House for All Regions: CRAN Residential Collection is the first in a series on international residential architecture produced by IMAGES Publishing in partnership with the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The projects are divided into four climate zones: Arid & Semi-arid, Temperate, Arctic and Sub-tropical & Tropical, and each illustrates how architects adapt their designs to accommodate the challenges posed by the local topography and variations in climate. Containing cutting-edge residential designs by leading architects from across the world, including North America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe, and featuring rarely seen images, this collection underlines the sensitivity of today's architects to the natural environment, as well as the care and attention paid to interior design and everyday living.

The idea for this book was born in the course of a visit through the Louvre, when Catherine Belanger ventured to call the Louvre the biggest brothel in the world. Jointly with author Jean Galard and photographer Lois Lammerhuber, she selected key paintings spanning five centuries to illustrate the fascinating art of depicting nudity and the artists' struggle for acceptance of the nude in art and society. Lois Lammerhuber detaches the nudity, sensuality and sexuality of the paintings from the context of their artistic intention, conceiving them as material in a fictional photography studio and recreating them in his photographs. He resorts to these models to translate them into the language of fashion, nude and advertising photography, reading their body language and interaction in a way reminiscent of artists like Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Horst P. Horst or Herb Ritts — sensual and unexpected. Text in English & French.

The idea for this book was born in the course of a stroll through the Louvre, when Catherine Belanger ventured to call the Louvre the biggest brothel in the world. Key works illustrate the artistic approach and the representation of the nude in the Western world from the 7th century BC to 1897. Lois Lammerhuber detaches the nudity, sensuality and sexuality of the sculptures from the context of their artistic intention, conceiving them as material in a fictional photography studio and recreating them in his photographs. He resorts to these models to translate them into the language of fashion, nude and advertising photography — sensual and unexpected. The images are accompanied by Jean Galard's reflections on this approach from an art-historical and philosophical angle. In its design the book is reminiscent of bronze and refers to the haptic character of sculpture. Text in English & French.

The exhibition is divided into different parts, the first (Section I: The Legacy of the Fathers) exploring the rediscovery of ancient art in the 13th and 14th centuries by the likes of Nicola Pisano, Arnolfo and their successors. It then looks into the assimilation of Gothic style of French origin, including Brunelleschi's renowned sculpture, which is the starting point for the Early Renaissance. The exhibition follows development and influences from monumental sculptures by the likes of Donatello, Ghiberti, Nanni di Banco and Michelozzo, painting by artists such as Masaccio, Paolo Uccello, Andrea del Castagno and Filippo Lippi, and the impact on the political and spiritual mood of the city. Other elements include the development of perspective in bas-relief work, a taste for 'new beauty' and new commissions in places of worship, and the transition to the private patronage of the powerful Medici family. This beautiful exhibition catalogue encompasses the exhibition through over 200 images.

Velib is a contraction of velo (bike) and liberte (freedom). It's the perfect way to discover the city! Paris now has a fabulous network of bike paths and this book gives seven itineraries throughout the city for safe, fun and healthy visiting. It has maps, addresses for shopping and eating, practical information and sites to visit. There is even an interactive feature using QR codes for news and activities on the blog Velib & Me. Since it was launched in 2007 Velib has become one of the most-used means of transport in Paris, with over 120,000 daily trips. It's a fantastic and oh-so-Parisian way to see the city: along the Seine and its monuments, off the beaten track in Batignolles & Montmartre, or along the green track to the authentic Aligre market. Visit the city by bike with confidence and at your own pace thanks to this invaluable guide.

Pompeii: The Art of Living explains and illustrates all peculiarities of Pompeian dwellings, rich middle class houses as well as the poor ones. The book details the dimensions of the rooms, the objects in those rooms, frescos, statues, marbles, vases, gardens, it reveals the secrets of ancient Pompeian everyday life — secrets that will surprise and delight.

The great Isis Temple, Egyptian style in house decoration, an artificial canal reproducing the Nile in a villa — Isis and Egypt were very dear to the Pompeian people. During archaeological digs in Pompeii the remains of a young girl — running from the eruption — were found; in her arms she was clutching her silver statue of Isis. The first archaeological discoveries in Pompeii, during the eighteenth century, were integral in spreading one of the strongest fascinations with all things Egyptian during modern times; the discoveries influenced art, fashion, writers and sculptors across the globe. Pompeii was an unavoidable stop in the Grand Tour and still remains essential for any contemporary traveller especially fond of Egyptian esotericism.

The hallmarks of a classic: legendary off-road capabilities, top-class equipment and an unyielding character. The G-STORIES in this book tell of adventures, stylistic clarity, enduring craftsmanship, rally success, off-road tricks and the strong G-GENES that shape all modern Mercedes-Benz off-road vehicles.

Badain Jaran is a desert, more than 19,000 square miles of endless openness, with innumerable sand dunes up to 1,600 feet tall and mysterious salt-water lakes. It is part of the Alashan desert, south-west to the Gobi in the Inner Mogolia province of China. A place that has been discovered by American scientists on satellite images in the 1980s only that miraculously has been kept hidden to most people since. In 2009-12 Carlos Crespo realised a vast photo essay on the unique, spectacular, and very remote landscape of Badain Jaran. Crespo had to deal with extreme cold in winter and violent sandstorms in spring and autumn in a barely inhabitable environment. Over time he made contact with some of the few Mongolian herdsmen living on the fringes of the desert and won their confidence and sympathy. This allowed him also to make portraits of these people and document their way of living. The new book Badain Jaran is meant to make this extraordinary place a symbol and metaphor for all untouched natural sites, reflecting their importance and the necessity of their protection from being turned into ever more tourist attractions.

Fernando Botero's distinctive exaggerated forms perfectly complement the exaggerated atmosphere of the circus. The esteemed artist uses bright colours and unexpected movement to artfully manifest the poetry of the circus, inviting the viewer to participate in a circus with Botero as the artful ringmaster. In the tradition of great painters also inspired by circus fantasy — Renoir, Picasso, Chagall, and Calder, among others — Botero explores light, colour, style, and space with a poignancy that highlights through the extravagant disproportion of his figures the exceptional beauty of the human body. 'Circus', a collection of more than 130 paintings and 50 works on paper, celebrates this rich history of entertainment and astonishment in this assemblage of images never before published as a complete collection.

Lush, beautiful close-up photography A valuable resource for architects, interior designers, builders and home decorators Featuring a foreword by renowned interior designer David EastonIn The Art of Classical Details, classically trained architect Phillip Dodd takes a close-up look at some of the finest examples of neo-classical architecture in the world today. Covering the fundamentals of classical architecture, such as Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite columns, and featuring the work of skilled contemporary classicists, including Marc Appleton, William Baker, Julian Bicknell, Ken Tate, Michael Imber, and Dick Reid, The Art of Classical Details is the definitive guide to today's world of neoclassical architectural detailing.

Manju netsuke have never been the subject of a book on netsuke. Many books ignore them completely and it is hoped that this catalogue will throw light on the differences between the manju and other better-known types of netsuke. Dr. Barnett was one of a handful of collectors of one particular type of netsuke, the manju. These were not widely appreciated until about ten years ago when interest began to increase and the exquisite workmanship and design of this group of carvers was noticed as an art in its own right and one which presents the artist with a challenge completely different from the more popular katabori netsuke, carved in the round. Dr. Barnett continued to collect until just before her death in 2000, by which time she had acquired some of the finest pieces to be sold over 30 years which will be presented in this book. Manju netsuke have played a small part in the many publications on netsuke, but there has never been a catalogue entirely devoted to the subject. The book aims to provide a description of each object and to explain the tales they illustrate and the sources of these tales, from literature and printed picture books. The range of subjects is wide and includes religious images, scenes from festivals, the theatre, historical incidents, folktales, classical literature and themes from nature. An introduction will include an essay on the history, uses and the collecting of manju in which the techniques of carving will be described and materials will be discussed. Artists biographies, a glossary and bibliography will be included. The catalogue will accompany an exhibition of many of the pieces in this collection alongside woodblock prints from the Ashmolean Museum's collection which illustrate the same legends and subjects. This will take place in the Eastern Art Paintings Gallery.

The fresco The School of Athens in the Vatican stages a scene with 58 characters, among whom, grouped around the central figures, Plato and Aristole, the ancient world's most famous thinkers can be identfied. Raphael masterfully synthesises the history of thought and human wisdom, not only in the space he creates (a virtual 'temple of philosophy', humanistically speaking), but also in time, lending these ancient philosophers the facial features of some of his most talented contemporaries, including himself, naturally. In any case, above and beyond the variety of at times quite subtle theories as to who is who in the fresco, many of which we shall examine here, the most exciting discovery surely when we grasp the astonishing quality of an undisputed masterpiece; a paean to the virtually 'divine' nature of human thought, retrieved from a mythical past, relaunched and turned into concrete action thanks to the new awareness of the Renaissance man.

«What makes The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck one of the best-known and reproduced works of art in the world? Exactly what mystery do we happen upon when we tiptoe into a houses's most private room, the bridal chamber? One by one, we stumble across hidden, unexpected details, meticulously reproduced thanks to the sensational realism of the painter's lens. Within the modest dimensions of an «intimate» scene, the artist manages to condense a microcosm of the universe and a study of daylight, and invites us almost physically into the room. The convex mirror painted on the back wall, a marvellous contrivance that enlarges the space and the figures, turns us into actors instead of spectators, magically transported into that timeless room. Finally, who are the personages portrayed? Are they really the Arnolfini couple?»

This new series examines several highly regarded masterpieces in an attempt to unravel the mysteries that surround them. Through an innovative concept and a fresh approach, Art Mysteries, edited by Carminati and Stefano Zuffi, presents an up to date and spectacular reading of famous paintings, investigating key clues that suggest previously unknown background information. Velazquez's 'Las Meninas', now at the Prado in Madrid, is one of the most famous paintings ever. It was executed in 1656 in Madrid and depicts the Infanta Margaret Theresa of Spain surrounded by ladies-in-waiting (Las Meninas) and in the company of the painter, who portrays himself at work. But is this really the subject of the painting? A journey through the historical events of the painting and a meticulous analysis of all the figures present on the scene will allow the reader to in part resolve the many puzzles that still shroud this supreme masterpiece of the European Baroque.

Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) first achieved major international success with his painting Otra Margarita! (Another Marguerite!) (1892), for which he received first prize at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. This painting was also the first work by the Spanish artist to enter an American institution when it was donated to the Museum of Fine Arts (today the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum) at Washington University in St. Louis in 1894. Sorolla's fame in America grew; in 1909, more than 150,000 visitors attended an exhibition of Sorolla's art at The Hispanic Society of America in New York in 1909. Furthermore, the artist was invited to the White House to paint the portrait of President William Howard Taft. The landmark exhibition of 1909 was followed two years later by another major show of more than 150 of his paintings held at the Art Institute of Chicago and the St. Louis Art Museum. Sorolla and America explores the artist's relationship with early twentieth century America through the lens of those who commissioned him, those who collected his works, and those artists, such as John Singer Sargent and William Merritt Chase, with whom Sorolla closely associated. Particular attention is dedicated to the artist's association with The Hispanic Society of America and with key figures like Archer Milton Huntington and Thomas Fortune Ryan.

Inspired by the story of Christ's first miracle as recounted in the Gospel of St. John, Paolo Veronese's dazzling, monumental painting The Wedding at Cana was comissioned to be hung in the refectory of the Benedictine monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. The artist stages a sumptuous banquet for the wedding guests at Cana, packed with intriguing details: a seemingly endless parade of precious drinking vessels, platters and cake stands containing mouth-watering desserts. Veronese transforms a religious scene into a wordly event, a glamorous ceremony whose participants include not only a colourful bevy of cosmopolitan Venetians of the artist's day, but also a generous sampling of servants, jesters and animals, all of this against the backdrop of magnificent architectural perspectives and luminous skies. Veering from realism to the fantastical, in a virtuoso display of his own vision of art and life, Veronese's masterpiece reserves at least two remarkable surprises, once the true identity of a number of personages is revealed: the bride and groom, and especially the musicians who perform for them.

Witches & Wicked Bodies provides an innovative, rich survey of images of European witchcraft covering from the sixteenth century to the present day. It focuses on the representation of female witches and the enduring stereotypes they embody, ranging from hideous old crones to beautiful young seductresses. Such imagery has ancient precedents and has been repeatedly re-invented by artists over the centuries, to include scenes with corpses and cauldrons, caverns and kitchens, and the dead being raised through demonic or satanic rites — all inversions of an ordered and religious social world. Petherbridge introduces this fascinating subject and includes catalogue entries on each of the exhibited works. The illustrations primarily feature drawings and prints as well as a group of important paintings. A wide range of artists is represented including Durer, Goya, Fuseli, Blake, Burra and Rego.

Informed by John Fiske's extensive experience as a dealer in English oak furniture, 'When Oak Was New' provides an in-depth guided tour of familiar and lesser-known forms for both the novice and experienced collector. 'When Oak Was New' invites readers to look at antique furniture in a new way. In telling the story of English furniture from 1530 to 1700, Fiske blends witty accounts of daily life in Tudor and Stuart England with extensive photographs and close descriptions of the furniture that made those lifestyles convenient and comfortable. He shows that we cannot fully understand the furniture that we know as antique without understanding how its owners used it when it was new, and how a piece of furniture, in turn, captures its historical moment. Over 750 photographs vividly illustrate the boundless creativity of countless anonymous joiners and carvers whose work was central to the development of modern life.

David Bomberg, Dora Carrington, Mark Gertler, Paul Nash, C.R.W. Nevinson and Stanley Spencer — six of the most important and distinctive British artists of the twentieth century — had all been students together at the Slade School of Art in London. They formed part of what their drawing teacher, Henry Tonks, described as the school's last crisis of brilliance. For young British artists working in the years immediately before the Great War it was an exciting and demanding time as various Modernist movements fought for precedence: Primitivism, Futurism, Cubism, Vorticism and Expressionism. Each of the six artists found their own distinctive response. David Boyd Haycock's group biography, A Crisis of Brilliance, was published to much acclaim in 2009. Jenny Uglow wrote in her review in the Guardian, We should call for a joint exhibition of [their] work, to complement the moving portrayal of their lives in this engrossing and enjoyable book. This book marks the fulfillment of that wish. It features Haycock's selection of 70 works, ranging from their early student drawings, watercolours and oil paintings, to the first great mature works that they made during and immediately after the Great War of 1914-18.