Kawase Hasui (1883–1957) was one of the most important and prolific Japanese printmakers of the 20th century. He was one of the main creators of the shin hanga (‘new prints’) movement, whose artists depicted traditional subjects in a style influenced by Western painting. Shin hanga prints are harmoniously balanced designs, printed on the highest quality paper using the finest pigments, and in small editions. They are the fruit of a traditional yet successful collaboration between artist, publisher, block cutter and printer and have become increasingly popular among collectors of Japanese prints in the last decade. Hasui began his artistic career studying Japanese painting. However, soon after seeing Shinsui’s Eight Views of Lake Biwa series, Hasui turned to woodblock printing in 1919. Shozaburo Watanabe was the first to recognize his artistic genius, and Hasui Kawase soon became the most popular artist working for this prestigious publisher. He produced nearly a thousand woodcuts in a career that spanned almost forty years. Towards the end of his life, the Japanese government recognized him as a ‘Living National Treasure’ for his contribution to Japanese culture.
The famed Bengal textiles which once ‘clothed the world’ have received little scholarly attention. With the systemic destruction of Bengal’s textile industry, prompted by the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the muslins and Balucharis of Bengal were lost in obscurity. The partition of the Indian subcontinent and the consequent varieties of cultural and social identity in present-day India and Bangladesh have contributed to this neglect. This pioneering publication explores in depth the lost textile traditions of Bengal from the 16th to the 20th century and traces its impact on the historical and cultural aspects of the region.
Supported by superb illustrations of textiles, maps and trade documents from the past, most of which have never been published before, the book serves as a public history, with engaging chapters presenting a unique perspective on the textiles of wider Bengal. This volume will inspire the reader, reorient scholarly attention and provoke a rethinking of the nature and history of Bengal textiles.
This catalogue accompanies the first major exhibition in the UK dedicated to Anna Ancher (1859 – 1935), considered to be one the most innovative artists in Danish art history.
Bringing together recently discovered paintings from Anna Ancher’s home, alongside an extensive body of work made throughout the artist’s long career, the exhibition will feature more than 40 of her paintings, including the artist’s most famous masterpieces on special loan from Art Museums of Skagen. A central figure of the Skagen artist colony, based at the northernmost point of Jutland, Ancher is widely considered to be the most significant female painter in Danish art history. She is widely celebrated in her homeland yet remains relatively unknown to foreign audiences.
Ancher was an influential figure of the Scandinavian ‘Modern Breakthrough’ movement that sought to capture real life, demonstrated in her intimate, observational works, which documented everyday experiences in the fishing town of Skagen. Influenced by her travels to Paris, as well as French Impressionism, the artist produced vivid interiors and evocative landscape scenes in which light becomes the central figure. The exhibition will demonstrate Ancher’s bold approach to color and radical interpretation of everyday scenes as a truly pioneering modern painter.
Ukrainian poet Natalka Marynchak’s Antidespairant (Відчаєспинне) is a powerful expression of defiance and hope in the face of Russian aggression, written in Kharkiv during the first 365 days of Putin’s invasion – the latest phase of a conflict that has raged between the two countries for four centuries. Composed under fire, Antidespairant – a personal diary in poetic form – is at once a prayer for her own people, a curse on the enemy, and a panegyric to those struggling to defend their homeland. Complemented by Kostiantyn Zorkin’s arresting and evocative graphics, this is an unflinching account of hope preserved in the most challenging of circumstances.
A visionary leader and a charming diplomat, this catalog unveils a largely private collection of objects belonging to His Highness the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman. The 50 artifacts from the Renaissance collection, currently held in the National Museum of Oman, have been chosen to offer an intimate portrait of the Sultan’s 50-year reign. The collection showcases treasures – many seen here for the first time – received from friends and rulers worldwide as well as symbolic objects that reflect the early years of Oman’s independence. Through 50 significant objects and the elegant integration of the Sultan’s own inspiring quotes as calligraphy, this beautifully illustrated book provides a unique and personal perspective on a transformative era.
With non-stop entertainment, endless gambling opportunities, and world-class dining, there’s no shortage of things to do in Las Vegas. But beyond the neon lights, buffets, and slot machines is a city with a unique history, extraordinary natural wonders, rich culture, and close-knit communities. As the fastest growing city established in the 20th-century, Las Vegas is continuously evolving, gaining new attractions each day and revitalizing cultural gems.
111 Places in Las Vegas offers a chance to rediscover familiar haunts or unearth new favorites to better understand this sensational city. Grab a drink at the oldest freestanding bar in the city or check out the only operating casino named to the National Register of Historic Places. Explore Vegas’s quirky themed street names or drive along the starry-est route in America. Search for centuries old petroglyphs or learn about the city’s modest origins. Whatever your personal tastes and travel style, this neon-lit entertainment capital has it in spades. And then some.
Bouke de Vries, based in London, gets the viewer thinking with his extraordinary artworks of broken porcelain and discarded shards. He creates extraordinary works of art from broken porcelain and pottery and discarded shards. With these he makes the viewer think about what beauty and perfection are. This combination of craftsmanship and creativity makes his art both visually impressive and conceptually stimulating. De Vries’ museum work is included in many leading international collections and he is represented by leading international galleries. This book presents an overview of the highlights of his career, in which he plays with the theme of decay and recovery. In his still lifes, relics and large installations, Bouke de Vries respects the history of objects, but adds humor and depth. The observant viewer experiences how the life of an object through the ages changes its owner, context and meaning. Several international art critics wrote a contribution for this book.
Text in English and Dutch.
Beautifully produced, Desmond Freeman Venice presents more than 50 captioned, black and white and full-color sketches of the architecture of Venice accompanied by quotations from well-known authors, poets and artists. The preface describes the story of how the book came into being, and was developed in addition to information about the artwork methodology. A set of thumbnail illustrations of each of the 50 or so full artworks has been included at the back of the book in the form of an index.
TV personality and Antiques Roadshow expert John Benjamin brings his best-selling guide to becoming a collector completely up to date. Collecting Jewellery is a guide to jewelry through the ages and includes new chapters on the ‘Modern Style’ of the 1940s and ’50s, the ‘Designer Jewel’ of the 1960s and ’70s, right up to and beyond the Millennium. Through his expertise as lecturer, valuer and jewelry historian, Benjamin provides fundamental information to enable the collector, student and enthusiast to recognize and identify jewels and designs through the centuries. From natural to cultured diamonds, unique ‘one off’ pieces to popular prevailing fashions, Collecting Jewellery is an accessible companion that will teach the reader about availability, value and fashion, while gaining the knowledge needed to create their own fabulous (and affordable) jewelry collection.
The German Football Museum in Dortmund offers a unique exhibition experience of over 140 years of German football history and a special brand of national memorial culture. With its ultra-modern forms of presentation, it forms a new medium that builds a bridge between people, football, society and contemporary history.
Text in English and German.
Birdsong brings together three video works by David Claerbout – The Woodcarver and the Forest, Birdcage and Backwards Growing Tree – each a meditation on time, perception and the poetics of the natural world. In an era dominated by speed and distraction, Claerbout reclaims the longue durée, offering a contemplative, detoxed form of filmmaking.
Accompanied by a poem by Stefan Hertmans, this volume explores the myths of digitization, the rhythms of nature, growth and degrowth. Birdsong is a visual journey through the imaging ideas that the artist has developed over the past decade.
This publication coincides with Claerbout’s exhibition At the window at Gaasbeek Castle.
Text in English, French and Dutch.
Cambridge Balls is the sensational new book by bestselling society photographer Dafydd Jones. The Cambridge University colleges are renowned for many great alumni and important achievements… and also a series of marathon all-night parties, known as the May Balls, held annually to celebrate the end of the academic year. Dafydd Jones, who according to The New York Times, ‘goes about his business with cheery zest and a wicked eye’, has been granted unique access to this hidden world of revelry since 1981, during which the author of England: The Last Hurrah and Hollywood Confidential has captured an extraordinary tableau of antics and shenanigans now beautifully reproduced on these pages. From former British Prime Minister David Cameron in his Bullingdon coat to victorious rowing teams celebrating into the night, from gate crashers punting across the river to the more international student groups of modern times toasting their successes, this is a fascinating portrait of jubilation among the young, the wealthy and the academic elites of one of the world’s most famous universities.
Praise for England: The Last Hurrah…
“Wonderfully ironic, every point in the picture ignites and knows how to entertain very well.” — Lovely Books
“Dafydd catches those moments of genuine exhilaration, wealth and youth.” — The Hollywood Reporter
Praise for Hollywood Confidential…
“With his new collection of photographs, Dafydd Jones offers a sensational dive into the excitement of the awards season in the 1990s.” — Vanity Fair France
Praise for New York: High Life / Low Life…
“The New York book is an evocative historical document, brimming with nostalgia and menace.” –– Hannah Marriott, The Guardian
Praise for Dafydd Jones…
“Modest though he is, Dafydd’s photographs will endure for having perfectly captured a society on the brink of decline.” –– Country & Townhouse podcast
“Sublime vintage photographs…” –– Hermione Eyre, The Telegraph
“Some carefully tended public images are punctured with such rapier precision that one can hear the hiss as they deflate.” –– Mitchell Owens, The World of Interiors
There’s more to Washington, D.C. than politics. Beyond the suits and monuments, the nation’s capital is a playground for kids of all ages. Where else can you find a hidden slide inside a public library or rent paddle boats surrounded by iconic memorials and monuments? Fairy gardens, dinosaur parks, swings, and themed playgrounds pop up everywhere, offering adventures at every turn. Kids can also taste the world without leaving town – empanadas from Latin America, Asian-inspired ice cream, and bustling food halls.
Museums aren’t just for grown-ups either: create at the Hirshhorn’s art carts or join a scavenger hunt at the National Portrait Gallery. Families can hike Civil War-era trails, cheer at Nationals Park, or step inside a mansion with 80 secret doors once visited by Rosa Parks. Washington, D.C., is a place where kids can discover history, science, art, and more – all while having a blast and making lasting memories. Explore these 111 kid-friendly spots and uncover a city that’s fun, surprising, and unforgettable.
Flowers and plants are a staple of British life. Nearly 40% of our population considers themselves to be gardeners, making this and associated activities a national pursuit. And yet, while we hold endless discussions over how to seed, grow, and disseminate our cherished plants, we still known relatively little about how they were collected, exchanged, circulated, identified, and modified, and how much art has shaped our understanding and appreciation of them. This publication, designed to accompany the homonymous exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, explores some of these plant stories through highlights from Oxford’s collections. Bringing together historical and scientific expertise, art and material culture, traditional and contemporary artworks, this book ultimately reflects on the long-lasting impact of flora on our society – and of us on it.