Arguably the most famous bridge in the world, Tower Bridge was built in the late nineteenth century and immediately acclaimed as a feat of Victorian engineering. Designed to ease road traffic while maintaining river access, it was constructed with giant moveable roadways that lift up for passing ships. It quickly became known as the 'Wonder Bri... Arguably the most famous bridge in the world, Tower Bridge was built in the late nineteenth century and immediately acclaimed as a feat of Victorian engineering. Designed to ease road traffic while maintaining river access, it was constructed with giant moveable roadways that lift up for passing ships. It quickly became known as the 'Wonder Bridge'. Celebrating this truly iconic London structure, a focal point of the city and the River Thames, this book tells the story of the bridge and its design with a range of stunning historical and contemporary photos. The bridge's history is brought to life with an array of fascinating facts (around 40,000 people cross the bridge every day) and colourful anecdotes (in 1952 the driver of a double decker bus managed to jump the 3-foot gap when the bridge began to open up as he was halfway over). With a contemporary design and striking cover, this will be the perfect introduction to one of London's most impressive sights. 100 colour

The Ashmolean Museum's collection of British drawings and watercolours is undoubtedly one of the richest in the world, covering the work of British artists both celebrated and less well-know from 1650 to the present day. Over 130 works are discussed here in this fully illustrated catalogue, including a dozen works loaned from private collections. The full richness of the Ashmolean's collection is reflected here with drawings from the mid-seventeenth century through to the present day. Works by renowned masters including Rowlandson, Gainsborough, Blake, Palmer, Girtin, J. M. W. Turner, Edward Lear, Ruskin, and the Pre-Raphaelites feature, together with works from the twentieth century including Augustus John, Paul Nash, Walter Sickert and the Camden Town Group, Eric Kennington, Eric Ravilious, Ben Nicholson, Graham Sutherland, Wyndham Lewis, Ronald Searle, Gerald Scarfe, and David Hockney. Great British Drawings reveals the full breadth of achievement and inventiveness of British artists in all drawing media, from pencil, to pen and ink, to watercolour, as well as the fascinating history of British art over the course over three and a half centuries.

Chelsea Physic Garden was founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673 as a resource providing plant material for the training of apothecaries. For most of its existence, the Garden has been a focus for botanists, taxonomists, students and horticulturists both for employing their skills and in training the next generation. These activities have been supported by the work of plant illustrators. It is the purpose of this book to display the work of talented late twentieth and early twenty-first century botanical artists, members of Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society, whose explicit aim is to illustrate plants in cultivation in the Garden. In 1995 the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society was co-founded by Margaret King and Wendy Page. It is a group of artists, the first cohort of which had been studying for a Diploma in botanical illustration at the English Gardening School at Chelsea Physic Garden. Botanical Illustration from Chelsea Physic Garden includes selected works from the garden's archive, which now totals about 500 works. The seventy-eight illustrations reproduced include one in pen-and-ink and three in graphite (lead pencil), all examples of work by masters of their technique. Also included is one work in coloured pencil which is, even on close inspection, indistinguishable from the best water-colour painting. The plates are accompanied by notes about the uses of the plants, as well as the botanical name of the plant and its family.

Celebrations and dinners with friends and family are excellent opportunities to show off the culinary goddess in you. But wowing your guests doesn't have to end with what comes on the plates. A festive decoration of the party table, the home interior, garden, front door... all add up to a joyful ambiance. Therefore anyone hosting a party better has some decoration tricks ready up their sleeve. Nowadays, a nice table setting goes well beyond that one showy silver candlestick or that pompous white floral centerpiece. Florist Gudrun Cottenier shows how it's done, with style and ease. Her tips will guide you to the floral tablescapes of your dreams — without too much effort, costs or sleepless nights. Gudrun Cottenier favours materials that won't cost you an arm and a leg, but can simply be gathered in the garden or in nature. Unpretentious materials that can be transformed into a unique eye catcher without too much hassle. A minimum of effort, but with a maximum effect. This book presents a variety of tables, in a multitude of styles and colors. From minimalist and natural Scandinavian to casual and romantic. Stylish white or bold and colorful. Smaller matching accents and complementing arrangements around the house make for a picture perfect whole.

As synthetic materials and mutant and hybrid concoctions attain prominence in our daily lives in our handheld devices, cooking utensils, vehicles, even things as simple as our shopping bags the design and construction industries have instead re-embraced the familiar, the conventional wood, which has regained prominence through innovations in engineering and construction methodologies. Technology is now commonly used and often (though not always) affordably used to cut, perforate, assemble, erect, and even fabricate materials in a manner not previously possible. Wood is one such material, and Timber in the City documents both the imaginings of those in the nascence of their education and practice and the executed work of design professionals at the leading edge of architecture. These designers, regardless of the duration of their immersion in the field, have imaginatively rethought the means by which we build and the methods by which we define space merely through differing deployments of a familiar building material.

A compact, portable drawing resource book of over 200 highly illustrated pages of sketching and drawing techniques, the book is crafted to be a companion tool which is tucked in your travel gear and referred to regularly. The book is durable with helpful color-coded pages to cross reference with demonstrated drawing tools. The book is organized into three Drawing Chapters: First, Tools +Techniques, from black and white to color drawings: Second, Methods, where perspective drawing rules are established, followed by Learning from The Masters to learn color theory and composition, then drawing Cityscapes + Landscapes, Aerial Perspectives, with demonstrations of Quick Draw and Slow Draw techniques: Third, Drawing as a Way of Thinking, where Analytical Sketching, Sequential Serial View drawings and Developing Design Proposals Using the Story Board Method are illustrated.

Le Corbusier (1887-1965) — visionary architect, urban planner and theorist of modernity, and also an accomplished painter and sculptor — made a profound impression on the 20th century in dramatically changing architectural design and the way people lived in it. This new book, coinciding with a major retrospective at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, shows the output of this major figure in modernity through the idea of human proportions, the human body being essential as a universal principle defining all aspects of architecture and spatial composition. Le Corbusier: The Measures of Man offers a fresh journey through his work. While the modernist Le Corbusier who created Purist architecture is often pitted against the post-war Le Corbusier, exponent of a concrete Brutalism and more organic forms, the book demonstrates how his entire approach in fact was perfectly seamless. The essays are arranged in five chapters: The Constants of Eurythmia, The Housed Body, The Dimensions of Anthropometry, The Inexpressible Space, and The Universal Man. They are complemented by five visual sections featuring a wealth of illustrations, showing the entire range of Le Corbusier's unceasing creativity, and include much previously unpublished or little-known material.

Born into a family of tradespeople in a small city in France, Henri Rousseau became a customs and excise officer in the customs house in Paris in 1871, a job that earned him the nickname the customs officer. Rousseau was an enthusiastic self-taught artist. Nourished by themes in the popular imagination, Rousseau's painting expresses a vision of reality, populated by iconic figures outlined with hieratic force against flat blocks of saturated colour and fantastic spaces — a vision long branded as naive, ingenuous and uncultivated. This book demonstrates how fully Rousseau il Douanier's masterpieces are part of this archaic trend, and of the world of art in general, from his dream-like exotic landscapes to his still-lifes. They are shown alongside works signed by the likes of Picasso, Gaugain, Frida Kahlo, and Carlo Carra.

An aura of mystery has surrounded Tamara de Lempicka since she was born, not in Warsaw in 1902, as she claimed, but according to official records in 1898 in Moscow. The beautiful and scandalous Tamara was the extravagant muse of Art Deco, an icon of the roaring twenties, and a successful painter of intensely sensual portraits that were powerfully sculptural with Cubist lines, embellished with sophisticated decorative elements. Cool colours, cramped spaces and stark contrasts between light and shade surround the unforgettable faces of rich, elegant, emancipated, and theatrical women fixed in their existential melancholy. The catalogue includes a careful selection of unforgettable paintings and valuable historic photographs offering us a fascinating thematic reconstruction of the personal and professional aspects of Tamara's life, including the places she lived, her involvement in the sophisticated fashion world of the period, and her studies of the nude, as well as her still-lifes and portraits.

Young. Low-cost. Witty. Sexy. And again, according to the historic definition given by the British artist Richard Hamilton, massproduced and a prolific source of business: Pop Art, with its emblematic entertwining of glamour and commodification, represents one of the most valuable expressions of the ebullient postwar America. A fluorescent, mechanical, voyeuristic form of art, which Andy Warhol, a symbol of the unrestrained American dream himself, incarnates as its leading, magnetic figure. From the obsessive reproductions of glazed Hollywood stars to the chicken soup cans, from the skulls turned into lilac and mint green icons to the floral stereotypes, up to the late reinterpretations of Renaissance frescoes, the exhibition and accompanying catalogue gather more than 160 surprising works, coming from the rich Brant Foundation, Connecticut. Warhol retraces the sparkling career of a master of contemporary art: as venerated as his Marilyn, as controversial as his Mao, and as universally famous as Coca-Cola. Published to accompany an exhibition at Palazzo Cipolla, Rome, from the 18th of April to the 28th of September 2014.

This first book by famous textile artist Mister Finch is a gorgeous collection of the artist's fantastical, one-of-a-kind creatures. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, as well as British folklore, Finch mingles fairytales and reality to create a magical world all his own. Peek inside Finch's Yorkshire studio, a place brimming with buttons and scraps of fabric, where spindly-legged spiders keep watch over mischievous hares and carpet-winged moths perch majestically atop bookshelves. Finch's critters have been called wonderfully peculiar and completely charming, a joy for the eye and the soul. Many of these pieces were born of treasures lost and forgotten: velvet curtains from an old hotel, a threadbare wedding dress and a vintage apron become birds and beasts, looking for new owners and adventures. The pages of this book are strewn with creatures who prove that anything is possible in the fairytale world of Mister Finch.

Terry O'Neill is one of the world's most celebrated and collected photographers. No one has captured the frontline of fame so broadly — and for so long. Terry O'Neill's Rock 'n' Roll Album contains some of the most famous and powerful music photographs of all time. At the same time the book includes many intimate personal photos taken behind the scenes and at private functions. Terry O'Neill photographed the giants of the music world — both on and off stage. For more than fifty years he captured those on the frontline of fame in public and in private. David Bowie, Elton John, Led Zepplin, Amy Winehouse, Dean Martin, The Who, Janis Joplin, AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Sammy Davis Jnr., The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry and The Beatles — to name only a few. O' Neill spent more than 30 years photographing Frank Sinatra as his personal photographer with unprecedented access to the star. He took some of the earliest known photographs of The Beatles and then forged a lifetime relationship with members of the band that allowed him to photograph their weddings and other private moments. It is this contrast between public and private that makes Terry O'Neill's Rock 'n' Roll Album such a powerful document. Without a doubt, Terry O'Neill's work comprises a vital chronicle of rock 'n' roll history. To any fan of music or photography this book will be a must buy.

The artworks in this book show the history of the car from its creation up until the start of the 1970s. The posters have been chosen for their importance, rarity, beauty and innovation, as well as for what they represent in terms of significant historical, technical and artistic stages of the motor car. They showcase the work of the designers and illustrators who constantly strove to come up with new ideas and styles to match the technological progress of famous names such as Peugeot, Mercedes Daimler, Renault, Citroen, Bugatti, Buick, Fiat, Rolls Royce and Chrysler, as well as others that are less well-known nowadays. As the cars developed, so the daredevil drivers and entrepreneurs found increasingly daring exploits with which to show off their prowess and endurance. Emmanuel Lopez charts the history of car racing from early competitions such as the Paris-Rouen in 1894, which saw steam-driven carriages going head-to-head with petrol engines over a 126 km course, through the start of international races and on to the Grand Prix, the rise of circuits such as the Nurburgring and the legendary Le Mans 24-hour Race. Not to be forgotten are the innovations that enabled cars to become better and better: Michelin's pneumatic tyres, Gentilhomme's car horns, brakes by Boyriven and Triplex windscreens. Alongside these, developments in petrol and engine oil were equally important in making the motor car both a must-have for travel and an enthralling spectacle when racing. It was not just the cars that changed during this time; the illustrative styles did too. The work of artists such as Berhard, de Valerio, Cappiello, Cassandre, Cheret, Ernst, Falucci, Gaudy, Grun, Hohlwein, McKnight Kauffer, Pal, Privat-Livemont and Rochegrosse shows the important variety of styles used by illustrators in this era and brings the wonderful cars and races to life in vivid colour.

Reports of its death were exaggerated but persistent in the art world; in mid-twentieth century America, everyone seemed to agree that portraiture was finished as a progressive art form. A groundbreaking reassessment of the reinvention of portraiture in America between 1945 and 1975 — the period when the abstract expressionists reached international prominence — this new volume presents fifty-five innovative portrait paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures. It features works by Joan Brown, Alice Neel, Elaine de Kooning, Larry Rivers, Marisol Escobar, Alex Katz, Romare Bearden, Fairfield Porter, Jamie Wyeth, and Andy Warhol, amongst others. Features a poem by leading New York School poet John Ashberry specially commissioned for this book.

Hollywood Cats showcases an incredible selection of photographs, taken during the golden age of Hollywood, of stars with their cats, celebrating and documenting this special relationship. Both Carole Lombard and Greer Garson manage to look even more sultry draped alongside their feline friends; photographs of madcap duo Laurel and Hardy playing with a kitten are both comical and endearing. Perhaps the most famous and arguably the most important of all Hollywood cats is the MGM lion, Leo, who appeared (and still appears) on every MGM movie.

This lavishly illustrated book presents 100 significant drawings from the 15th to the 21st-century, including new discoveries and works by both celebrated masters and others who deserve to be better known.

El Greco of Toledo is the catalogue that will accompany the exhibition to be shown at the Museo de Santa Cruz in Toledo, Spain from March to June 2014, to mark the 400th anniversary of El Greco's death. In addition to the works in the exhibition, this catalogue also includes a comprehensive selection of masterpieces by the artist that will allow for greater knowledge and understanding of his oeuvre. With essays by Fernando Marias, Nicos Hadjinicolau, Richard L. Kagan and Joaquin Berchez, this book will become the key reference on the artist.

Architecton: Architecture: As Ecology of Culture is an inspiring collection of work from this firm, founded in 2001 by Dr. Alexander Zusik, now one of Moscow's leading design firms for both residential and commercial developments. With a focus on urban planning projects, Architecton delivers innovative design on a global level. With over 30 projects from around Europe, South America and Southeast Asia, this monograph highlights the design direction and global cultural context that help illustrate Dr. Zusik's vision: a firm that focuses on environmental and social responsibility while still maintaining a connection to the traditional. Featuring a combination of completed and proposed projects, this collection provides a fascinating insight into a leading Russian architectural firm.

Simon Drew would like to be considered a very wise man. His evidence is that wise men drink wine and nobody could be more dedicated to prolonging this state of (dis)graceful wisdom than Simon. He is certain that wine is an excellent aid to inspiration for his word plays, puzzles and drawings. For Simon, less is never more. More is always more. Less is always less. This is more or less true. Such wisdom comes to him after several glasses of wine. Simon has produced this book with due reverence to all viticulturists, vintners, publicans, restaurateurs, bon viveurs and to the god Bacchus and hopes to demonstrate that the way of the wise man is the path through the vineyard. He is fond of quoting a saying oft repeated by his grand-mother (a reformed Methodist and born-again drinker): I have no pain now, mother dear, but oh I am so dry! Connect me to the vintner s tap and leave me here to die (or words to that effect). So enjoy the book. Simon suggests you open a bottle of St Emilion, put your feet up, abandon all hope of good sense and read in a disorderly manner.

Type Object is an intriguing collection of letters, but not as we know them; this collection takes letters into the third dimension using three dimensional design to re-define and re-interpret the meaning of letters that create words. These are interactive letters that crave your attention and challenge your perception, letters not just as a tool but as characters in their own right; letters that are tactile, bold, letters to hold, to think about, letters that want to come out and play! Words are the vehicle here for the letters that visually convey their meaning; for example a garden of letters growing out of the soil, entwined with ivy used to spell the word, 'earth' or a beautifully constructed ball of letters surrounded by butterflies and the word is naphthalene, the main ingredient of mothballs. Thought-provoking and exciting,letters to inspire discussion and create an emotional response; no longer the passive characters on the keyboard but personalities in their own right.