This is an exceptional selection of Lichtenstein's sculptures from 1968 to the end of the artists life, from early ceramic sculptures to large-scale public works. The planned exhibition at the Fondazione Vedova in Venice (Biennale Arte 2013) will encompass Roy Lichtenstein's sculptural production throughout his career, from the early 1960s through to the late 1990s, presenting his influential sculptural oeuvre in ceramic, bronze, wood, porcelain, steel and aluminium, as well as drawings, collages, and maquettes that describe the artists working processes. The catalogue, a major chronology of Lichtenstein's sculptures, not only documents is production practice from sketches and drawings to collages, maquettes, metal sculptures and large-scale interventions in urban contexts, but approaches Lichtenstein's work from the perspective of fabrication methods and industrial techniques.

Bruno Taut (1880-1938) is generally considered the leading housing estate architect of the modern era. Utilizing the latest architectural techniques and concentrating on the needs of the people who were to inhabit his buildings, he made a lasting impression on the housing construction of his time which is not simply reflected by the 10,000 flats built by him. This revised and extended edition presents the extensive catalogue of Bruno Tauts works. Each project is portrayed by means of texts, plans as well as historic and contemporary photos. Proven experts lead the reader through the creative work and life of Bruno Taut in several introductory essays that show him not only as a city planner, designer and social reformer but above all as an artist who therefore truly deserves to be honored as the master of colourful architecture in Berlin.

So many creative businesses are run online these days. Whether it is used as an online shop, a marketing tool, or a portfolio, a good website is an essential tool for artists, photographers, designers, and makers from all creative backgrounds and disciplines. This community of people, in particular, needs the design and function of their sites to reflect their individuality and style. The Creative Person's Website Builder is the perfect one-stop shop for all their needs. Using WordPress, it takes them quickly and effectively through the process of setting up the website, giving them plenty of tips and hints to improve their style choices and to create the look they are aiming for. It also showcases a variety of approaches to creative websites, covering everything from the online shop to portfolio sites. And, to give the reader the best chance at getting good ratings, it gives them a guide to the latest in search-engine optimisation and social media techniques.

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609-64) was perhaps the most innovative and technically brilliant Italian draftsman of his time. Working in oils on paper he produced large, vibrant compositions as works of art in their own right; his dramatic etchings were as intense as those of Rembrandt; and he combined drawing and printmaking to invent the technique of the monotype. Though highly esteemed for a century after his death, he has fallen from fame in the modern era. In this book, the first publication on Castiglione in decades, extensive new research reveals the story of the artists scandalous private life, in fascinating contrast to the ethereal beauty of his art. Illustrated with over 80 of Castigliones extraordinary works from the Royal Collection, this catalogue restores his reputation as one of the great artists of the Baroque.

Comprehensive and sophisticated in its approach, Metalsmithing for Jewelry Makers is the ultimate reference for jewelry makers of all levels. Exploring a wide range of both precious and non precious metals, traditional methods are examined alongside contemporary styles and adaptations to offer a unique and inspirational insight into the art and craft of jewelry making for todays artisan. Freshly commissioned, full-colour photographs accompany detailed step-by-step tutorials, while comprehensive sidebars detail the relevant considerations for applying each technique to a variety of different metals, with cross-references where applicable. The book is peppered throughout with profiles of contemporary practitioners, providing readers with an understanding of a wide range of different working methods, materials and developing techniques. It also features a variety of inspirational galleries that showcase eye-catching examples of contemporary work, highlighting the stunning effects that can be achieved with each technique.

Ranging from Kentchurch Court, a former fortified medieval manor house that has been the seat of the Scudamore family for nearly 1,000 years, to a delightful Strawberry Hill-style Gothic house in rural Cornwall to a ducal palace (Badminton) to car-crazed Goodwood House, this beautifully illustrated book showcases ten outstanding British country houses all still in the hands of descendents of the original owners. James Peill recounts the ups and downs of such deep-rooted clans as the Cracrofts, landowners in Lincolnshire since the twelfth century, whose late 18th-century Hackthorn Hall is a perfect example of the kind of house Jane Austen describes in her novels (indeed, she appears on their family tree), as well as the relatively newly arrived Biddulphs, who constructed Rodmarton, an Arts & Crafts masterpiece, in the first decades of the last century. James Fennell has once again provided superb photographs of a wealth of gardens, charming interiors, bygone sporting trophies, fine art collections and fanciful family memorabilia, making The English Country House a delicious treat for Anglophiles and lovers of old houses.

Gordon Parks (1912-2006) was a pioneering figure in 20th-century photography. As well as being the first African-American photographer to join the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and to become a staff photographer for Life magazine, he was also a writer, film director and composer. Although best known for documenting issues such as poverty, race relations and civil rights, he was remarkably versatile, turning his gift for visual narrative to subjects as diverse as news coverage, fashion, art and sport. He also captured prominent figures of his era, from Malcolm X to Marilyn Monroe, in a series of memorable portraits. Working in the US and around the world, he was driven by a commitment to social justice: The common search for a better life and a better world is deeper than colour or blood.

After the success of Architectural Visions, with its focus on German speaking countries, this follow-up volume is devoted to the individual handwriting of architects and designers from around the world. As computer aided design becomes ever more prevalent, the handmade drawing is going through a Renaissance. In its characteristic touch it often shows much more clearly which aesthetic impression the planned building finally leaves behind than any number of computer aided visualisation techniques. What is striking here is the concentration on the main characteristics of the buildings, which in turn mark the appearance. In contrast, in the rendering, the love of detail and alleged approximation of reality often overshadows those characteristics. This volume unifies the most varied painting and drawing techniques, counterposing realized drafts to photos of the execution, so that the viewers can recreate for themselves the connection between architectural will and effect.

The delicate beauty of the cashmere shawl was first brought to Europe by the East India Companies and Napoleon's campaigns. Woven in Kashmir, its fabric was so light that, according to legend, a whole shawl could be passed through a finger ring. Exquisite and expensive, by the nineteenth century these shawls were highly sought-after in France; enterprising French manufacturers soon saw that there was a market for more accessibly priced versions and started to create their own. Here is the story of French cashmere shawls of the nineteenth century. At first, the shawl-makers strove to imitate the traditional hand-made designs using modern techniques of mass production, but then they began to explore and innovate. As weaving technology evolved, motifs grew increasingly complex, expanding from the decorative borders and extending across the whole surface of the shawl and filling it with jewel-like colors.

In 1779 the family of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first prime minister, sold his remarkable art collection to Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia. More than two centuries later, these masterpieces, rarely seen outside Russia since that time, are returning to Houghton Hall, the great house built by Walpole. This handsome book illustrates these superlative works hanging once again in William Kent's magnificent interiors. Thierry Morel uncovers the wonders of Walpole's collection, which includes paintings by Van Dyck, Poussin, Rubens and Rembrandt, and traces its journey to the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, to which most of the works now belong. Other essays explore Walpole's artistic tastes and collecting habits, and his beautiful house, one of the finest Palladian buildings in England.

The prestigious new volume by Skira devoted to international contemporary photography is focused on some of the greatest American masters of the twentieth-century. This will be the first of two books (with the second coming in 2014) that seek to illustrate the outstanding quality and variety of the works which have marked American photography from the mid-twentieth-century to the present day. This first volume presents a detailed and annotated selection of works executed between the 1940s and 1970s by twenty photographers of undisputed importance — from Edward Weston and Robert Adams to Minor White and Garry Winogrand, from Lee Friedlander down to Stephen Shore — whose pursuits represent benchmarks in the history of contemporary photography. As in the case of other titles in the series, the reproductions of all the works are accompanied by a critical apparatus with texts discussing the area, artists, and research explored.

Sparkling, glittering, and gleaming, emeralds are gemstones twenty times rarer than diamonds. In the first section of Emerald, we see pieces worn by celebrities ranging from Elizabeth Taylor and Angelina Jolie to royals such as Princess Diana, all alongside classic images of emeralds from art, advertising, and fashion. The second part of this major volume showcases more than thirty of the world's most significant and famous pieces of emerald jewelry, including many previously unseen designs from private and royal collections. Historic creations that are almost 5,500 years old are represented alongside modern jewelry houses, including Cartier, Boucheron, Bulgari, Harry Winston, and more. The third and final part tells the story of the emerald trade from mine to market, illustrated with specially commissioned photography from across four continents.

Never Built Los Angeles explores the what if Los Angeles, investigating the values and untapped potential of a city still in search of itself. A treasure trove of buildings, master plans, parks, follies and mass-transit proposals that only saw the drawing board, the book asks: why is Los Angeles a mecca for great architects, yet so lacking in urban innovation? Featured are more than 100 visionary works that could have transformed both the physical reality and the collective perception of the metropolis, from Olmsted Brothers and Bartholomew's groundbreaking 1930 Plan for the Los Angeles Region, which would have increased the amount of green space in the notoriously park-poor city fivefold; to John Lautner's Alto Capistrano, a series of spaceship-like apartments hovering above a mixed-use development; to Jean Nouvel's 2008 Green Blade, a condominium tower clad entirely in cascading plants. Through text and more than 400 color and black-and-white illustrations drawn from archives around the U.S., authors Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin explore the visceral (and sometimes misleading) power of architectural ideas conveyed through sketches, renderings, blueprints, models and the now waning art of hand drawing. Many of these schemes — promoting a denser, more vibrant city — are still relevant today and could inspire future designs. Never Built Los Angeles will set the stage for a renewed interest in visionary projects in this, one of the world's great cities.

This superbly illustrated book provides a fascinating insight into the costumes and fabrics of the Tudor and Stuart age. Detailing both the leading fashions of the day and the appeal to painters of timeless classical dress, this book considers both those who led taste and the influence of international fashions of the period. Drawing not only on portraits, but also on contemporary accounts, literary references and examples of garments — which are considered both in terms of their visual qualities and their technical construction — this publication provides a new and valuable examination of Tudor and Stuart costume and the ways in which artists have represented fabrics in paint.

Fresh from Bunka, the Japanese publisher of Pattern Magic and Drape Drape, comes this stylish book for home sewers. With instructions showing how to make 23 different garments and simple step by step diagrams, this book includes 2 actual size patterns. The step by step instructions are clear and straight forward and there are photographs of all the garments. It's a must for all those who want to make their own versions of cool Japanese designs.

The chalet of today is a far cry from the original herds — mans hut. Its triumphant ascent to elegant mountain mansion, frequently used as a holiday getaway by the societal elite, began in the 19th century. Its allure today is unbroken. As a place of relaxation and retreat from the day-to-day, chalets are being built in mountainous regions around the world. The chalet derives its charm from the combination of the architectural and the surrounding nature. Instead of simply fitting into the landscape by necessity, the dwellings draw it in. In this way a unique formal language emerges. This volume displays the charm of nature, while winning over the viewer with contemporary designs, which range from the classical wooden house with flat gabled roof, to the high-tech mountain hut.

How old is the oldest chat-up line between men? Who was the first lesbian? Were ancient Greek men who had sex together necessarily gay? And what did Shakespeare think about cross-dressing? A Little Gay History takes objects ranging from Ancient Egyptian papyri and the erotic scenes on the Roman Warren Cup to images by modern artists including David Hockney and Bhupen Khakhar to consider questions such as these. Explored are the issues behind forty artefacts from ancient times to the present, and from cultures across the world, to ask a question that concerns us all: how easily can we recognize love in history?

This is the most complete and beautiful study of the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, near Nice in the South of France, considered one of the most important religious structures of the modern age and regarded by Henri Matisse himself as his great masterpiece. Matisse dedicated four years to the creation of this chapel, and the result is one of the most remarkable ensemble pieces of 20th-century art. Every element of the chapel bears the artist's touch, from the vivid Mediterranean hues of the stained-glass windows to the starkly powerful murals; even the vestments and altar were designed by Matisse. Using superb new photography that demonstrates the dramatic effect of changing light throughout the day, this book is the first to present the experience of being in this sacred space exactly as Matisse envisaged it. Marie-Therese Pulvenis de Seligny's authoritative text explores the extraordinary story of the chapel's creation and the challenges faced by the 77-year-old artist in realizing his great vision.

Here is a beautifully photographed collection of real homes that stand as a reflection of their owners personalities and an expression of their interests rather than a homage to current trends. The homes featured are from all around the world, whether in Europe, America, Asia or Africa, and will inspire readers to create their own unique style. From a modern house near Cape Town to an innovative Indonesian home-office, an 1830s barn purchased in New Jersey and then transported in pieces to Martha's Vineyard, or the home of a Norwegian collector of African artifacts in Ibiza, the homes vary enormously in location, size and style. There are ten chapters, taking you through each area of the home. This book has a refreshingly original approach and will appeal to everyone who is seeking inspiration for their own spaces.

From the 1860s through to the early 20th century the rise of Japonisme and the Art Nouveau movement meant that few could ignore or resist the obsession with all things Japanese. Superbly crafted and often highly decorated Japanese objects lacquer, metalwork, ceramics, enamels and other decorative items excited, stimulated and inspired Western artists and craftsmen to produce their own works. Arts of the Meiji period (1868-1912) were displayed at international exhibitions, galleries of influential dealers and at fashionable stores in London, Paris and Vienna. This book includes many examples of the superlatively designed and executed decorative arts of the Meiji periods from the Khalili Collection, the greatest collection of Meiji period art in the world. Artists such as Van Gogh, Whistler, Monet, Manet, Klimt and Schiele were all, to varying degrees, influenced by the arts of Japan. Van Gogh said that he owed his inspiration to Japanese art, but even he was probably not aware of just how much art in Europe had already been greatly influenced by that of Japan.