On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Overbeck Society, a comprehensive publication has been published presenting the history of the Lübecker Kunstverein (Lübeck Art Association) in the 20th and 21st centuries. Together with the works of the anniversary exhibition, an architectural history study of the Bauhaus Pavilion, which is important for northern Germany and in which the Overbeck Society’s exhibitions have been held since 1930, and a complete chronology of its exhibitions and publications, the commemorative publication provides an impressive panorama of societal developments of the past 100 years.

Text in English and German.

Christmas at the White House is the most beautiful and grand celebration of the year. As Chief of Floral Design during the Obama administration, Laura Dowling was responsible for the dazzling floral pieces that made the season so memorable. Here, she invites readers behind the scenes of this complex year-long planning process, where some of the most innovative and ambitious hand-made craft displays were created. From architectural details including intricate hydrangea-covered archways, illusionary cube-patterned column covers, and gilded maple leaf rosette panels, to sugar paste floral vases and robotic versions of the First Family’s dogs, the décor inspired and delighted visitors and guests from across the country and around the world.  

In addition to her White House experiences, Laura shares advice and ideas, tips and techniques for planning holiday-themed displays at home, including step-by-step instructions for re-creating some of the most popular and original White House holiday designs.

Carlos Martinez has been running his architectural office in Berneck (Switzerland) for over 30 years. He made a name for himself through his collaboration with Pipilotti Rist entitled “roter Teppich von St. Gallen” (“red carpet of St. Gallen”), a wonderful urban-planning intervention that brings together the formerly haphazard conglomerate of remnant spaces and transport functions to create a homogeneous, identity-strengthening unity. His great energy and inventive engagement with the urban-planning context and its existing structures have led to numerous architectural projects that integrate themselves as powerful figures in the urban context and landscape.

Text in English and German.

“When a new tome by David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti arrives for me to review, I don’t wait. I immediately open it and am completely drawn in by the breadth and depth of their knowledge and the awe-inspiring jewelry featured within their works. Such is the case with their new book …” — NouvelleBox

“… The book is intellectually rich yet warm in its tone, and visually sumptuous, offering a definitive perspective on the Classical, Romantic, and early modern aesthetics that shaped the era. ” — The Jewellery Editor 

“… these pages promise to inspire knowledgeable collectors while taking their expertise to the next level.” — Gem and Jewel 

“Nineteenth-century jewelry buffs can learn all they ever wanted about the crafts, themes, makers and clients central to the period.” — Wall Street Journal

From the authors of Understanding Jewellery, considered to be one of the most important and frequently referenced books on jewellery ever produced, Age of Grandeur focuses solely on the 19th century, bringing with it over 250 new colour photographs of jewellery from this most celebrated era.
Taking the reader through the history of jewellery over the decades, we learn how and why particular styles came about and then changed. From Napoleonic classicism and Victorian sentimental and memorial jewellery, through the Romantic era and its penchant for naturalism, the Gothic style and recreation of the Renaissance and, finally, the unique designs of the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau periods, this comprehensive study enlightens and fascinates. With stunning photographs accompanying us on our journey through the decades, creating a rich visual history that brings the text to life, this book remains the essential bible on 19th-century jewellery.

Petra Rephotographed represents an exploration of time and change across the iconic archaeological city of Petra, Jordan, through repeat photography––meticulously replicating historic images of the landscape and monuments a century later.

In the early 1920s, retired civil engineer Sir Alexander Kennedy set out to explore and photograph the archaeological wonder of Petra, an ancient city of ruins nestled in the striking Jordanian Highlands. Armed only with a field camera of the day, Sir Kennedy captured the Rose Red City’s magnificent features: dramatic stone façades, sweeping vistas, and hewn carvings—shedding light on what was then a mostly untouristed region. One hundred years later, Dr. Kaelin Groom, a noted heritage scientist and geographer with over a decade of experience in Petra, retraces Sir Kennedy’s footsteps with a modern field camera, meticulously rephotographing his 100-year-old images in the contemporary landscape. Studying Petra a century later, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Dr. Groom visualises the profound resiliency of the indomitable Rose Red City through modern imagery and observes the influence humans have had on the landscape for generations. Petra Rephotographed takes the reader on a historic photographic journey, incorporating meticulously replicated images of the past which help the reader visualise changes and evolution of the archaeological city’s iconic monuments and timeless landscapes.

Jean-Michel Wilmotte and his collaborators are leading more than 100 projects in 27 different countries, from the biggest to the smallest, from the most spectacular to the most ordinary, with the same fervour from the initial sketch to completion. This practice has recently completed the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris (France), the headquarters of L’Oréal Group in Clichy (France), the headquarters of Unilever group in Rueil-Malmaison (France), the Center for Arts of the International School of Geneva (Switzerland), the Allées Richaud & Allées Foch high-end residential buildings in Versailles (France), the Cultural Center of Daejeon (South Korea), the 36,200-seat Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice (France), the London headquarters of Google and JCDecaux (United Kingdom), the Ferrari Sporting Management Center (Formula 1) in Maranello (Italy), a Convention and Exhibition Center in São Paulo (Brazil), and an ecological park in Baku (Azerbaijan) for the 2015 European Games. In these projects, which are both innovative and sustainable, the design always takes into account landscaping, lighting, materials, and finishes, while being respectful of the local and historic context of the site. This new title, as part of IMAGES’ renowned Leading Architects series, delves into the extraordinary work of this firm and the process of its innovative and creative team. Showcasing projects throughout the book with rich, full-colour images, detailed plans, and informative texts, this monograph is a must-have for any professional design collection.

Pure Luxury: World’s Best Houses is a celebration of residential living at its finest, and best. Satisfying our natural and abiding curiosity about how other people live, and our endless quest to add a special something to our own homes, this latest volume in IMAGES’ 100 Houses series showcases contemporary architectural trends. The beauty of residential architecture lies in its infinite scope for innovation and the comfort of it inhabitants, be they at rest, at play, or hosting guests. Among the awe-inspiring projects in this book are an opulent villa set in the Hollywood Hills with an infinity pool projecting over LA, an idyllic rural retreat set in luxurious valleys and stunning beach houses around the coast. The diversity of the locations extend from Mexico and Brazil to Thailand and Italy. Featured architects include: Damien Murtagh, Lockyer Architects, ISJ Architects, Saucier + Perrotte, SAOTA, Okada Architects, Original Vision, Koutsoftides Architects, Drozdov Partners and Carlos Bratke Architect.

“Tashiding is one of the oldest and most venerated monasteries in the historic Himalyan Kingdom of Sikkim. Loosely translated, the word means ‘a very auspicious place.’ We appropriated the name for our auspicious place” – Douglas & Tsongie Hamilton

Tashiding: Beyond Earth and Sky presents a sumptuous portrait of a 100-acre rural landscape and stunning residence, in Maryland, USA, developed in connection with the land and the environment. Stunning photographs and the book’s elegant design take readers on an exquisite visual tour of the property and its development, including the origins and culture of its owners—Douglas Hamilton former president and chairman of The Walters Museum in Maryland and Tsognie Wangmo, the eldest child of the last king of Sikkim, shortly before the Himalayan royal kingdom was taken over by India. This is the poignant and inspirational story of the origins and creation of Tashiding, which was developed by Douglas and Tsognie without plans, a design on paper, or a professional landscape architect or garden designer, personify their intuitive sensibility and innate knowledge—approaches that every gardener can use, and every designer will appreciate.

Tashiding showcases the joining of two distinct cultures, and how their Western and Eastern backgrounds are manifest in the landscapes, garden themes, sculpture, ornament, and the house’s interiors. Everyone who has visited Tashiding is moved by the experiential sensation of the landscape’s different places. In developing Tashiding’s four-seasons gardens, Douglas and Tsognie envisioned an environment that invites a sense of harmony and well-being—part arboretum, part park, and part Xanadu. It is a garden for both walking and quiet contemplation, for feeling the thrill of the wind on a cool March day or for sitting in the tea house on a rainy afternoon, watching the wind form abstract ripples on the surface of the lake. Collecting and arranging the extraordinary quantity of rocks, boulders, trees and shrubs, they see their hands in all they did. Yet as the years have passed, each tree and plant grows in its own unique way, knitting together to form a new and perhaps more naturalistic landscape.

Geneviève Bonnard and Denis Wœffray belong to a generation of architects from western Switzerland who established themselves following the decline of postmodernism. Their architectural language is characterised by minimalism, an awareness of materials and a focus on the location, while at the same time being experimental and multifaceted. This is reflected in the work of the Monthey-based practice in their diverse construction projects: from the primary school in Bovernier (2010), whose new volume nestles topographically at the foot of a slope and, with a wall that folds in both plan and section, provides the necessary outdoor spaces for breaks and sports, to the drop-in centre for adults in need in Saxon (2015), where communal areas are located on the ground floor and living spaces for short and longer stays are located on the upper floors, and whose choice of materials combines an industrial character with a homely atmosphere, to the Complexe Gare Sud in Siders (2019), whose sloping parapet bands allow the building envelope to shine in varying colour accents depending on the position of the sun.

Text in English and German.

“As with stocks, education is the way to begin. There are many excellent books on the jewelry market, but start with Understanding Jewellery, the industry bible by two former Sotheby’s jewelry executives, David Bennett, and Daniela Mascetti.” — Kristen Shirley, Bloomberg

Understanding Jewellery is a comprehensive guide to 19th and 20th Century jewellery. From the methods used to identify and date pieces, to the factors that can affect their value, this volume contains an abundance of expertise relating to precious stones and metals. With almost 1000 magnificent colour illustrations accompanied by straightforward but thorough explanations, this publication offers a richer and more accessible reading experience than traditional text-dominated books.

Including introductions to precious and semi-precious stones, and details of the stylistic developments of jewellery over the last 200 years, this volume is a standard work of reference and aninvaluable tool for collectors and dealers alike.

“… a delightful and presentation worthy coffee table book, Understanding Jewellery also, in the truest sense, serves as an inviting educational tool with exhaustive encyclopedic explanations of jewelry starting in the late 18th century to the present.” – New York Journal of Books

James Wilson Morrice: Paintings and Drawings of Venice is the first comprehensive overview of the artist’s images of Venice, Italy. Living in Paris for most of his life, Morrice (1865–1924) was the first Canadian painter to make regular trips to Venice from the mid 1890s to about 1908. This book situates Morrice within the history of Venice and Venetian art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by looking carefully at his more than 100 modernist paintings and numerous drawings of “La Serenissima.” During his lifetime, Morrice’s Venetian pictures appeared in art exhibitions in Paris, London and other European countries, as well as in Montreal and the United States. Constantly cited in exhibition reviews, Morrice was praised for his modernity, and his Venice works have ensured his fame and importance for years to come.

“This year, the Fondation Vuitton strikes again with an exhibition of the Morozov Collection, about 200 French and Russian works bought by two other textile magnates, the brothers Mikhail and Ivan Morozov, who also made multiple Paris shopping trips” – New York Times

The Morozov brothers, wealthy Moscow textile merchants Mikhail (1870-1903) and Ivan (1871-1921), played a key role in bringing Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art to Russia in the first decades of the 20th century. Along with Sergei Shchukin, a fellow industrialist and art collector, they created an international audience for French art and had a transformative effect on Russian cultural life.

Between the years 1903 and 1914, Ivan Morozov spent more money than any other collector of his time, amassing a stunning collection of works by Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Bonnard, Sisley, Renoir, Signac, Vuillard, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Degas, Pissarro, and, most especially, Cezanne (17 paintings, all of which will be on display). On his bi-annual trips to Paris, he bought from the most discerning dealers, including Paul Durand-Ruel, Ambroise Vollard, and Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler, as well as directly from the artists themselves. His collection comprises 278 paintings, not including 300 paintings by Russian artists (Chagall, Malevich, Serov, Vrubel, Levitan, Larionov, Goncharova) and 28 sculptures. The Morozov collection was nationalised after the October 1917 Revolution, and after World War II it was divided among the Hermitage Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, and the Tretyakov State Museum.

This stunning catalogue has been published for a show of 100 highlights from the Morozov Collection that will run from 22 September 2021 – 22 February 2022 at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris. It is the first time that works from the collection will travel abroad since they were acquired. This landmark exhibition will be the only stop for the show outside of Russia.

In The 500 Hidden Secrets of Madrid, Anna-Carin Nordin presents 500 must-know addresses in the Spanish capital, such as the 5 trendiest but affordable restaurants, 5 shops with the coolest sunglasses, 5 places that are decorated by the new generation of Madrid’s designers, 5 buzzing after-work bars or the 5 most curious street names… Madrid has so much to offer, and this guide helps you to choose where to start discovering this beautiful city. It is the perfect book for those who wish to discover the city, but avoid all the usual tourist haunts, as well as for residents who are keen to track down the city’s best-kept secrets.

The Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide series is written in collaboration with Club Oenologique, with comprehensive listings of restaurants, hotels, cafés and bars, points of wider cultural interest such as art galleries and museums, which wineries you can visit, how to read a Swiss wine list, Swiss winemakers’ favourite restaurants and more.

Master printmaker Liu Chunjie is renowned for his beautiful woodcut art. Born to land reclamation workers in Heilongjiang Province’s 856 Farm, Lui began life in a remote part of China that was deemed to be a place of cultural exile. But it is here that a vibrant chapter in the history of contemporary Chinese printmaking, known as Beidahuang Prints, was born.

Living and breathing woodcut art, Liu takes the reader on a personal journey through his life’s work. Written in beautiful poetic prose, Liu describes how his art and the techniques he uses have developed over time, culminating in a stunning body of work that has made him the celebrated artist he is today.

Having experimented with coloured ink, installation art and mixed-media painting, it is the spirit of woodcut that remains the foundation of Liu’s art. Using ancient tools and materials, he creates works that embody modern concepts, elevating the essence of woodcut art to a new level.

Did you know that jewellery predates clothes? The oldest known piece is a set of 100, 000-year-old beads, made from Nassarius shells.

Liza Urla advises us not to look at the eyes when meeting a new person, but instead to look at their jewellery. She describes it as the ultimate means of self-expression, essential to our identification as humans. “Jewellery is our armour,” she says, “and precious stones our amulets”. In this book, she journeys from continent to continent, chronicling the pieces that capture her imagination and her heart.

Although many of the pictures are from the street, defining the wearer’s style on the day they were taken, Urla has been lucky enough to access people’s personal jewellery boxes. As she says, the best pieces are always in private collections. Urla’s favourite finds are presented alongside her own jewellery styling, in collaboration with various designers from the jungles of Brazil, the beaches of Mexico, or the streets of London, NYC, Paris or Moscow.

Whether buying gem-set jewellery or loose stones, you will be faced with a colourful array of beauty and value. With such a wide choice – from amethyst to zircon which should you choose? What is it worth, and how do you even know it is real? All that glitters is not gold, as they say, and all that sparkles is not diamond. Gemstones helps to answer these questions in simple and easy to understand terms. As well as diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, over 100 gems are featured, with full descriptions, technical details, and tips on how to check for fakes; illustrated throughout with fabulous colour photographs to make identification easier. Technical terms such as refraction and fluorescence are explained and some basic identification tests are introduced. A helpful tour around the world details where gems are best available. Informative appendices include a glossary of terms, tables of specific gravity and refractive index, and the comparative value of different stones.

The clear, uncomplicated presentation makes this book a must for anyone interested in gemstones, whether as an investment or simply as a hobby.

Los Angeles Lost and Found is a collection of essays and photographs that explores Los Angeles as a city of constant reinvention, where history is often buried beneath layers of change. Experience designer Margaret Chandra Kerrison uses the lens of narrative placemaking to examine how LA’s physical spaces—its streets, neighbourhoods, and landmarks—shape both individual and collective identity.

What sets this collection apart is Kerrison’s deeply personal approach. She weaves her own story into the fabric of the city’s landscape, grounding cultural analysis in lived experience. Her reflections on the recent Los Angeles wildfires are especially poignant, revealing how natural disaster can strip a place down to its essence and reshape the stories we tell about it. Through these moments of vulnerability, she illustrates how loss and resilience are embedded in the urban environment. Blending memoir with observation, Kerrison highlights how overlooked spaces carry emotional weight and cultural memory. In doing so, she invites readers to view Los Angeles not just as a city of spectacle, but as a living, breathing narrative.

Los Angeles Lost and Found is both intimate and expansive, offering a portrait of a city that continues to inspire and challenge those who call it home—or dream of doing so.

Investigations by Sara Penco stem from the insightful finding of the absence of a key figure in the Sistine Chapel’s Last Judgement fresco. Prior to this illuminating research, Mary Magdalene was not unequivocally identified within Michelangelo’s masterpiece. Father Pfeiffer, with whom Penco establishes an inescapable dialectic, had already hypothesised the presence of Mary Magdalene in the fresco, but it is the scholar, for the first time in these pages, who convincingly justifies her identification. Mary Magdalene is closely connected to the salient episodes in the life of Jesus. The author rightly wonders, therefore, how it is possible that a figure so central to the biblical narrative and the Christian imagination could have been excluded from the depiction of the Parousia. This observation gives rise to an accurate reflection on the iconography of the saint and the Judgement, in relation to the sacred texts and in relation to Michelangelo’s poetics and production. Sara Penco traces Mary Magdalene in the tangle of figures on the wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel, contributing to characterise the fresco – one of the best known and most appreciated works in the world – with an unprecedented theological message.

Text in English and Italian.

The architect Paul Tissier (1886-1926) turned his short life into a multi-faceted artistic adventure. A student at the Beaux-Arts de Paris, where he founded the Association symphonique, he became president of the famous Quat’z’Arts ball. His talent as a watercolourist and draughtsman made him a witness to the ruins of the 1914-1918 war. Whether in the devastated regions or on the Côte d’Azur, he developed a unique catalogue of modular houses inspired by the region, combining traditional architecture with modern design. In 1923, Tissier was entrusted by the Société des grands hôtels de Nice with the organisation of exceptional festivities based on themes such as Russia, the Far East, Ancient Rome and Latin America, as well as underwater kingdoms and many other fantasies revolving around childhood, fashion and cubism. With his wife Gisèle, he was responsible for both the scenography and the staging: splendidly coloured painted canvases, extravagant costumes, spectacular dances, processions, naval jousts, fireworks and illuminations… A shooting star, Paul Tissier created almost 100 festivities across Europe in three years, before suddenly passing away. This first monograph draws on the 400 set elements and 2,000 graphic documents that survive in his archive, taking us to the heart of the excesses of the Roaring Twenties.

Text in French.

Back-lit in the morning, the olive tree differs greatly in appearance from in the afternoon or at sunset, each time offering new perspectives as well as new photographic collections. Jacques Berthet has long been interested in the olive tree. The idea of studying them came to him during a photography project which took Berthet all around the Mediterranean: from the Alentejo region in Portugal to the Pleistos Valley at Delphi, passing through Kabylia, Tunisia, to the Middle East, in Israel and the West Bank. In his photography, Berthet opts for black and white to distance himself from botany and move closer towards sculpture or drawing, opting for backlighting to single out the chosen tree against the backdrop of the olive grove which remains bathed in light.

The olive tree has remained a significant influence in the everyday life of cultures around the Mediterranean. In ancient poetry and writing, it is the most venerated of trees. The Greeks made it a sacred tree (particularly for its oil, used in lamps), and so have the people of Tunisia and Algeria in more recent times. In Islamic cultures, it is the cosmic tree, the centre and the pillar of the world, symbolising universal man. What sets the olive tree apart from many other species is that no two trees look alike, and its fate is closely linked with that of man.

Text in English and French.