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Our Vasily Kandinsky (Wassily) Composition 8 QuickNotes notecard box holds 20 full colour cards and 20 classic white envelopes. 4 notecard styles of four different paintings including Composition 8 which coordinates with our Composition 8 Small Bullet Journal.

Our QuickNotes boxed notecards are full colour, collectable greeting/notecards that are blank inside and can be used to convey personal greetings, thank-yous and invitations.

We choose the best images from well-known classic and contemporary fine artists, plus talented emerging illustrators and designers from around the globe. Vasily Kandinsky is recognised worldwide for his use of dynamic lines and colour to express ideas in a nonobjective, abstract style. His paintings have been collected by every major museum nationally and around the world.

The tale of the shepherd girl Radha and the Hindu god Krishna is probably the most famous love story in India. Written by Jayadeva at the end of the twelfth century, the Gitagovinda narrates the highs and lows of Radha and Krishna’s relationship. As a vivid metaphor for the human yearning for god, the work is today closely associated in India with the religiosity of Krishna. In the eighteenth century, in the former princely residence of Guler, the artist family of Nainsuhk and Manaku created the outstanding picture series of the second Guler Gitagovinda of 1775/80, which recounts the love story with an unparalleled elegance. This book retells the story using selected pieces from this series (printed in original size) and whisks the reader off into the atmospheric world of Indian miniature painting and poetry. This book accompanies an exhibition at Museum Rietberg, Zurich, 24 October 2019 – 16 February 2020.

Text in English and German.

Painting and graphic prints are the preferred mediums of the Norwegian artist Hanne Borchgrevink (b.1951), who over the course of time has focused her attention on the house as the leitmotif of her work. She reduces it to its elemental forms, which forever encounter new constellations. At the intersection of figuration and abstraction, of the verbal and non-verbal, the artist explores in her reduced language of forms colour, surface and perception in a methodical and analytical way. Borchgrevink has long occupied a prominent position in the contemporary art of Norway, for in the repetition of her painterly and motivic vocabulary she always manages to find ever new and surprising as well as provocative answers.

Text in English and Norwegian.

The Norwegian painter Bjørn Ransve (b. 1944) is one of the best-known contemporary Scandinavian artists. Very few painters indeed express themselves so brilliantly in two dimensions, thematically, technically and formally. The third volume of the catalogue raisonné is devoted to Ransve ‘s graphic oeuvre: in over 1,300 illustrations it documents prints and multiples, created from the 1960s to 2013. This book is not only an indispensable standard reference for all scholars, art dealers and collectors, it also provides insights in the complex interrelations between prints, paintings and drawings in Ransve ‘s artistic work. The accompanying text by Lars Eisenlöffel investigates the changing and recurrent groups of motifs and places the works in their art historical context.

Since each page of the book has been designed individually in close collaboration between Ransve and the graphic artist and book designer Silke Nalbach, Bjørn Ransve ‘s development as an artist can be traced in a way that is particularly illuminating.

Text in Norwegian.

The Norwegian painter Bjørn Ransve (b. 1944) is one of the best-known contemporary Scandinavian artists. Very few painters indeed express themselves so brilliantly in two dimensions, thematically, technically and formally.

The third volume of the catalogue raisonné is devoted to Ransve’s graphic oeuvre: in over 1,300 illustrations it documents prints and multiples, created from the 1960s to 2013. This book is not only an indispensable standard reference for all scholars, art dealers and collectors, it also provides insights in the complex interrelations between prints, paintings and drawings in Ransve’s artistic work. The accompanying text by Lars Eisenlöffel investigates the changing and recurrent groups of motifs and places the works in their art historical context. Since each page of the book has been designed individually in close collaboration between Ransve and the graphic artist and book designer Silke Nalbach, Bjørn Ransve’s development as an artist can be traced in a way that is particularly illuminating.

The Story of the America’s Cup 1851-2021 tells the chronological history of 150 years of the most exciting and exhilarating yacht race, open the pages and you can almost feel the wind in the sails and the salt spray.

Full page colour illustrations bring the yachts alive, set as they are in their natural element, at sea, on the waves; detailed descriptions give an amazing insider’s view of the construction of individual boats, the routes sailed, the crews, the highs and lows of what was undoubtedly, extremely tough and competitive sailing, the victories and the defeats.

Paintings by Tim Thompson, a leading marine artist are an integral part of the book’s appeal; he has captured the pure essence, the spirit of the race and its place in history.

Marriage a la Mode is the most famous of William Hogarth’s ‘progresses’ or series paintings, the story of a marriage de convenance and its unhappy consequences in fashionable 18th-century London. Contemporaries relished teasing out the meaning of all its rich detail, and the most extensive and popular of all the commentaries on the artist’s accomplishment: was that of the witty, many-sided German, Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Brilliantly translated, thoroughly annotated, this text is accompanied by the earlier and less-known commentary by Hogarth’s friend, the French-Swiss enameller Jean-Andre Rouquet, and by a selection of Lichtenberg’s remarks (in letters to friends) on his purposes and problems in interpreting Hogarth’s work. Included also is another and very rare ‘explanation’ of the plates, an anonymous 1746 pamphlet titled Marriage A-la-Mode-An Humorous Tale, in Six Cantos. A foreword on Lichtenberg, and an historical essay on Hogarth’s work by Mr. Coley, supply necessary background on artist and commentary. Of Hogarth’s greatness there is little that need be said. But it is worth noting that, of his several ‘progresses’ or ‘modern moral subjects’, only Marriage a la Mode centres on the upper levels of British society – the aristocracy and the mercantile class.

This monograph is the first title in a new series titled Opera Maestra, specifically focused on the work and itinerary of the artists who made history, from an unprecedented perspective. The series begins with Leonardo da Vinci, captured by the expert Marco Versiero.

At the core the analysis is the specific soul, among the thousands of Leonardo’s, that Marco Versiero wants to underline: his mirror-soul; namely, Leonardo’s eye between Human and Nature. In other words, the eye that allowed the artist to mediate between his favourite dimensions (the human and the natural one), and allowed them to communicate with each other without cancelling themselves, but rather managing to reflect one in the other’s light, like in front of a mirror.

An essential biographical note introduces the reader to Marco Versiero’s pages, enriched with 61 detailed pictures. The pictures, proposing not only a selection of Leonardo’s paintings but also of his drawings, enhanced with comprehensive captions, tell the itinerary of the genius from the years of his apprenticeship in Verrocchio’s workshop till the days of his maturity.

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.

Frida the woman. Frida the artist. Frida the icon. Fragile and indomitable, she made herself a work of art, celebrating the beauty of imperfection. Hers was an existence made of passion, revolution, brightly coloured clothes, and paintings that mirrored her dances with death and love for life. A life like hers requires splendid images and intense text chronicling its many adventures. From her childhood to the accident, from her discovery of painting and the ties with extraordinary characters such as André Breton, Tina Modotti, Lev Trotsky, to her legendary marriage to Diego Rivera and her enchantment with the Casa Azul. This stunning book is a homage to the human being who became a symbol of emancipation and freedom. A hymn to diversity and joie de vivre, dedicated to all women of the world.

Raphael arrived in Rome in 1508 and remained there until his death in 1520, working as painter and architect for popes Julius II and Leo X and for the most prestigious patrons. Here the artist changed his painting style several times, looking at the works of Michelangelo, Sebastiano del Piombo and the vast repertoire of ancient painting and sculpture. In the Eternal City Raphael practised architecture for the first time, designing buildings that reflected the models of Antiquity such as the Pantheon, the descriptions deriving from written sources such as Vitruvius’ treaty on architecture, and the examples of modern architects like Donato Bramante.

This guide supplies essential and up to date information on all the civil or religious buildings designed or built by Raphael in Rome, and the frescoes and paintings, housed in churches or museums, whether executed in the city or arrived there at a later stage.

Marylène Madou was established in Belgium early 2017, launching the brand with a successful collection of printed scarves and today print still is the ultimate starting point in each collection. Every textile print is created in-house by the designer herself, exclusively using her own original paintings and digital illustrations.

Marylène Madou: Prints & Patterns provides an overview of Marylène’s most distinguishing print designs and patterns, a treat for print admirers and textile enthusiasts worldwide with Italy, the UK, and the Benelux being the largest sourcing countries for the materials. For the manufacturing of her ready-to-wear, she is in a unique position, working with a local atelier in Belgium. A collection of both highly detailed and more stylized prints, highlighting Marylène’s multidisciplinary design process, covering more than 190 pages, divided into 5 chapters. Marylène Madou: Prints & Patterns is printed on high-end paper, with a recognisable print all over the cover. The holographic pink foil makes the title stand out among the crowd.

Text in English and French.

Young Rembrandt concentrates on the first ten years of the career of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). Born in Leiden, he trained there with Isaac van Swanenburg and in Amsterdam with Pieter Lastman. After a short stay in Amsterdam he returned to Leiden and set up a studio where he began his extraordinary career, painting scenes from the Bible and classical mythology and history, as well as a handful of genre scenes and portraits. His progress is remarkable: from the earliest hesitant paintings of the Five Senses in about 1624 to the wonderfully assured Jeremiah of 1630 it is almost possible to trace his development and his increasing fluency and self-confidence from month to month and certainly from year to year. Published to accompany exhibitions at the Lakenhal, Leiden from November 2019 to February 2020, then at the Ashmolean Museum from February to June 2020.

Handpicked: Painting Flowers From 1900 to Today celebrates the beauty and vitality of flower paintings of the 20th and 21st centuries. Beautifully illustrated, this anthology features essays on paintings by significant figures of the 20th century, as well as contemporary artists working with the genre of flower painting in new and often experimental ways today.

Artists: Hurvin Anderson, Vanessa Bell, David Bomberg, Louise Bourgeois, Jai Chuhan, Andrew Cranston, Kaye Donachie, Gigi Ettedgui, Anna Freeman Bentley, Marjory Garnett, Tirzah Garwood, Gluck, Lubaina Himid, Howard Hodgkin, Isak of Igdlorpait, Nerys Johnson, David Jones, Poppy Jones, Joy Labinjo, Doron Langberg, Aubrey Levinthal, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Rory McEwen, Cedric Morris, Cassi Namoda, Mary Newcomb, William Nicholson, Winifred Nicholson, Chris Ofili, Jennifer Packer, Celia Paul, Bryan Pearce, Emma Prempeh, Bianca Raffaella, Eric Ravilious, Anne Redpath, Henri Rousseau, William Scott, Judith Tucker, Euan Uglow, Charlotte Verity, Édouard Vuillard, Caroline Walker, Alison Watt, Christopher Wood, Clare Woods.

Helmut Middendorf is one of Germany’s most renowned painters. As a member of the neo-expressionists, the Neue Wilden, he left a lasting impression on the artistic landscape of the 1980s. In 2022, Middendorf showed an exhibition entitled Berlin SO 36 Revisited at the Museum Schloss Derneburg, Hall Art Foundation. SO 36 was the name of an area of Kreuzberg, but also of the famous music venue that inspired many of the artist’s works. Middendorf lived and worked in Berlin Kreuzberg’s SO 36 district throughout the 1970s and 80s. As well as the documentation accompanying the exhibition at the Museum Schloss Derneburg, this publication presents a wide selection of paintings and works on paper dating from that era, most of which are being republished here for the first time in many years. A large number of hitherto unseen photographs from the artist’s private archive also feature.

Text in English and German.

Holly Addi is a U.S.-based artist who creates abstract paintings focused on the philosophy of beauty in imperfection. With a background in psychology, Addi examines energy, colour, space, and landscape through tempered abstraction. Addi considers her practice as a “composition of imperfectionism.” By utilising abstraction, she creates moments by means of rules and omissions, acceptance and refusal, providing a space for contemplation. Her works do not reference any particular form, and interpretation becomes multifaceted. She has exhibited nationwide, and has been featured in Architectural Digest, My Domain, and Electrify Magazine. Holly’s work can be found in public and private collections worldwide.

This richly illustrated book follows the journeys of Dutch artist Isaac Israels (1865–1934), whose restless wanderlust took him across Europe and profoundly shaped his artistic vision. The son of painter Jozef Israels, Isaac immersed himself in the cultural life of cities such as Paris, London, and Berlin, and travelled extensively through Italy, Austria, Spain, Denmark, and Sweden. Even during the First World War, he continued to explore the continent, sketching the people and places he encountered. His dynamic paintings reveal a Europe in transition—vibrant, cosmopolitan, and increasingly modern. Through Israels’ eyes, the book reflects on themes of migration, identity, and the visual expression of “Europeanness” at the dawn of the 20th century. Presented by the Kröller-Müller Museum, home to one of the world’s foremost collections of modern art, it offers an evocative journey through both art and history.

Another Chance Encounter celebrates Lubaina Himid’s first UK museum exhibition since 2018. Beautifully designed in collaboration with the artist, this fully illustrated book documents three new bodies of paintings and installations created for the exhibition at Kettle’s Yard, one made in collaboration with artist and master printmaker Magda Stawarska. Inspired by the unique Kettle’s Yard house and collection, Himid’s new work illuminates figures and histories often considered marginal. Himid will populate the Kettle’s Yard house with paintings in cupboards and drawers, and display a new collection of found and made objects and in the galleries. The publication follows Himid as she brilliantly crafts alternative histories with her distinctive bold colours and characters. The book will include new texts by Amy Tobin, Amelia Groom and Aneta Krzemien in conversation with Magda Stawarska, as well as Himid’s own writing.

Father Andrew, an artist and priest of the Archdiocese of New York, recounts his impressions during a peripatetic retreat in Tuscany some years ago, under the guidance of Timothy Verdon an art historian and Catholic priest. Timothy Verdon’s hope was to help the listeners open to the spiritual as well as aesthetic beauty of the buildings, sculptures and paintings seen and Father Andrew’s book tells that something of this sort happened, at least in his case. A Tuscan Résumé is an ‘inspired’ work, in response to the same Spirit that touched the architects and artists whose masterpieces Father Andrew describes.

The book deals with Norwegian artist Anna-Eva Bergman (1909–1987) and her paintings from the period 1950–1975. She left behind an exceptional collection of works and had a career that stands out in Norwegian art history.

This book brings together several of her best-known monumental paintings. The simplified depictions of mountains, seas, moons and horizons speak to us today. “The way to art goes through nature and our attitude towards it”, Bergman wrote in 1950. Today, the statement has renewed relevance in view of a vulnerable nature and humankind’s footprint on the planet. Through her pictures, she continues to engage and create space for reflection on this subject. Furthermore, the book examines, among other things, Bergman’s techniques, her relationship with architecture, as well as her abstract artistic expression.

Text in English and Norwegian.

Titian (c. 1488-1576) was recognised very early on as the leading painter of his generation in Venice. Starting in the studio of the aged Giovanni Bellini, Titian, with his contemporary Giorgione, almost immediately started to expand the range of what was possible in painting, converting Bellini’s statuesque style into something far more impressionistic and romantic. This restless spirit of innovation and improvisation never left him, and during his long life he experimented with a number of different styles, the brushwork of his last great paintings showing a mysterious poetry that has never been equalled. This volume in the series Lives of the Artists collects the major writings about Titian by his contemporaries and near contemporaries. The centrepiece is the biography by Vasari, who as a Florentine found Titian’s very Venetian sense of colour and transient forms a challenge to his concept of art as design. The poet Ariosto and sparkling letter writer Aretino had a more nuanced view of their friend’s work, and Priscianese’s account of a dinner party with Titian, and the contributions by Speroni and Dolce, and the slightly later Tuscan critic Borghini, round out the picture of this hugely thoughtful, intellectual artist, whose paintings remain some of the most sensual and affecting in all of Western art. Mostly unavailable in any form for many years, these writings have been newly edited for this edition. They are introduced by the scholar Carlo Corsato, who places each in its artistic and literary context. Approximately 50 pages of colour illustrations cover the full range of Titian’s great oeuvre.

“Fascinating details of the original pictures and a social history of footwear fashion” VOGUE
In acclaimed photographer Lois Lammerhuber’s pictures, shod feet in the Louvre paintings reveal undreamt-of information about people. The details are not only separate works of art, but also studies on centuries of shoe fashion and an excursion into social history. Almost intimate, the photographs raise the world of feet and footwear to eye level, showing delicate shoes and stout limbs; feet without shoes and shoes without feet. The viewing angle is a special one, not only for art enthusiasts but also for shoe lovers. Raphael, Goya, or Ingres did not produce or design footwear, but they all ‘recorded’ shoes, contributing to a history of footwear and at the same time creating fashion archives of shoes that people stepped out in between 1280 and 1863. In a brilliant discourse, Margo Glantz, an icon of Mexican literary studies, introduces the viewer to original thoughts on painting and footwear design, the history and sociology of shoes. Text in English, German, French & Spanish.

Ever since winning a travel grant as a 17-year-old to travel from the Netherlands through Belgium and Paris to Arles in Van Gogh’s footsteps, the contemporary master painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer has been inspired by the Dutchman’s art. Van Gogh has been a profound influence upon the subjects and techniques of Kiefer’s monumental paintings and sculptures, which draw on history, mythology, literature, philosophy and science. Published to coincide with Kiefer’s 80th birthday in 2025, this book celebrates the power and luminous intensity of both artists’ work.

His mostly precisely composed, large-format paintings, with deserted spaces as their main motif, made Ben Willikens (*1939) famous in the second half of the 1970s. The exhibition and accompanying catalogue present nearly 50 works created between 1971 and 2021 and thus span the artist’s entire oeuvre. Three groups of works form the central pillars: the Anstaltsbilder of the 1970, in whose motifs Willikens processes a dark chapter in his life, and the series ORTE (PLACES) And ORTE 2 (PLACES 2), which deal with Willikens’s examination of the architecture of the National Socialist period. There are also various works from the series Räume der Moderne (Spaces of Modernity).

Text in English and German.