Illustration Books

Whether your interest is socio-cultural, historical or purely aesthetic, you will treasure Henri Schindler's latest passport to the "Golden Age" of the New Orleans Carnival celebration. Schindler, who is himself a treasure-trove of information on this subject, has put together a most interesting documentary providing an in-depth discussion of the historical roots of the pre-Lenten festival against a background of the artists, illustrators and patrons who gave the "Golden Age" its particular look and ambience. The quality of the color reproductions of the invitations that make up a major part of the book is most impressive. The color and clarity of these (mostly) art nouveau works comes across on each page, leaving the reader with the feeling that he or she has truly been a part of this romantic era.

Over two hundred invitations, dance cards and admit cards are assembled here in a coverage of the art work associated with the Mardi Gras which began in the 1870s and was marked by pageants and private balls. While Mardi Gras Treasures is a specialty collection of interest to those researching New Orleans collectibles and Mardi Gras collectibles in particular, many a reader will delight in these full-page illustrations.

This is the 13th of some 30 books written by Charlotte V. Allen and I think, so far, it is the best. I am slowely working my way through all of them. I loved Francis, Hadleigh and Bonita. It got somewhat farfetched toward the end but I loved it. Charlotte, write another one like this or maybe you already have and I haven't gotten to it yet.

from the back of the original paperback book: "They were the unforgettable, passionate men and women bound together by an era of turmoil and tears ... blood and passion, by a search for love, happiness and fulfillment ... FRANCES -- a beautiful, pround Englishwoman torn between her dreams of romance and the reality of her marriage, about to be swept into a maelstrom of secrets, betrayal and forbidden sensuality. HADLEIGH -- the daughter, alone and vulnerable, too hungry for love to know the difference between caring and desire. ARTHUR -- the husbandf, obsessed with a woman he should never forgive, but whom he cannot forget ... or stop wanting. AMANDA -- the other woman, very lovely, very desirable, very devious, ready to fight for the man she loves, ready to destroy the rival she hates. Sweeping across decades from war-torn London to the promising landscapes of New York and Connecticut, from the stormy secrets of the soul to ... MATTERS OF THE HEART."

In concise but informative prose, Margaret Wagner illuminatesnot just the work of the timelessly popular Maxfield Parrish, but sheplaces him firmly within the context of his time. Ms. Wagner accomplishes this by introducing readers to some of Parrish's lesser known contemporaries (though the book has a rich selection of his work too) and by not falling prey to histrionically trumpeting his "greatness." Parrish's fans might even learn something from this book.

Many books have profiled Parrish's art; Maxfield Parrish and the Illustrators of the Golden Age reproduces 70 works of Parrish and other illustrators of his times, using the archives of the Americana Illustrators Gallery and other resources to present works by a range of painters. Chapters provide plenty of text history of the works of these illustrators and their related styles. Highly recommended, this goes beyond most singular Parrish focuses.

For anyone with an interest in the history of medicine, this book is a fascinating introduction. It's richly illustrated with museum-quality examples of period equipment, from original Laennec stethescopes to bloodletting instruments. The text is well-written, and shows the author's broad expertise with medical and scientific history. There are many quotes directly from centuries-old source material which help the reader understand the context and mindset of physicians who practiced their art so long before any understanding of anatomy and physiology. The final chapter on medical quackery is a wonderful review of the often humorous (and sometimes sad!) ways that charlatans have learned to take advantage of even well-educated people-- and gives great insight into how these same tricks are still being played.

I would particularly recommend this book for any student entering medical school or thinking of pursuing a medically-related career in nursing, dentistry, or pharmacy. It's beautifully bound and put-together, and would make a great gift.

This is a really fascinating review of medical history and medical instruments. Very seldom does this sort of volume become more than an unread coffee table book, but this book is really fascinating and well written. There is a host of pithy background to flesh out the outlines that you already know, and this is what makes it so enjoyable. I originally purchased it for the information on antique medical instruments. While this is a good part of what is covered, it is less of a primary focus.

If you are curious about bird illustrations before Audubon....this is a great example of what was done in the Medieval Manuscripts. Although small, it is packed with full page illustrations. It appears that the color representation are very close to the original works. I highly recommend this book to anyone intrested in medieval manuscripts as well as bird illustrations.

The Sherborne Missal gives a bird's-eye view of worship in 15th-century England. The beautifully illustrated and written manuscript was done for the Benedictine Abbey of Sherborne on the east coast of England, in Dorset. It gives the saints days, special intentions such as for the sick, and the words of the mass for each day.

Birds decorate the pages. But there are only three places where it hits you in the face why a particular bird is shown on a particular page. The goldfinch, as a medieval Italian symbol for the crucified Christ, is shown with Epiphany, the robin with Sherborne Abbot Robert Brunyng, and the skylark soaring upwards into the skies with the Ascension.

According to MEDIEVAL BIRDS IN THE SHERBORNE MISSAL, the artist must have owned or gotten easy hold of models or sketches. One known pattern book, from possibly around 1400, mainly showed initial letters, with only four leaves of bird studies. But Giovannino De' Grassi's late 14th-century sketchbook, now in the Biblioteca Civica in Bergamo, helped to spread the northern Italian style of drawing nature as it really was, without fantastic add-ons.

Private collectors in France kept the Missal safe from 16th-century Reformation England, until calmer days at the end of the 18th century. Then the Missal ended up in the library of the dukes of Northumberland, at Alnwick Castle. In 1983 the 10th duke loaned the manuscript to the British Museum. With the death of the 11th duke the Sherborne Missal became, in 1998, additional ms 74326, as a permanent part of the British Library collection.

It now is among the exhibits in the library galleries. But only two pages can be seen at any one time, and usually not of the birds. So Janet Backhouse's book is particularly valuable, as the first complete full-color publication under one roof of all the birds.

The author has written many books on medieval manuscripts. But readers might particularly like THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS and MEDIEVAL RURAL LIFE IN THE LUTTRELL PSALTER, for their similar themes on nature in the English Middle Ages.

Don't be fooled by the somewhat bland cover of this book. The pages within contain lots of wonderful mermaid images. This book is a compiliation of mermaid art. It features mostly paintings but it also includes a few carvings, statues, jewelry, and others. Each page displays a picture along with a quote that relates to mermaids, to the sea, or invokes the spirit of either. These quotes are taken from poems, plays, journals, ancient writings, etc.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves mermaids or beautiful art. If you like this book, Mermaids (Magical Beings) is very similar. If you want to learn more about mermaids, I recommend Magickal Mermaids and Water Creatures and The Mythology of the Mermaid and Her Kin.

I think I have almost every Mermaid artbook available. This one is definetly worthy of your collection. It displays spectacular images, poems and literature. If you like this you will also love Mermaids by Elizabeth Ratisseau.

I love this kind of paints, the erotism is very artistic and the female figures are so fine and delightful; the pencil draws are so incredible and the work of these various artists are simply enchantment. everybody who enjoys this beautiful creatures will adore this book. I have the other volumes and all of then are one of the best renditions of this sea beauties; BUY IT!!

The Gallery Girls Mermaids collection continues with this second volume of outstanding, sea-frolicking art from SQP. As with the other volumes in the Gallery Girls series, Sal Quartuccio has assembled another extraordinary group of talented artists to give their renditions of the most mythical and beautiful creatures of the sea.

The great Pelaez starts things out with a fantastic cover painting and follows this up with a number of terrific interior drawings, one featuring a gorgeous topless mermaid who looks like she's just been taken by surprise, and another showing a stern mermaid giving a spanking to a younger, naughtier one.

Arantza is one of my favorite artists in the world and she also has several great pieces in this volume. One depicts a hot, blonde bombshell, lying on a beach as a hermit crab idles by; another shows a mermaid cheerfully swimming amidst several nearby stingrays.

Colucci, another favorite, delivers a dark, evil, vampiric Mermaid, surrounded by a school of razor-fanged piranha. A terrifying and sad piece by Colucci shows a mermaid embracing the skeletal remains of another...perhaps a lover?

The honor for the most erotic piece in the collection goes to Brian LeBlanc with an undersea orgy involving for mermaids and a captive woman. A piece by Pedro Cuevas shows two spear gun-totting divers hunting a mermaid, or perhaps she is actually leading them to their doom. Emiliano Urdinola has perhaps the most horrific illustration in the book as a mermaid is attacked by a bestial half-woman and half-Octopus like creature.

Among the other artists featured in the book are Mitch Byrd, Tomas Giorello, Maraschi, Meriggi, Gracia, J.L. Roger, and Enric. The book ends on a high note with a great back cover painting as three mermaids hide in a cave from a giant sea monster. Thanks to the great pieces by Pelaez and Arantza, I enjoyed the second volume even more than the first. I'd also like to point out that many of the original pieces in this collection can be purchased from the SQP website. It's definitely worth checking out.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

A curatorial masterpiece of 20th century magazine design. Well designed, copiously illustrated, another first rate addition to design research by Steven Heller. A must have for any serious practictioner of our profession.

This is not as I expected, a collection of vintage covers of old magazines, but a detailed and interesting history of how the avant garde expressed itself and produced original art in the process. It covers the 20th century well up until the zines of the 80s - 90s. It kind of stops there because, says the author, the web takes over. I may not agree with that exactly, but I believe this is a must book for anyone who is passionate about magazine design.

It's certainly unbelievable that nobody reviewed this book before (july 30 1999). Milton Glaser means to the history of graphic design what Michelangelo or Arcimboldo or Leonardo mean to the history of art. In a time when the likes of David Carson or any of the trendy computer BS designers reign, discovering Milton Glaser should be like a breath of fresh air. He represents a rare breed (almost extinct) of designers who master the craft of casting a good idea with the appropiate "visual language" in order to get the message across. His illustration skills as well as his thinking are always on the crest of the wave, regardless of who is "en vogue" at the time. He stands for excellency in the widest sense of the word. No designer who prides himself/herself of being one, should continue practising/studying without -at least- flipping through this book.

Since you've made it this far, allow me to briefly write about the book--the other commenter puts Glaser's personality so well in context. The book's content is graphic material, both published and rejected, complemented by Glaser's succinct explanations concerning any of the following: historic/social context, guiding professional principles, technique and process, interpretation, the tension between client and creator, etc. The text and the graphical works are very diverse, ranging from terse to lengthy, and simple to complex, respectively. All in all, the feeling of being in Glaser's presence (in class or studio) is likely to grow in you as you progress through the book.

If what you've read so far compels you to get the book, do so by all means, it's a 5-star! Otherwise, if, let's say, you are looking for for something akin to a cafe-table book, this one gets only 3 to 4 stars.

One of the greatest random books I've seen in a long time. What a great idea, compile all the quotes from the begining of the wired's into one book. Simply marvelous. Buy this, if nothing else, you will be dazzled by the artwork.

An amazing journey into a flight of digital art and design. Very compelling and provacative quotes that look and feel like Mcluhan's The Medium is the Massage of the 90's. An astounding eight color masterpiece.