Themes Books

This is a good book no doubt, but...In this holy monastery there is much more valuable holy icons and should be presented in much more numbers.Maybe I`m asking to much, but with this treasure unpublished at all, it`s kinda sad to said. Quality of paper and photos are great and text with it. Good choice for meeting with this holy spot on the earth.

This volume is the companion to the recent Getty exhibition of original icons from the St. Catherine Monastery in the Sinai Desert, the presumed site of the Old Testament burning bush. The book provides the scholarly background on the ancient images, some going back to the 6th century and showing stylistic features common to Roman portraiture. The color illustrations are especially well done and true to the tones of the originals that I saw in Los Angeles. The book can be enjoyed simply for the aesthetics for the mesmerizing pictures, or for religious meditation, but also for insight into the historical development of early Christian practices. Given the lavish color printing in a large format, the price is quite reasonable.

Wonderful book on good heavy paper. . . .photo quality excellent. . .very very informative. . .

Great book full of pictures and explanatory text. The purchase was prompted by a visit to the Getty Museum to view the exhibit. I was familiar with the monastary beforehand from a VHS tape and the exhibit provided a sense of being there and walking its holy and hallowed grounds. A time capsule of religious art and activity. The detail was very intricate and I marveled at the detail in the icons for those using crude and self-made art supplies. These icons are indeed a labor of love. They go back some 1400 years and have a span of 600.

The book serves to recollect my feelings at the exhibit, the next best thing to being at the monastary itself.

The reproductions in this book are beautiful, the discussion intelligent and thorough. I bought and read it prior to visiting the exhibit, and thought that it provided 95% of the experience of actually being there.

The Getty, which has had an uneven history in its prior exhibits, really did a superb job on this one. The Getty website retains an excellent interactive description of the exhibition.

I had the impression that St. Catherine's was an isolated outpost at the base of Mt. Sinai. It is at the base of Mt. Sinai, but about an hour's drive from Sharm-El-Sheikh, a popular Egyptian resort town. Apparently tour buses make daily runs between the two places.

This book was hard to put down. Each painting was a new story that revealed information I would have never known. I started it as I was planning a trip to Rome and Florence and it opened up a world for me that I would otherwise have been ignorant of while visiting the museums where some of these paintings hung. My only critisism would be that it didn't go into much depth-just mostly basic symbolism.
Good for reference and also entertaining.

This book is worth every cent, just for the 1,000 glossy photos of major European "Old Master" works!!

I wish I had read this book instead of struggling to stay awake in very boring art history classes!

Excellent book, the quality of the pictures if great and very useful content. It is one of the best book for your library.

If you have never been particularly interested in art but want to start learning about the great European artists between the 14th century and the early 19th century, this is a great book to start with. And I am sure it has a lot to offer to advanced students of Art too.

The book offers comments on about 180 significant paintings painted over 500 years. The earliest painting in the book is Maestà (1308-11) by Duccio di Buoninsegna of Italy. The most modern is The Third of May, 1808 by Francisco de Goya of Spain. Every painting is dissected with numerous sub-illustrations and the various historical, artistic and social significances of it discussed in detail. Since all the paintings are European in nature, the originals are located mainly in English and European museums but a surprising number of paintings are located in American Museums too.

Here are the ones from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The Adoration of the Magi (1310) - Giotto
The Annunciation Triptych ("Merode Triptych") (1425-30) - Robert Campin
Diptych: The Crucifixion and The Last Judgement (1430s) - Jan Van Eyck
A Goldsmith in his Shop, Possibly St Eligius (1449) - Petrus Christus
The Opening of the Fifth Seal of the Apocalypse (1608-14) - El Greco
The Rape of the Sabine Women (1633-34) - Nicolas Poussin
The Preaching of St John the Baptist (1634) - Bartholomeus Breenbergh
The Death of Socrates (1787) - Jacques-Louis David

The majority of the paintings focus on Biblical topics, but there are a great number of secular and political paintings too especially in the later years. For example, there is a fascinating one called "An experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump" (1768) by Joseph Wright of Derby. It is a study of various peoples reactions to a scientific experiment in which a bird is suffocated to death in an air pump.

This book is a tremendous read. And you don't need to be an art historian or student to appreciate the information. Easy to understand, you will never look at those "boring old masters" the same way again.

Very clear and concise study of the structural forms of human anatomy. The illustrations are clear and the sections ordered logically for quick reference.

Within 2 weeks of looking at the illustrations in this book, my figure drawing skills have improved by at least 60 percent.
The illustrations are so clear and complete that it is very easy to see how to draw the figure or any part of it you may be interested in.
It especially helped me with drawing the female breasts, a difficult subject for me for a long time.But seeing clearly the muscles that are under the breast made all the difference for me.
There are over 1200 illustrations in this book...all aimed at teaching the artist how to see the body and how it is made.
The writer and illustrator of this book have my eternal gratitude.

Although i've never heard of this book, it was evidently better then others. I browsed through it in the book store and found clear pencil drawings, good text and surprisingly detailed content. There are many pages and many illustrations for each part of the body. Different muscle layers are covered as well as bones(front, back, side, above and underneath views for each!) and movement.
Its week side is lack of muscle effects on the skin, so you'll have to get a figure drawing book for that. In addition, a new reader might get lost(as i did) with the new jargon and muscle names, but you get used to it.
Oh, and there are many muscles and bones that no artist will ever need to draw, so if it's not what you're looking for, there are cheaper alternatives.

This is the most thorough and easy to understand anatomy book I have used. It covers the skeletal muscles of the human body. Anyone interested in the body's form and function would find this useful. As a Massage Therapist I have increased my skills by studying from this text. The drawings are clear. The origins, insetions and functions are minutely covered.

I've worked for companies such as Walt Disney Animation and Fox Studios. This book was constantly used and referred to in our work and studies there. If you only buy one anatomy book, BUY THIS ONE! There are a few books with this title out. Make sure you get the one by Andras Szunyoghy...

I had been wanting to order this book, but for one reason or another kept post-poning. I'm glad I finally ordered it. It is wonderful, inspiring and for any level.

Irene Brady is an expert, biologically accurate nature artist, but that doesn't stop her from creating (and teaching others to create) lively, interesting nature art. I am very impressed by her book, Illustrating Nature, Right-brain Art in a Left-brain World. From the construction of a leaf or a wing to the hairs in an ear and the fur on the body, Brady leads you to analyze the structure of plant or animal parts. Then she skillfully helps you understand techniques to illustrate these features. You learn how to pay attention to the details and illustrate the entire organism in a realistic and delightful manner. Brady wisely encourages the developing artist to use computer graphics as part of their toolkit. She also provides an appendix with many design ideas for book and magazine layout and design and promotional graphics, brochures and the like for museums and nature centers. This is a superb book for classroom use and the individual learner. I would have given my eyeteeth for this book as a child. Maybe there is hope for me yet!

Nancy Field
Nature Publisher, Author and Wildlife Biologist
Dog-Eared Publications
Author of several titles, including Discovering Sharks and Rays, the winner of a 2004 Ben Franklin Award for Best Juvenile-Young Adult Nonfiction

I've looked at a lot of art instruction books, wondering if they'd perform
as promised. This profusely illustrated book is the best I've seen!
The first thing you notice when you leaf through Illustrating Nature ~
Right-brain Art in a Left-brain World is that Irene Brady has skillfully
constructed exercises to lead you by the hand at your own pace down her
well-marked trail to professional illustration. For instance, the book begins by
explaining that artistic skills are natural to most of us and that to open
the door all you need is the key - then she hands you the key.
Starting with right-brain exercises to help you access your creative
skills, she then shows you how to really look at things, noticing and
comparing shapes and angles. The next step is to convey that information to
your hand and the paper - and amazingly, out comes a picture you'll be
amazed you could create. While beginners can get started with this book,
all artists can jump in at their own skill level and proceed from there to
a stage of excellence they've only dreamed of. There are exercises to
advance the artist's skill in such different areas as shading; use of
pencil, pen, and computer; organizing and designing an illustration; field
sketching (and taking notes about the subject); and a multitude of procedures and tips, both large and small, that go into creating beautiful, professional
results. The heavily illustrated instructions for each exercise are clear,
concise, and lead the artist from elemental to complex in easy increments.
The appendix outlines steps to guide your art into a career in a wide array
of professional fields.
If you've ever thought you might like to jumpstart, improve, or hone your
artistic skills to a fine point, this book is an excellent choice.

A great deal of this art instructional book deals with trying to see things and draw using the artistic side of the brain instead of the analytical left side. Subjects covered include sketching, texture, tone, line art, drawing techniques, design and layout, drawing fur, eyes, and other parts of animals, and botanical drawing. The appendixes include multiple projects, field sketchbook and portfolio creation, and career tips if you want to pursue illustration as a career. In addition to the common techniques you typically find in an art instructional book there are dozens and dozens of field notes specific to nature illustration work in the field. These make the book a best choice for anyone who wants to engage in nature illustration. Illustrating Nature is recommended for drawing in general and highly recommended for nature drawing techniques.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends ILLUSTRATING NATURE as an important tool for every budding artist (no matter their age) with an eye for a career in illustration, scientific or otherwise, as well as an extraordinary assistance for elders wanting to keep their brains in tip-top shape!

If you're a bit confused by all this Left Brain/Right Brain stuff, then Irene Brady ably guides you in discovering just what your Left Brain does, & what your magical Right Brain can do. Amazing stuff, folks!

ILLUSTRATING NATURE is a superbly inter-active book -- you are in for an adventure in creating fascinating, realistic images.

ILLUSTRATING NATURE is a textbook you will keep coming back to, as your skill progresses - highly recommended for home schooling, elder art classes & anyone of any age who loves to draw.

"You know how much I go to church."

"'How little' you mean. Still, you must know that, as craftsmanship, paintings and sculpture of the Crucifixion are usually atrocious-and the painted, realistic ones often used in churches are the worst of all...the blood looks like catsup and that ex-carpenter is usually portrayed as if he were a pansy...which He certainly was not if there is any truth in the four Gospels at all. He was a hearty man, probably muscular and of rugged health. Buy despite the almost uniformly poor portrayal in representations of the Crucifixion, a poor one is about as effective as a good one for most people. They don't see the defects; what they see is a symbol which inspires their deepest emotions; it recalls to them the Agony and Sacrifice of God."

Robert A. Hienlein-"Stranger in a Strange Land"

This book is equivalently the catalog of an art exhibit at the National Gallery London from February to May, 2000 on how Christ has been portrayed in art from a fourth century Good Shepherd statue to Stanley Spencer's 1926 Resurrection, Cookham. The magnificently illustrated 79 items in the show are supplemented with photographs of 52 additional pieces of art that develop the theology out of which each set of images arose. It is a thing of beauty and pleasure, useful for prayer and theology, and the sort of thing needed in today. Too many postmodern art students have lost contact with the Christian symbols of the western world and are unaware of the depths of their own cultural heritage. This book will be very informative for them and even for the already theologically educated.

I have noticed that Christian Art books have been growing in popularity. Many of these are cheap opportunities to jump on a commercial bandwagon in an attempt to make a quick buck. This book is the REAL THING. It is outstanding. The pictures are large and sharp. The articles are informative and written well. This book values its subject and covers a wide spectrum of Christ centered art. I found this book both thoughtful and moving.

The focus of this book is the Collection in Trafalgar Square but is not exclusive to it. It contains works of art that either picture a representation of Christ or allude to Him. I found my reading to be a delightful and awe-inspiring theological journey. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of how Christ is perceived. Several authors have compiled brief descriptions of the works that explain their significance and meaning. The book traces it course through predominately Catholic art. This may have been done mostly out of necesity because the plethera of art from the 13th to 20th centuries is largely by Catholics. However, it would have been nice to see some more Protestant imagery to complete the respesentation of Christ in art.

The Image of Christ provides an overview of the heritage of Christian art, from paintings and prints to sculptures from the early Christian era to modern times, examining the purposes for each and exploring their meaning to viewers. Depictions of Christ via symbol and image are examined in a treatise recommended for art libraries and religious holdings alike.

If you've ever seen Tibetan Buddhist art and wondered who or what is represented in these colorful paintings (known in Tibetan as thangka), what the various objects in the paintings symbolize, or how the paintings are used in the practice of Buddhism, Images of Enlightenment may answer your questions. Concisely written for a western audience of general readers by two English students of Tibetan Buddhism, this book also provides an introduction to basic Buddhist principles and practice, as well as a brief history of the Tibetan school and short biographies of some of its greatest teachers.

Images of Enlightenment is organized around 32 full-color plates, paintings by Andy Weber, a UK-based artist trained in Nepal by refugee Tibetan painters and now himself a widely traveled and respected teacher in Europe and North America. (See the artist's website for more examples of his work and his current teaching schedule.) Each chapter of the book begins with a theme, followed by explanations of the handful of paintings that best represent them. The first chapter on the life of the Buddha and the basics of Buddhist philosophy, for example, includes descriptions of paintings of the Buddha, stupas, and the Wheel of Life.

As an introductory text, the authors cannot hope to cover the nearly 200 deities of Tibetan Buddhism. They manage, though, to provide an informative, well-written, and properly illustrated volume covering some of the most popular images. If you'd like to learn more about the methods and materials used in painting thangka, you might like to see Jackson and Jackson's Tibetan Thangka Painting: Methods & Materials. The paintings used in this book, while well executed, are quite simple and not cluttered with many of the background items found in many thangka. There is, therefore, little in this book explaining many of the minor elements of Tibetan painting. For a more thorough treatment of symbolism and iconography, see Robert Beer's A Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. If you'd like to see larger and more elaborately and finely detailed thangka, have a look at two collections in Romio Shrestha's Celestial Gallery and Goddesses of the Celestial Gallery.

The most definitive guide to Buddhism. The deity are all beautifully illustrated in rich color, complete with the historical background of the deity that gain enormous popularity in the east.

It had all the answers that you had always wanted to ask in the past. For illustration why some deities look so wraughtful, fierce and the significance of those implements or objects they hold.

I like the most is the explaination on the deity background concise, full illustrated, very well elaborated and accurate description.

An indispensible guide! Highly recommended.

Though I am an SGI Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhism intrigues me with their beautiful art. Mr. Landaw clearly describes each entity and Mr. Andy Weber beautifully illustrates in color each image. If you have ever wanted a deeper understanding into Tibetan images, I highly recommend this book

Written by experts who spent years living in India to study Tibetan Buddhism and its art, Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice is a straightforward, plain-terms guide to the rich history, legends, and spirituality expressed through Tibetan Buddhist sacred art. 32 full-color plates illustrate Images of Enlightenment, while the text describes the symbolic self-transformation and expressions of enlightenment depicted. Chapters survey different paths and aspects of Buddhism as expressed through art, including the Bodhisattva Path, and the Path of Bliss and Emptiness. Images of Enlightenment is especially recommended for students, scholars, and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

This is an excellent book for all those interested in the practice of Deity Yoga. Written by Westerners with a very clear insight into the elements and art of the practice.

This book is a collection of short reflections for major feasts throughout the Church's calendar. In each of them the Pope (then Cardinal Ratzinger), highlights a theme or two in order to draw the deeper significance of the feast into greater focus. He provides theological, and historical background, and rich mediations on how these holy days impact the lives of each believer. These reflections are easy to read but they are profound in what they draw forth. This book certainly provides an impetus for a fresh look at many days like Christmas or Easter which are rich in their spiritual treasures, but which may have become commonplace in our eyes because the world has run amok with them.

This is really a very beautiful and elegant work. His observations and understanding of these Christian images and symbols is so moving that I was often overwhelmed with good feelings. Wonderful!

-Jeremy

Pope Benedict's longer theological works can be difficult to follow, not because the Pope is trying to be obscure but because he deals with realities (not opinions or moods) and never patronizes the reader. Images of Hope is more accessible because it is a collection of short essays, moving and even entertaining meditations on the Feasts of the Church. A great little book for the thinking Christian.

These thirteen short talks originated as occasional broadcasts on Bavarian Radio when the then-Cardinal Ratzinger offered meditations on the major feasts of the Church usually with reference to some work of art. About half had been published separately, and the book, first issued 9 years ago, has been translated and reissued following his election as Pope. Ratzinger is scholarly in his approach and sources, but offers his general audience a message that is both simple and profound. That will not surprise those who have listened to his recent talks. His reflections are mostly prompted and illustrated by images--artistic, poetic or symbolic--to touch the senses and heart as well as the mind. Developing the images and ideas with poetic fancy, professorial depth and patristic playfulness, he invites us to go beyond the merely aesthetic to the level of faith.

While the themes are random because of the disparate occasions on which the talks were given, there is an inner harmony among them, and since all sacred images are images of the resurrection, the harmony involves hope and resurrection joy. The art is often an illustration of the material rather than its source, and hence is not in general as essential to the presentation as it is, for example, in the Archbishop of Canterbury's Ponder These Things or Henri Nouwen's Behold the Beauty of the Lord. But Ratzinger's historical facts and theological insights are striking, and those dealing with Rome and the papacy all the more interesting in view of his later election to the see of Rome. Beyond this the text opens the riches of the Christian faith in a learned but very personable way. It's a quick read, and would repay a prayerful rereading of each chapter on its corresponding feast.

This is a series of reflections that can each be read in a brief sitting, yet each conveys the remarkable breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding that Pope Benedict has developed. His writing is perhaps the most concise among modern theologians.

Springer focuses her lens on objects that give meaningful to the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people. As usual, she manages to convey volumes in deceptively simple photographs. This book is simultaneously incisive and oddly gentle. A brilliant gift.

this book is exquisit. i love it. Melissa Springer is sooo wonderful. it is touching and beautiful...thanks Melissa.

Betsy

This book was one of the best photography books I have ever read. The writing was beautiful, and the photography was the same.

that contains both gorgeous images and excellent writing. Springer is an amazing photographer and this book compelled me to buy two of her pieces.

I stumbled upon this book while grieving for my mother-in-law, Anna, and it soothed the source of my pain. Within the context of simple words and beautiful black and white images, I was reminded that even the smallest of life's details have a place in someone's heart. I felt a sense of peace after reading this book because I now have a greater sense of appreciation for the little gifts that Anna gave to me and they are important to remember.

Excellent value for the money. Beautiful photos covering a broad range of interiors.

We review a number of books and the first time we saw this one, we were very sure it was going to make to our top selections list. And we were not wrong.

A beautifully laid out book with 500 vivid color photographs is a visual treat. Recipedelights.com gives it a "must-buy" rating for interior designers and style lovers. One of the few books that correct the injustice done by western journalists and gives a positive spin to thousands of years of culture and history. It truly reflects the grandeur of Indian style by weaving a colorful mélange that will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever visited India. This book explores a spectrum of interiors ranging from Palaces to Havelis to Huts. It does not bore with endless text or try to influence the judgment of the reader. Short text (In English, German and French) accompanies each photograph though the pictures speak for themselves.

This LUSH book captivates the eye and provides such a visual feast of color, I feel saturated, then satiated, each time I dip into it. Good for hours of fun.

I have to say, I was lucky enough to meet Deidi on her travels in Ladakh and can tell you that she is one intrepid traveler. There was a war going on in Kashmir when she went to take these photos - although you'd never know it from these pictures which paint such a beautiful image of these sumptuous settings.

She is a great photographer, with three Taschen books to her credit (Gardens of France, and Fantasy Worlds). She also makes enormous photos of sacred trees in India which are exhibited in galleries - very dramatic and her best work yet!

This book focuses a great deal on Rajasthan, but also includes regional coverage of key areas.

A first of its kind and a good antidote to the predictable picture books of India. Everyone expects India photo books to show weird babas in Benares and starving people in Calcutta, so it's good for the West to see there's more to India than that.

Glad to see that scenes from the folk and peasant traditions are included alongside the fantastic royal palaces, proving that art has no boundaries.

This is a gorgeous book, beautifully laid out, with good photography and a vast range of type of interiors from palaces to village huts. Having spent significant time traveling throughout India, I frankly opened this book fully expecting to be disappointed and expecting it to be one more example of journalism not being able to do justice to the breadth and scope of India. We see that failure in all manner of books about India, from cook books, design books, culture books, and travel books; any subject that trys to cover the subcontinent in one fell swoop. Remarkably, this book achieves what no others I've seen has. In addition to photography of Deco interiors, British Revival, and Native Cultural Design, INDIAN INTERIORS wisely leaves the commentary to short blocks of text detailing the background of the property and the homeowners but not forming broad judgements or attempting to endlessly characterize and embellish. I have photo books on Village India, India Rail, Indian Design, etc., and they all try to do too much and not let the material speak for itself. This book is different, very different, and from what I've seen from this publisher in other venues, Taschen is one to watch for if you like your material presented succinctly and beautifully without gushing or extraneous filler.

This totally sumptuous book has been beautifully produced and is proof yet again that Taschen are publishing some of the most beautiful books around. Apart from being a visual delight, each picture has accompanying text on the place featured. The book covers a wide range of interiors from palaces and havelis to Rajasthani huts and everything in between. Whether you are interested in Indian style or interiors generally, you will find much to like in this book.

This aptly named book does seem to unveil, to expose the quiet, sensual beauty of flowers. I am a photographer (amateur) of flowers who tries to reveal the veins, crepey folds and layers, shadings and colors, the infinite individuality of flowers. I think this gorgeous book does what I can barely hope to do.

Many of the flowers photographed here are ones with which I was not previously familiar -- especially in close up. It is the combination of incredibly close and detailed photography and a skillful artist's eye for which I was searching.

There are many books which accomplish a scientific disection of flowers in close up, but none with the emotional impact Joyce Tenneson's book achieves.

The photos in Intimacy are distinguished by the subtle richness of the color quality; many other photographers take bright-colored pictures of intimate floral details, but Tenneson's lighting makes these flowers glow almost mystically or recede into mysterious shadow. The standard black backdrop becomes an essential, emotionally involving par of the image.

Joyce Tenneson is known as an artistic photographer of people, notably in her black-and-white-book, "Wise Women," a bestseller in 2002. Now she has turned her lens on flowers. The subject is different but the aim is the same, she says--to reveal something deep within. The result is a series of portraits of common garden blooms presented in a n unusual light. Set against a black background, each becomes a study in form and color. Even the dried hydrangea floret seems special.

Joyce Tenneson is not only a gifted photographer, she is also in touch with the secrets of nature as documented in this extraordinarily beautiful, understated book of photographs of flowers. Using a monochromatic background (usually black) Tenneson focuses her eye and lens on the most fragile parts of flowers, irresistibly bringing us into the stamens and pistils at the core of creation or perpetration of flowers. There is something very sensual (in the finest sense of that word) to her work: she is not trying to make her subjects appear as metaphors to human anatomy a la Mapplethorpe - she just lets the flowers inner workings speak eloquently for themselves. Hence the title INTIMACY. But Tenneson does not limit her attention to the reproductive origins of her flowers: simple shots of petals and whole blossoms add to the journey or cycle of life. And sparingly inserted fragments of poetry from the likes of Rachel Carson and ee cummings comment just enough to keep the viewer in tune with the flow of the volume.This is an exquisite book, an ideal gift for those people in your life who flesh out your existence and enhance your world.