This book gives a fascinating account of fifteen centuries of European glass art based on the Gemeentemuseum’s dazzling collection in The Hague. This is the first time the collection has been described and illustrated so fully and in such depth. The publication, which with all due modesty, is more like a standard work, has some five hundred illustrations. It is the latest in a series of books – the other three were on Delft pottery and porcelain and silver from The Hague – highlighting the museum’s major core collection of decorative arts. Text in Dutch.

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) has reopened after several years of major renovation. It is home to an especially varied collection of art that runs to more than 9,000 items: paintings, sculptures, assemblages, drawings and prints from the 14th to the 21st century.

Old Flemish masters like Jan van Eyck, Quinten Massys and Peter Paul Rubens feature alongside internationally renowned artists such as Jean Fouquet, Titian, Auguste Rodin and Amedeo Modigliani. The KMSKA also has the world’s largest collections of work by James Ensor and Rik Wouters.

This richly illustrated book highlights seven centuries of art, from the Flemish Primitives to conceptual artists. A hundred masterpieces from the permanent collection are presented in detail and discussed in lucid articles that draw on the very latest research by KMSKA’s own in-house scholars.

The collection of British silver at the Ashmolean Museum has all, with one notable exception (a tankard of 1574 given in 1790), been acquired since shortly after World War II. In relation to other major museum collections, therefore, it is young. Yet amounting to over 550 objects, many of which are of spectacular quality and rarity, it is one of the most important collections of its kind in the world, equaled only for the ‘golden age’ of English silver by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The collection has never been fully catalogued and this will be the first time a complete catalogue has been published.

‘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.

After the great success of the first issue, we are now following up with the eagerly awaited Volume II. Guido Weiß alias DJ MAD from the ABSOLUTE BEGINNER has fished out 366 absolute gems from the last four decades from his extensive and well-stocked vinyl collection for this fine hip-hop and rap tear-off calendar.
In addition to the well-known US classics, there are also many French, English and German artists. An absolute must for all B-boys and girls out there! And of course, many albums can be played immediately using the printed SPOTIFY codes.

Jane and Raphael Bernstein were early supporters of the innovative teaching practices of the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth. This richly illustrated catalog traces the legacy of their gifts of art from 17th-century Japanese handscrolls to 18th-century English satirical prints, from 20th-century American landscape and portrait photography to contemporary art from the Canadian Arctic, plus an extraordinary collection of calligraphic prints and paintings by Japanese centenarian Toko Shinoda. Curatorial essays reveal how the depth and richness of the various collections the Bernsteins have entrusted to the museum increase the range of the work it can do. They have long conceived their gifts of art as part of an overriding project: object-based inquiry. This catalog celebrates the Bernsteins’ support for learning with art, inviting readers to join the museum’s faculty, staff, visitors, and – perhaps most importantly – students who will forever benefit from their generosity.

“This one of a kind book is a must have for anyone who is a dedicated fan of Marilyn Monroe, you will want to have this beautiful book in your collection!” — The Age of Vintage

“As the embodiment of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Monroe continues to captivate the world, and her aura manages to shine through these pages — disarming you with that megawatt smile.” — WWD
Marilyn Monroe 100 is the only official publication celebrating and commemorating the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth. Published in association with the Marilyn Monroe Estate, this stunning book brings together specially curated sections of work by the best photographers who collaborated with Monroe during her lifetime, including some of the greatest names in the art of photography. 

André de Dienes, Joseph Jasgur and Bernard of Hollywood unveil early images of a young Norma Jeane; John Florea and Philippe Halsman showcase stunning publicity shots of an aspiring actress; Eve Arnold, Elliott Erwitt, Bruce Davidson and Henri Cartier-Bresson capture Marilyn on the sets of some of her most famous films; Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon portray the actress’s alluring beauty; and the candid photography of Alfred Eisenstaedt, Sam Shaw, George Barris and Milton Greene reveal another side to the Hollywood icon. The book ends with Bert Stern’s ‘Last Sitting’ along with recently rediscovered images of a radiant and smiling Monroe taken from a photo shoot for Life magazine by Allan Grant, originally published two days before the star’s death.  

Alongside this sumptuous exhibit of Marilyn’s life, a selection of fascinating quotes by Monroe herself, as well as texts by scholars and admirers, chronicles the life of a woman with a unique persona who was a trailblazer ahead of her time. Looking back over the past 100 years, it becomes apparent just how avant-garde Marilyn Monroe truly was. 

This exceptional book is a fitting celebration of the life of this most extraordinary woman. 

Sympathy for the Devil refers to the first track on the Rolling Stones album Beggars Banquet. Each of the selected art works in this book about contemporary artists are linked in one way or another to prominent ideas in the song: the fascinating beauty of evil, the attraction of moral or psychological hell, death and danger as a celebration of life, extreme and transgressive behavior and even a pronounced tendency towards sexuality. Curators Walter Vanhaerents and Pierre-Olivier Rollin have chosen the title Sympathy for the Devil for the second group exhibition in the Vanhaerents Art Collection, a unique collection of contemporary art based in Brussels. Includes the work of the following artists: Hamra Abbas; Mark Handforth; Mario Merz; David Adamo; He Sen; Jean-Luc Moerman; Christian Boltanski; He Wenjue; Yasumasa Morimura; James Lee Byars; Jenny Holzer; Farhad Moshiri; Wim Delvoye; Matthew Day Jackson; Bruce Nauman; Nick Ervinck; Barbara Kruger; Ugo Rondinone; Urs Fischer; Gabriel Kuri; Christoph Schmidberger; Barnaby Furnas; Terence Koh; Sudarshan Shetty; Anna Gaskell; Claude Lévêque; Yinka Shonibare; Kendell Geers; Nathan Mabry; Johan Tahon; Anthony Gormley; Steve Mc Queen; Wang Du.

The French city of Limoges was world famous for the production of champlevé enamels during the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance a revival of Limoges enamels took place, but the technique employed was that of painted enamel. Triptychs with a sacred subject, conceived as a painting but shining like jewelry and built with durable materials, became popular. The three works held at the Bargello National Museum in Florence are attributable to Nardon Pénicaud (1470–1542), a primary artist with an active workshop. The three enamel paintings came from the famous collection of Louis Carrand, a Lyon antiquarian, who donated them to the Bargello in the 19th century. Their story is told in Ilaria Ciseri’s essay. Paola Venturelli analyzes the historical and artistic aspects of the works and places them in the context of contemporary enamel production. The final contributions from the Opificio delle Pietre Dure address the conservation of the three delicate enamels and analyzes materials and pigments.

“Do come in as often as you like – the place is only alive when used” – Jim Ede

Take a room-by-room journey through the Kettle’s Yard house in Cambridge (UK), former residence of curator and ‘friend to artists’ Jim Ede and his wife Helen. Home to their substantial collection of 20th century art, furniture, ceramics, glass and natural objects, the house remains open for visitors to experience as the Ede’s intended: art as a way of life.

The carefully curated interior spaces in the original converted cottages (1957) and Leslie Martin-designed extension (1970) are a masterclass in balance and restraint, appealing to aesthetes across the spectrum of art and design from fine art to fashion; interior designers, architects and art historians.

Richly illustrated with new photography by Gilbert McCarragher and inspired by classic mid-century guidebooks, this book will catch the eye of long-time fans of Kettle’s Yard as much as those discovering the house for the very first time. A companion publication Kettle’s Yard Art & Artists ISBN 9781904561620 is also available.

Jangarh Singh Shyam was born in the early 1960s to an impoverished Gond family in rural central India. Discovered and nurtured by the renowned artist J. Swaminathan at Bharat Bhavan, the multi-arts center in Bhopal, Jangarh rose to global prominence after participating in a seminal art exhibition in Paris. After a brief career spanning only 20 years – and by then recognized as one of India’s greatest tribal artists – Jangarh committed suicide in 2001 at the age of 39. His work, informed by the Gond deities of his childhood, defied established categories and inspired a contemporary school of indigenous painting, which continues to attract admirers in India and abroad. Exploring his aesthetics, themes, and art historical relevance, this book also looks at the relationship between the artist and his early patrons, the collectors Niloufar and Mitchell S. Crites. Dr. Aurogeeta Das closely examines the huge body of work Jangarh left behind in The Crites Collection, enriching her study with references to works in other private and institutional collections. As such, she also captures early practices of collecting contemporary folk and tribal art in India. Contents: Preface by Mitchell S. Crites Patangarh to Paris, New Delhi to Niigata; Images I Samvega, Aesthetic Shock: Jangarh’s Artistic Evolution; Images II The Enchanted Forest: Jangarh’s Thematic Range; Images III Cataloague Raisonné: Paintings and Drawings from the Crites Collection.

Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850-1950 portrays the history of romantic love between men in hundreds of moving and tender vernacular photographs taken between the years 1850 and 1950. This visual narrative of astonishing sensitivity brings to light an until-now-unpublished collection of hundreds of snapshots, portraits, and group photos taken in the most varied of contexts, both private and public.

Taken when male partnerships were often illegal, the photos here were found at flea markets, in shoe boxes, family archives, old suitcases, and later online and at auctions. The collection now includes photos from all over the world: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Latvia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Serbia. The subjects were identified as couples by that unmistakable look in the eyes of two people in love – impossible to manufacture or hide. They were also recognized by body language – evidence as subtle as one hand barely grazing another – and by inscriptions, often coded.

Included here are ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, glass negatives, tin types, cabinet cards, photo postcards, photo strips, photomatics, and snapshots – over 100 years of social history and the development of photography.

Loving will be produced to the highest standards in illustrated book publishing, The photographs – many fragile from age or handling – have been digitized using a technology derived from that used on surveillance satellites and available in only five places around the world. Paper and other materials are among the best available. And Loving will be manufactured at one of the world’s elite printers. Loving, the book, will be up to the measure of its message in every way.

In these delight-filled pages, couples in love tell their own story for the first time at a time when joy and hope – indeed human connectivity – are crucial lifelines to our better selves. Universal in reach and overwhelming in impact, Loving speaks to our spirit and resilience, our capacity for bliss, and our longing for the shared truths of love.

The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University is honored to offer viewers in the United States their first opportunity to contemplate masterpieces from the leading historic private art collection in Spain. The treasures of the Alba family represent more than five hundred years of patronage and collecting of European art of the highest quality and importance. One hundred thirty-eight exemplary objects from these vast holdings will be presented in Dallas and then travel to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. Coinciding with the Meadows Museum s golden anniversary, the exhibition Treasures from the House of Alba: 500 Years of Art and Collecting and this companion publication trace the history of the Alba family from the fifteenth century through the present day through the works they collected. The book explores the family’s wealth of paintings, sculptures, furniture, tapestries, and other objects, as well as the Alba archives and library. The stature of the painting collection is clear from the artists represented in the exhibition, among them Fra Angelico, Titian, Rubens, Mengs, Goya, Ingres, Sorolla, and Renoir. The relationship of the Alba legacy to America is highlighted in decorative objects and in a selection of documents from the Alba library related to Columbus and his voyages. The ten essays in this publication shed light on the dynasty’s particular interest in collecting tapestries; its patronage of writers such as Garcilaso de la Vega; the influence of Eugenia de Montijo, empress of France, who was directly related to the Alba family; the pivotal roles of the Seventeenth Duke of Alba and his daughter, the Eighteenth Duchess, in the twentieth century, both of them keenly engaged with the art of their time; and the three palaces Liria, Monterrey, and Las Dueñas that house much of the collection today. Finally, there is one essay covering the biographical life of the Albas as well as an article that discusses their artistic legacy. As a result, the book provides an in-depth study of the rich life and cultural achievements of this legendary dynasty that still lives strong today.

From the mid-1740s on, imaginative depictions of mining scenes increasingly adorned vessels from the Meissen Royal Porcelain Manufactory. Prior to this, sculptural depictions of mining folk can even be found on Böttger stoneware and Böttger porcelain—with artists George Fritzsche Sr (probably 1697–1756) and Johann Joachim Kaendler (1706–1775) later each dedicating a series to them. The unique combination of mining and porcelain also informed and inspired other manufactories in the German-speaking realm, for example in Berlin, Fürstenberg and Vienna.
Achim and Beate Middelschulte have assembled what is probably the world’s most extensive collection of porcelain featuring the subject of mining. A significant selection of this has been transferred to a foundation and incorporated as a permanent loan into the collection at the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum (German Mining Museum in Bochum). An in-depth presentation of these pieces is now available in this publication.

Text in German.

“…jaw-dropping photos of Australia, from east to west.” — CNN

Revealing the patterns and palettes of the Australian landscape, photographer Lisa Michele Burns captures the vast continent as you’ve never seen it before.

From the moment the sun rises on the east coast of Australia, a vivid color palette is revealed, hour by hour, across the country. Ocean blues merge with white sandy shores that connect with green forests, rocky grey ridges and red desert plains. Across the vast and varied landscapes of Australia, the sightlines and the spectacles feel endless and infinite. The horizon stretches and extends; colors collide and combine; patterns compress and expand; and light constantly changes how we perceive and experience a landscape.

In Sightlines: The Patterns + Palettes of the Australian Landscape, award-winning photographer Lisa Michele Burns expertly captures the beauty, artistry and splendor of the Australian landscape. From the rainbow of sandstone hues at Gantheaume Point and ancient monolith of Uluṟu to the dazzling colors and patterns at the Great Barrier Reef and misty rainforests of Tasmania’s Western Wilds, Burns is inspired by the magnificence and fragility of nature and takes the time to observe, research, and learn about each location, its history and formation.

This collection of images, photographed over two years, captures some of the indescribable magic of Australia, its vibrant and varied palette and patterns, and the sightlines that stretch across a seemingly never-ending landscape.

This book reveals the collection presented at Ajuda Royal Palace in Lisbon (Royal Treasure Museum), that has been recently renovated, and where is displayed this unique collection with particular significance for a country with a nine-century history. Over the time, from the 17th century until the 20th century, the Braganza Royal Family has collected precious jewels and works of art intensively, often through relations with other important European families, but also through royal gifts. Finally displayed in a monumental permanent exhibition, each object in this collection witnesses the history of a leading country, as well as the story of the people who have worn or conserved these highlights of decorative art.

India is a nation of conflicting realities, where the old and the new, the traditional and modern regularly coexist. Here, the artists are concerned not solely with telling their own tales but also with exploring what it means to live in a nation steeped in tradition.

Within the context of modern and contemporary India, works on paper offered artists a way of cultivating transnational modernist expression while continuing to explore the potential of a medium that had deeper roots in older artistic traditions native to the subcontinent. This volume features over 100 watercolors, drawings, etchings, sketches and lithographs by senior Indian modernists, born primarily before the 1950s and who came of age in the decades directly following Independence in 1947. These artists span the transition from colonial to post-colonial India, embracing both realism and abstraction, exploring complex metaphors, and making political statements that directly engage India’s past, present, and future.

With contributions by Tamara Sears, Michael Mackenzie, Paula Sengupta, Emma Oslé, Darielle Mason, Rebecca M. Brown, Jeffrey Wechsler, Kishore Singh and Swathi Gorle. 

Franziska Wittmann researches at the Chair of Gion A. Caminada on approaches to natural physical laws and physiological factors in architecture. Instead of focusing on the creation of physical constellations through architecture, her work investigates the effects of these conditions on people. The publication presents collected physiological effects in a way that makes them applicable, with the aim of enhancing architecture. The collection presents physiological phenomena, architectural parallels and prominent examples in architectural history.

Text in German.

“… This volume is a perfect fit for mood boards, forward-looking conversations, and stories about the bags that have continued to drive style conversations for decades.” — La Repubblica

Bags: The Classic Collection is an unmissable celebration of the most iconic and influential handbags in history.

Featuring 30 of the world’s most desirable models, this supremely elegant volume takes you on a journey through luxury, fashion and design, exploring the aesthetic world of each featured bag through stunning photos and revealing design stories. Each of the featured handbags has transcended the functional and even the fashionable to become a bona fide status symbol in its own right. From the Hermès Kelly to the Fendi Baguette, the Chanel 2.55 to the Balenciaga Motorcycle bag, each is defined by a unique vision, and each has impacted the cultural landscape in its own special way.

Written by Lucia Savi of London’s Design Museum, this is a luxuriously illustrated guide to the historical contexts and aesthetic philosophies that make each of these handbags utterly timeless.

The bags: Chanel 2.55; Mulberry Alexa; Givenchy Antigona; Anya Hindmarch I’m NOT A Plastic Bag; Roberta di Camerino Bagonghi Bag; Fendi Baguette; Gucci Bamboo; Issey Miyake Bao Bao; Hermès Birkin; Chanel Boy; Bottega Veneta Cassette; Jacquemus Chiquito; Balenciaga City Bag; Alexander McQueen Knuckle Clutch; Gucci Dyonysus; Stella McCartney Falabella; Prada Galleria; Louis Vuitton Graffiti Keepall Bag; Gucci Jackie; Hermès Kelly; Dior Lady; Céline Luggage Bag; Lulu Guinness Florist’s Basket; Prada Nylon Vela Backpack; Chloé Paddington; Loewe Puzzle Bag; Dior Saddle; Louis Vuitton Speedy; Judith Leiber Handbags; Cupcake Bag; Launer Traviata

“So beautiful, it hurts” – Buzzfeed

In the Land of Fire and Ice: Horses of Iceland is photographer and explorer Guadalupe Laiz’s second book celebrating her love for Iceland, its people, and its horses. In this follow up to Horses of Iceland (2019), Laiz widens her lens to not only capture the undeniable beauty of the horses in their natural habitat, but to showcase the rugged, harsh, and unpredictable environment that has shaped their character. Her intimate color and black-and-white images of the majestic Icelandic horses are pure poetry in motion.

Undertaking a more ambitious production, Laiz collaborated with local horse breeders and with Icelandic photographer, filmmaker, and artist Thrainn Kolbeinsson to capture the magnificent animals in iconic and breathtaking locations—from the famous Skógafoss blanketed with snow to the active Fagradalsfjall volcano; and galloping across beaches, frolicking amid glaciers, and with waterfalls, tundra, and fierce ocean backdrops. Kolbeinsson’s powerful drone photography featured throughout the book showcases the aerial perspective of these epic landscapes that have shaped the horses of Iceland.

Laiz’s photographs are testament to her passion for the Icelandic horse and wildlife photography. She shares this collection to reveal the beauty and importance of the remote corners of our planet and the unique animals that call it home.

Some years ago the study of arms and armor of the subcontinent reached a plateau where enough was known to allow curators and collectors a veneer of authority when writing and speaking about the topic. This book shows how very thin that veneer was. For political and more recently commercial reasons the cultural history of the subcontinent has been largely expressed through the Mughal experience of India. Whilst it is true that the Muslim Mughals dominated India the empire they ruled was predominantly Hindu. This book reclaims the Hindu contribution to the military culture of the Mughal period. The Rajputs were very closely aligned to the Mughals from the reign of Akbar in the sixteenth century but they retained their own distinctive values. The armory at Mehrangarh helps us to enter an unfamiliar world. A tradition of courage and self-sacrifice was conserved in music and poetry, an ideology so extreme that scholars have struggled to concede its existence. This radical book challenges arms and armor orthodoxy and is essential reading for scholars, collectors and dealers interested in India and its wider culture.

Maison CF is renewing its collaboration with JR with the publication of the first volume in a collection dedicated to the artist’s work in cities around the world. Designed by the Agnès Dahan studio, these collector’s books will be published at a rate of one to three per year.

Published to coincide with JR’s last action in Paris on the façade of the Opéra Garnier, this book highlights the artist’s monumental and participative works in Paris since 2009.

A very large-format book that gives pride of place to the images, and gives Daniel Pennac the opportunity to speak, with an original account.

Text in English and French.

Superstar Pharaohs was the exhibition presented by the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, in partnership with MUCEM (Marseille), in 2022, the year that marks the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter and the bicentenary of the deciphering of hieroglyphs by Jean-François Champollion.

The exhibition catalogue includes an introductory text written by the co-curator Frédéric Mougenot, in which he reveals the reflections that led him to create the exhibition.

The introduction is followed by six essays on different themes, ranging from antiquity to the present day: Fayza Haikal writes about the link between modern day Egyptians and the civilization of the Pharaohs; Bernard Mathieu focuses on the Egyptians’ knowledge of their history; Michael Chaveau looks at the presence of the Pharaohs in Greco-Roman literature; Simon Connor explores the impact of images and their destruction in constructing the history of the Egyptian monarchy; Jean-Marcel Humbert discusses the phenomenon of Egyptomania; and João Carvalho Dias, co-curator of the exhibition and deputy director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, reveals the relationship that Calouste Gulbenkian developed with Howard Carter, which was fundamental in establishing the Egyptian art section of the Gulbenkian collection.

The rest of the publication is, like the exhibition, divided into three sections: the first, ‘Three Thousand Years of History and a Few Memorable Reigns’, seeks to outline the profile of the Pharaohs who were regarded, in their time, as worthy of being remembered for posterity. The second section, ‘What Remains of the Pharaohs? History and Legends’, looks at the way the memory of some of these figures was recovered, and at the same time transformed, by the literature of Greco-Roman antiquity, giving rise to myths that survived for centuries. The final section, ‘Return of the Pharaohs’, reveals how the birth of the discipline of Egyptology led to new scientific knowledge of Ancient Egypt, which also paved the way for the rediscovery of some Pharaohs, who were thus propelled into stardom.

As well as featuring abundant illustrations of the works on display throughout the texts, the publication also includes a section of chronological references related to Ancient Egypt and a list of all the Pharaohs in history.

Image credits: Panorama