In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of Victorian Britain’s greatest thinkers, the art critic and social reformer John Ruskin, the distinguished Ruskinian Robert Hewison introduces Ruskin’s ideas and values through revelatory studies of the people and issues that shaped his thought, and the ideas and values that in turn were shaped by his writings and personality. Beginning with an exploration of the rich tradition of European art that stimulated his imagination, and to which he responded in his own skilful drawings, Ruskin and his Contemporaries follows the uniquely visual dimension of his thinking from the aesthetic, religious and political foundations laid by his parents to his difficult personal and critical relationship with Turner, and his encounters with the art and architecture of Venice. Victor Hugo makes a surprising appearance as Ruskin develops his ideas on the relationship between art and society. Ruskin’s role as a contemporary art critic is explored in two chapters on Holman Hunt, one focussing on the Pre-Raphaelite’s The Awakening Conscience, one examining his later Triumph of the Innocents. The development of Ruskin’s role as a social critic is traced through his teaching at the London Workingmen’s College and his foundation of the Guild of St George, a reforming society that continues to this day. Oscar Wilde came under his personal influence, as did Octavia Hill, a founder of the National Trust. The evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin are shown to have been deeply unsettling to Ruskin’s worldview. The book concludes with a demonstration of the profound influence of the Paradise Myth on all of Ruskin’s writings, followed by an exploration of the concept of cultural value that shows why Ruskin’s ruling principle: ‘There is no wealth but Life’ is as relevant to the 21st century as it was to the 19th.
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of Victorian Britain’s greatest thinkers, the art critic and social reformer John Ruskin, the distinguished Ruskinian Robert Hewison introduces Ruskin’s ideas and values through revelatory studies of the people and issues that shaped his thought, and the ideas and values that in turn were shaped by his writings and personality. Beginning with an exploration of the rich tradition of European art that stimulated his imagination, and to which he responded in his own skilful drawings, Ruskin and his Contemporaries follows the uniquely visual dimension of his thinking from the aesthetic, religious and political foundations laid by his parents to his difficult personal and critical relationship with Turner, and his encounters with the art and architecture of Venice. Victor Hugo makes a surprising appearance as Ruskin develops his ideas on the relationship between art and society. Ruskin’s role as a contemporary art critic is explored in two chapters on Holman Hunt, one focussing on the Pre-Raphaelite’s The Awakening Conscience, one examining his later Triumph of the Innocents. The development of Ruskin’s role as a social critic is traced through his teaching at the London Workingmen’s College and his foundation of the Guild of St George, a reforming society that continues to this day. Oscar Wilde came under his personal influence, as did Octavia Hill, a founder of the National Trust. The evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin are shown to have been deeply unsettling to Ruskin’s worldview. The book concludes with a demonstration of the profound influence of the Paradise Myth on all of Ruskin’s writings, followed by an exploration of the concept of cultural value that shows why Ruskin’s ruling principle: `There is no wealth but Life’ is as relevant to the 21st century as it was to the 19th.
The Ruskin Society Book of The Year. Who was John Ruskin? What did he achieve – and how? Where is he today? One possible answer: almost everywhere. John Ruskin was the Victorian age’s best-known and most controversial intellectual. He was an art critic, a social activist, an early environmentalist; he was also a painter, writer, and a determined tastemaker in the fields of architecture and design. His ideas, which poured from his pen in the second half of the 19th century, sowed the seeds of the modern welfare state, universal state education and healthcare free at the point of delivery. His acute appreciation of natural beauty underpinned the National Trust, while his sensitivity to environmental change, decades before it was considered other than a local phenomenon, fuelled the modern green movement. His violent critique of free market economics, Unto This Last, has a claim to be the most influential political pamphlet ever written. Ruskin laid into the smug champions of Victorian capitalism, prefigured the current debate about inequality, executive pay, ethical business and automation. Gandhi is just one of the many whose lives were changed radically by reading Ruskin, and who went on to change the world. This book, timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of John Ruskin’s birth in 2019, will retrace Ruskin’s steps, telling his life story and visiting the places and talking to the people who – perhaps unknowingly – were influenced by Ruskin himself or by his profoundly important ideas. What, if anything, do they know about him? How is what they do or think linked to the vivid, difficult but often prophetic pronouncements he made about the way our modern world should look, live, work and think? As important, where – and why – have his ideas been swept away or displaced, sometimes by buildings, developments and practices that Ruskin himself would have abhorred? Part travelog, part quest, part unconventional biography, this book will attempt to map Ruskinland: a place where, two centuries after John Ruskin’s birth, more of us live than we know.
This is the most comprehensive English-language presentation of the work of Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875), a Japanese nun famed for her multifaceted artistic skills and prodigious output. Rengetsu (Lotus Moon) was one of the most remarkable women in Japanese culture, a trained samurai, wife, mother, nun, poet, calligrapher, painter, and potter.
This book was developed as a catalog for an exhibition of Rengetsu’s work mounted at the Royal Monastery of St. Mary of Pedralbes in Barcelona. Written by Professor John Stevens, the foremost authority on the artist, it includes a biography of Rengetsu based on his latest research, plus an introduction to her poetry, calligraphy, painting, and pottery.
The catalog of 90 entries includes several pieces not seen in the exhibition. Entries present full-color photos of both the entire work and important details, plus the original Japanese kana, romanization, and English translations, with illuminating commentary. Taken as a whole, the book offers as an intimate portrait of the life and work of a remarkable female artist, as well as insights into significant thematic and cultural concerns of 19th-century Japanese art.
“Often, we just see the byline of the photographer next to a picture. In this collection, we now learn insider information about the Rolling Stones from the contributors who carried cameras.” — Reader’s Digest
“On the heels of the Rolling Stones’ latest album, “Hackney Diamonds”, a new coffee-table book collects rare and never-before seen images of the band.” — Airmail Weekly Instagram
“Perhaps the most interesting of the crowd is the man on the inside, founding member and bassist Bill Wyman…His photos have rawness and vulnerability. From Keith Richards with the black eye he got from Chuck Berry to Mick Jagger reading the Bible, Wyman’s giving us truth.” — Airmail
“… Although they showcase the band inevitably becoming the greatest rock band on the planet, they also show the things audiences and fans weren’t exactly privy to — until now.” — 1883 Magazine
“The collection is intimate, stunning and a comprehensive visual history of the band.” — Goldmine Magazine
The Rolling Stones: Icons brings together the greatest photographs ever taken of the greatest rock ’n’ roll band of all time. The result is the most important anthology of The Rolling Stones’ images ever compiled, featuring the iconic, the awe inspiring and the surprising.
Spanning six heady decades, and countless tours and album covers, this thrilling portfolio features imagery from some of the most eminent names in photography, alongside the photographers’ own memories and reflections. From Terry O’Neill’s images of the young, uncompromising new band taken in Tin Pan Alley, through Michael Brennan’s photos of their creative peak in the ’70s, and on to the stadium tours of the 21st-century, as shot by Greg Brennan, The Rolling Stones: Icons captures many of the milestone moments of the band’s remarkable career.
Includes photographs by: Terry O’Neill, Michael Ward, Gered Mankowitz, Linda McCartney, Michael Joseph, “Spanish Tony” Sanchez, Dominique Tarlé, Ed Caraeff, Barry Schultz, Al Satterwhite, Michael Brennan, Ken Regan, Brian Aris, Denis O’Regan, Douglas Kirkland, Greg Brennan and founding member, bassist and photographer, Bill Wyman.
‘Sexy, polished and subtly sinister. His photo archive is to die for’ – The Times
“It’s a surprising book of contrasts and contradictions, a paean to the fashion image of the time, one clearly influenced by the mono-chromatic asceticism of Horst and the drenched hues of Guy Bourdin.” — The Sunday Times Style
“Flipping through Willie Christie’s book you can discern an artistic mood in many of his fashion clicks…” — Kathimerini
“An artistic work that interweaves virtuality and reality to attract the audience to explore further.” — Vogue China
Willie Christie’s photographs are far more than a record of fashion, style or contemporary culture. Dynamic, cinematic and stylish, they present beautifully observed moments within a narrative, leaving the viewer intrigued, beguiled and enthralled. His work from the heady mid-1970s remains highly relevant today, speaking to us through the uncompromising individuality and power of his compositions. And as recently as 2019, his ground-breaking series of advertising images for Medway Shoes threw another curve ball across the field of modern visual art.
With a foreword by legendary Vogue style director Grace Coddington, this first ever collection of Christie’s vibrant work, re-examines the people and the styles of his original output, together with his own reminiscences from his days at Vogue and The Sunday Times, and from his collaborations with Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones.
“Through superb photography, nostalgic ephemera and detailed descriptions by travel journalist, Ellie Seymour, we’re treated to a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lavish worlds these historic establishments conceal.” — We Heart
In Grand Hotels of the World, travel journalist Ellie Seymour takes us on a nostalgic journey around the world to discover 40 legendary hotels that have welcomed guests in luxury and style for centuries. Through exquisite photography and detailed descriptions, we are given a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lavish worlds these historic establishments conceal. From fabulous Claridge’s in London’s Mayfair and the luxurious St Regis New York, to the chic Splendido in Portofino and the timeless Villa Serbelloni on the shores of Lake Como, this book tells the fascinating stories of some of the world’s finest architectural gems and the famous guests to have sashayed through their storied corridors.
With wit and wisdom, public historian and tour guide Sheldon Goodman has assembled 50 of the best things to do and see to immerse yourself in the rich history of the capital, from mudlarking along the Thames to walking the hidden corridors above St Paul’s, shopping in London’s oldest cigar store or visiting where the grisly remains of traitors to the Crown were displayed on spikes. Discover wild and wonderful things about the city with new and unexpected recommendations alongside alternative histories of famous and infamous sites.
According to New York based interior designer, life coach and meditation teacher Joshua Smith, “When your home is your sanctuary, there’s a big exhale when you walk through that front door. It nourishes your spirit, inspires your mind, and enhances your connection to yourself, your loved ones and the divine, however you might define that” (in Homes & Gardens, January 2023).
For Shelby Deering, designer of the tranquil spaces of The Well (with locations in New York City, Washington, Miami, Costa Rica and Mexico), “Over the last few years, our homes have become more important than ever. Throughout the pandemic, we saw them function as offices, gyms, schools, restaurants — and, of course, our own little corners of the world where we were able to find relief from daily pressures and anxiety. Because of this shift, it’s no wonder that people have made efforts to refresh their living quarters to focus more on health, wellness and self-care. After all, when the environment around you feels like a calming refuge, those peaceful vibes can directly impact how you feel.”
The 15 private residences presented in this beautiful book can all be called “sanctuaries” because they all seek to support and protect the well-being of their owners, families and guests.
Everyone needs a happy place, a space to relax, unwind, and let the worries of everyday life melt away. Some may dream of white-sand beaches, while others may prefer cozy mountain chalets, or a meditative, decluttered wabi sabi interior in a cosmopolitan setting.
Whether in Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, Crete, St. Barts, Spain or in Belgium – all over the world, people are searching for the ultimate comfort, safety and happiness in their own cocoon, their own protective environment.
The Rolling Stones: Icons brings together the greatest photographs ever taken of the greatest rock ’n’ roll band of all time. The result is the most important anthology of The Rolling Stones’ images ever compiled, featuring the iconic, the awe inspiring and the surprising.
Spanning six heady decades, and countless tours and album covers, this thrilling portfolio features imagery from some of the most eminent names in photography, alongside the photographers’ own memories and reflections. From Terry O’Neill’s images of the young, uncompromising new band taken in Tin Pan Alley, through Michael Brennan’s photos of their creative peak in the ’70s, and on to the stadium tours of the 21st-century, as shot by Greg Brennan, The Rolling Stones: Icons captures many of the milestone moments of the band’s remarkable career.
Includes photographs by: Terry O’Neill, Michael Ward, Gered Mankowitz, Linda McCartney, Michael Joseph, “Spanish Tony” Sanchez, Dominique Tarlé, Ed Caraeff, Barry Schultz, Al Satterwhite, Michael Brennan, Ken Regan, Brian Aris, Denis O’Regan, Douglas Kirkland, Greg Brennan and founding member, bassist and photographer, Bill Wyman.
Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) was one of the great architects of the twentieth century. His Edwardian country houses, surrounded by rhapsodic gardens, beguiled clients with their romance and wit. After 1918, the war memorials that he created symbolized a grieving nation’s sense of loss. In the new capital of the British Raj, New Delhi, the Viceroy’s House or Rashtrapati Bhavan had a footprint bigger than Versailles. His unfinished Liverpool Cathedral would have rivalled St Peter’s in Rome.
Intensely shy, Lutyens hid his personality behind puns and jokes – and yet he could be called ‘part mystic’, a reference to an inner profundity. Rich in stories, this entertaining and stylish short biography is a major new study incorporating fresh research which shows this most charismatic of architects in a new light.
A new look at the best of the old.
You don’t need us to tell you that people travel from all over the world to visit London’s museums. But while you’ve probably already plodded round the V&A and gawped at dinosaur skeletons at the Natural History Museum, this guide will introduce you to all the greatest collections, archives and house museums that you’ve never heard of – but won’t be able to stop talking about once you visit. From elephant skulls at the Grant Museum to hidden masterpieces at Leighton House and medical memorabilia at St Bart’s Hospital, there’s more to discover than Egyptian mummies and medieval manuscripts (although those are excellent too).
Wine: A Social and Cultural History of the Drink that Changed our Lives is a wine history with a difference. Most histories of wine (like Hugh Johnson’s The Story of Wine, Paul Lukacs’s Inventing Wine, and Rod Phillips’s own A Short History of Wine) are chronological narratives that begin with wine in the ancient world and run through to modern times. Wine has been seen typically as the subject of broader historical trends and events – how, for example, economic and diplomatic conditions favored or interrupted the wine trade, and how changes in taste affected wine styles. Wine departs from these approaches by organizing chapters by theme and by focusing much more on how wine has been positively and actively implicated in broad historical changes. It looks at the way wine has been used to demarcate social groups and genders, how wine has shaped facets of social life as diverse as medicine, religion, and military activity, how vineyards and wine cultures have transformed landscapes, and how successive innovations in wine packaging – from amphoras to barrels to bottles – have affected and been affected by commerce and consumption. Wine neither sees the history of wine as the passive result of historical forces nor sees wine as a prime agent of historical change. Rather, it views wine as a critical actor in key trends in the histories of society, culture, and the environment. Each chapter takes a single theme and the material within each is organized chronologically. The book is formed of chapters that together provide a compact and theme-specific history of wine in its own right, enabling readers to consume chapters as self-contained units, rather than as parts of a longer narrative whole. This is a fascinating reference resource for wine enthusiasts and historians alike.
This book aims to tell the story of social history through Money. Money and Art have shared a long history. Both words are metaphors derived from Latin terms used over 2,000 years ago. The word Money derives its modern meaning as the general term for all means of payment from its use as the word for coins in the pre-modern period. Particularly since the introduction of paper money, the word was applied to coins because of the name of the place where coins were made in ancient Rome, the temple of Juno Moneta (Juno the Warner), from this name the word moneta came to mean mint in Latin, and later the product of a mint, i.e. coins. The word Art acquired its modern usage, meaning works of art, both singularly and collectively, from the Latin ars meaning a skill, and it has so been used in English to describe any form of skill, but gradually from the nineteenth century, the word came to signify the product rather than the skill, particularly in relation to painting, graphic works and sculpture. This eclectic collection of stories brings together a multitude of perspectives through collections from the Ashmolean and around the world — from Art Nouveau bank notes and global portrayals of prosperity to activist Money Art. Deep dives into compelling stories reveal humor, hidden surprises and a tension between the power of money and the playfulness of art.
“You can be as smart as Einstein, but if you fail to direct your attention to what is important, then what good is that high IQ? People who are focused are more alert, experience less stress, and worry less. Unfortunately, focus has become a rare commodity: our attention span has dramatically decreased over the past decades.” – Elke Geraerts
How many times have you been distracted today from what you actually wanted to do? We live in a world of constant connectivity, where distraction lurks around every corner. Our endless to-do lists and packed schedules are a merciless reflection of what’s going on in our minds: we are constantly in overdrive, and our focus is completely lost. No wonder stress and burnout rates are at an all-time high. Despite the fact that we now know more than ever what we need to remain resilient and healthy, our overstimulated brain seems unable to handle all that knowledge, let alone put it into practice. Ten years after her bestseller Better Minds, Elke Geraerts presents a book tailored to a generation without attention. She combines powerful insights with practical tools that can be implemented immediately. Her goal? Sharpening our focus again. Not only by making us work more efficiently and attentively but also – and especially – by teaching us to deliberately unfocus. Are you ready for a mental revolution?
A handy and stylish pocket guide to Bordeaux, The Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide covers everything you need to know about the world’s greatest wine region, from its centuries-long history and the geography of its famous wine appellations, to where to get the best steak frites in the city of Bordeaux. This is a guide written by wine experts for the wine-interested tourist. Everything about this complex region is covered: the difference between St Emilion and Pomerol, wine routes to take you past the legendary châteaux of the Médoc, how to read a Bordeaux wine list. 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 châteaux you can visit, Bordeaux winemakers’ favorite restaurants and more.
Dismissed by contemporaries as the ravings of a deluded enemy of modernity, The Storm Cloud of the Nineteenth Century is an eerily prescient denunciation of capitalism’s assault on the atmosphere – and the profound danger for the earth but also the spiritual well-being of humanity. It is one of Ruskin’s final writings, conducted with both rigorous scientific observation and a sense of Biblical prophecy.
Ruskin’s call to action is even more urgently needed today. His rallying cry, There is no Wealth but Life, is implicit throughout the Storm Cloud. How his thought developed through a conflicted relationship with the professional science of his day, and what we can take from his writings, are examined by Peter Brimblecombe, Professor of Atmospheric Pollution at the University of Essex, in his Introduction. A foreword by the Master of the Guild of St George, Ruskin’s association for social and spiritual reform, sets out what Ruskinians today can do and are doing.
Conradin Clavuot’s work is based on his dedication to his own roots, his discussions during his training in the field of Analogue Architecture, and the values he learned to implement while working for the architect Peter Zumthor. With his minimalist approach and integration of natural elements, Conradin Clavuot has played a key role in shaping the modern architectural landscape in the last 30 years. The works of the Chur-based architect are characterized by clear lines and a harmony with the landscape, while also combining conception, functionality, regionalist cultural interests and constructive sophistication. In recognition of his overall work, this publication compiles his most formative buildings in hand-stitched volumes and a striking slipcase. The publication presents projects including the school facility in Laax (2023), the emergency unit of the Waldhaus Psychiatric Clinic in Chur (2022), the Carboni-Brot single-family home in Rhäzüns (2014), the Kuoni house in San Nazzaro (2012), the railway station in Chur (2006), the school with a multipurpose hall in St. Peter (1998) and the Vorderprättigau Substation in Seewis (1995).
Text in English and German.
Katya and the Prince of Siam is the story of a daring love affair and marriage between a beautiful young Ukrainian-Russian girl Ekaterina Ivanovna Desnitskaya from Kiev and Prince Chakrabongse, one of King Chulalongkorn‘s favorite sons. It tells of their meeting in St Petersburg in 1904 where the Prince had an honorary commission in the Hussars as a protégé of Tsar Nicolas II, of elopement to Constantinople and their journey to Siam. At first she was an outcast in Thai Society, known as Mom Katerin, but gradually gained love and respect. In 1908, their son, Prince Chula, was born and for the next 10 years they enjoyed life in Bangkok society as well as making various trips abroad and throughout Siam.
Making use of unpublished archive material, the book is a fascinating insight into life of both pre-Revolutionary Russia and the Siamese court. This revised edition by Narisa Chakrabongse includes many newly found letters which provide new insights into the lives of Katya, Prince Chakrabongse and their son Prince Chula.
In 1911, Prince Chakrabongse and his wife Katya (Ekaterina Desnitskaya) made an epic journey by boat and train, across one third of the globe. They were returning to St Petersburg where after meeting in 1905 they had fallen in love and eloped. For Katya, after five challenging years in Bangkok, it was the first time she would see her family; for the prince it was the first time he would see the Tsar who had treated him like an adopted son. While Katya went to stay in with her family, Prince Chakrabongse went on to London to represent King Rama VI at the coronation of King George V.
Alejandro Merizalde began photographing in Venice in 2008. In his early visits he found the city stiflingly overcrowded, but during a brief winter trip a few years later, the overcast skies and foggy atmosphere allowed him to draw out Venice’s legendary beauty without the disruptions of mass tourism.
In 2013 he started experimenting with longer exposures to eliminate the distractions of human activity and enable him to concentrate on his architectural compositions. This shift in approach was gradual, but it helped him realize that he was no longer interested in recording iconic features like St Mark’s Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs and the gondola, to name a few. From then on, he dropped the predictable locations and buildings and trained his lens on the Venice lagoon and areas of the city where Venetians actually spend their lives.
Text in English, French and Italian.
This artist’s book, a catalogue of a museum without walls, reads like an account of a work under construction in response to a commission in a former coalfield. Joëlle Tuerlinckx guides us through the studio’s archives, and through the development of a thought process and culminates in the inventory of the M.M. collection (‘Musée de la Mémoire’ or ‘Museum of Memory’). Building on the great classic of the inventory catalogue and encompassing ‘all of J.T.’s work’, she presents ‘a museum in itself’. While the book is originally connected to ‘La Triangulaire de Cransac’, a monumental work of art in the small town of Aveyron, France, it also puts into perspective the evolution of the museum in its relationship with the artist and the book. Joëlle Tuerlinckx reminds us that if the museum is compared to a book because of its internal organization, then a book can be compared to a museum because of its systematics and its method of contemplating the object.
Text in French. Introduction and colophon translated into English.
Originally published in 1999, and long out of print, this revised and updated version of Techniques of Drawing gives an overview of historical materials and drawing practices in Europe and Asia, using examples from the Ashmolean Museum, including highlights of the collection and lesser-known works. This up to date edition expands the text and illustrations to include non-western art, including Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Persian works of art, also including some more modern western art works than the first edition, which only covered western art from the 15th to 19th centuries. Expanding the scope of the book to include global perspectives, and the 20th century, involves new sections such as ‘Brush and Ink’ which includes Chinese landscape drawings, Japanese botanical works, as well as illustrating the famous Mughal Indian drawing by Abu’l Hasan in the Ashmolean collection. The book also includes a new section on gouache (opaque watercolor) which will be important for discussing Chinese, Indian and Persian paintings on paper.
This book is a very personal form of architectural autobiography. It is aimed at engaging with the complex, multifaceted nature of considerations and experiences on which the architecturally robust works of Aita Flury are based.
In 12 essays, Aita Flury discusses the underlying principles of her design work, striving to grasp the architectural material in the sense of self-assurance and an examination of her experiences. The buildings and projects resulting from these thought processes are presented with a high density of images and plans, thereby mutually enhancing their significance through their interaction. A dialogue section with articles by the architects Roger Boltshauser, Axel Fickert, Jonathan Sergison and Andrea Wiegelmann, as well as the engineer Jürg Conzett, reflect a “close” external perspective and bind the works into architectural discourse.