financial and regulatory framework of social housing, all of them offer more than the standard: filigree; brightness; large balconies, terraces and gardens; good natural lighting thanks to glass interior walls; generous floor plans; and complex spatial relationships across several stories. With their unconventional designs, the Ballers created situations that continue to serve as models for high-quality and affordable housing, as well as exciting urban spaces.
This book is the revised new hardback edition of a comprehensive survey of Inken and Hinrich Baller’s work, which was first published in 2022 as a paperback and sold out within months. It offers a detailed photographic documentation of their buildings in their current state, reproductions of original plans and drawings, historic documents, and construction site and aerial photographs. The rich visual material is rounded out by essays and conversations with the architects and with residents of the buildings.
The American design firm Simplehuman invites a multitude of global voices to celebrate 25 years of excellence and innovation in the functional home goods sector. Narrating the secret lives of their iconic homewares – from touch-free trash cans to shaving mirrors, shower caddies and laundry hampers, this playful compendium revels in the human stories that unfold from behind the brand’s polished facade. Featuring a deep-dive into design and production processes from Los Angeles to Taipei, alongside sensitive portraits of Simplehuman’s friends and design world family, this 200-page tome showcases the intricacies of industrial design alongside the deeply human side of our day-to-day domestic realities.
Venice – an icon of romanticism. Sometimes considered too touristy, the Serenissima is a vibrant city teeming with hidden palaces, ultra-luxurious hotels, iconic monuments and historic sites, bars, terraces, exquisite food, carnivals, and artistic life. Part of the Best of… series, Best of Venice celebrates this city and its history and culture in glamorous colour.
Text in English and French.
Have you ever seen a place that leaves you breathless… and with a million questions?! Well, check these out! Fifty of the world’s most mysterious places – those made by man and those gifted by nature. Places that stimulate curiosity and everyone’s truly innate desire to learn and know more!
Locations included: Stonehenge (Great Britain); Loch Ness (Great Britain); Fingal’s Cave (Great Britain); San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Spain); Quinta da Regaleira (Portugal); Alchemical Caves (Italy); Gardens of Bomarzo (Italy); Carnac Stones (France); Paris Catacombs (France); Devil’s Bridge (Germany); Black Forest (Germany); Crooked Forest (Poland); Hessdalen Lights and Aurora Borealis (Scandinavia); Hoia Baciu Forest (Romania);
Krudum Hill (Czech Republic); Buda Castle Labyrinth (Hungary); Dargavs (Russia); Mammoth Bone Buildings (Ukraine and Russia); Tunnel of Love (Ukraine); Pamukkale Thermal Pools (Turkey); Giza Necropolis (Egypt); Eye of the Sahara (Mauritania); Fairy Circles (Namibia); Gates of Hell (Turkmenistan); Vaitheeswaran Koil (India); North Sentinel Island (India); Heizhugou Forest (China); Terracotta Army (China); Genghis Khan’s Grave (Mongolia); Mysterious Road (South Korea); Ise Shrine (Japan); Plain of Jars (Laos); Marine Bioluminescence (Maldives); Slope Point (New Zealand); Devil’s Sea (Pacific Ocean); Mariana Trench (Pacific Ocean); Abraham Lake (Canada); Bermuda Triangle (Atlantic Ocean); Area 51 (USA); Sailing Stones at Racetrack Playa (USA); Naica Mine (Mexico); Island of the Dead Dolls (Mexico); Snake Island (Brazil); Enchanted Well (Brazil); Catatumbo Lightning (Venezuela); Uyuni Salt Flat (Bolivia); El Ojo, the Rotating Island (Argentina); Nazca Lines (Peru); Machu Picchu (Peru); Easter Island (Chile).
Ages 8 plus.
Racines | Roots is a vibrant art book reflecting the unique vision of a passionate collector and entrepreneur. Garance Primat unveils a selection of works drawn from the heart of her aesthetic and spiritual journey. For her, art is a life-sustaining force: deep roots nourish our being and link us to nature, allowing us to flourish like a tree.
Born into a family responsive to nature and art, she has honed her eye through contact with different cultures during her travels, particularly in Australia and the United States, where she became aware of how everything in the realm of nature was interconnected. This quest inspired her to acquire the Domaine des Étangs in Charente Limousine.
With its ability to question the world and shape the future, contemporary art occupies a special place in her eclectic collection, interacting with modern art from around the world, minerals and wisdom-bearing objects. Garance Primat invites us to trust her sensibility as we explore the universal, where words struggle to grasp the interconnectedness of living things. An original message emerges from the “root” of things, awakening a shared consciousness. This book, built around the etymology of seven key words linked to nature and the universe, is an invitation to let ourselves be carried away by the senses and discover the invisible links that unite us.
Text in English and French.
A mystical, artistic, and poetic journey into the heart of the Domaine des Étangs in Charente Limousine, a familial domain hidden among quiet ponds, now turned into a five-star hotel. A unique spot of 2500 acres conceived around the five elements — water, earth, air, fire, and ether — which houses an exceptional contemporary art collection — paintings, photographs, sculptures, and books. The artwork can be discovered not only in every room of the 18th century castle but also throughout the park. At last, a place of rejuvenation out of the world and out of time which allows us to reconnect with nature.
Structured around the five elements, the book first explores the domain’s landscape and waters before revealing how the hotel is conceived around the three other elements — fire, air and ether.
Text in English and French.
A new title in a series of sound books dedicated to the white noises of nature and the home: the entire series offers children a relaxing sensory experience through listening to white noises that are perfect for promoting relaxation and concentration. These sound books can be used independently by children or shared with parents, grandparents, and teachers.
Ages 3 plus.
Nestled in the heart of the Alps and bathed in sunshine, Italy’s lakes embody la dolce vita at its finest. Lake Como, with its elegant villas and terraced gardens, offers a setting worthy of a romantic film. Lake Maggiore, adorned with the Borromean Islands, charms with its aristocratic allure. Wilder and more expansive, Lake Garda blends mountains, colourful villages, and water sports. Everywhere, people stroll along the shores, sip spritzes by the shimmering water, and savour local cuisine. With its mix of natural beauty, refined living, and relaxed rhythm the Italian lake region is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and fully enjoy the sweetness of life.
Text in English and French.