In this book one can find many artworks created by Picasso between 1881 and 1914. The first style of the artist was influenced by the works of El Greco, Munch and Toulouse-Lautrec, artists that he discovered when he was a student in Barcelona. Picasso, fascinated by the psychological expression during his Blue period (1901-1904), expresses his own mental misery: his genre paintings, still-lifes and portraits were full of melancholy. Later, Picasso began to paint acrobats during his Circus period. After his voyage to Paris, in 1904, his aestheticism evolved considerably. Cezanne’s influence and Spanish culture led him to Cubism, which is characterised by the multiple points of view over the surface of the painting. Apart from a selection of Picasso’s first paintings, this book presents several drawings, sculptures and photographs.

Ancient Rome tracks the progress from the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus in 753 BCE, to the heights of the Roman Empire around 117 CE, and on to the death of Theodosius (the last man to rule over a unified Roman Empire) in 395 CE.

Featuring over 1,500 engravings that originally graced the pages of Webster's dictionaries in the 19th century, this chunky volume is an irresistible treasure trove for art lovers, designers, and anyone with an interest in visual history. Meticulously cleaned and restored by fine-press bookmaker Johnny Carrera, the engravings in Pictorial Webster's have been compiled into an alluring and unusual visual reference guide for the modern day. Images range from the entirely mysterious to the classically iconic. From Acorns to Zebras, Bell Jars to Velocipedes, these alphabetically arranged archetypes and curiosities create enigmatic juxtapositions and illustrate the items deemed important to the Victorian mind. Sure to inspire and delight, Pictorial Webster's is at once a fascinatinghistorical record and a stunning jewel of a book.

In every form of artistic expression there is passion, and a need to tell a story, convey an idea, or project an ideal. To be in a position to express these concepts and have the tools and foresight to communicate parallel to, or beyond one's vision, is the goal of every artist. It is in the drive of the artist where the vision receives a soul, and in the manipulation of materials where it acquires a body. Society is often measured by the level of sophistication captured in its artistic expression, and can serve as the scale from which its path is plotted. This quest to keep moving forward, not content to rest too long in the imagery and visions of those before, is what keeps the wheels of innovation and collective development spinning. It is a course that while fanning and extending outward like the branches of an immense tree always has roots referring back to its origin. The visions of worlds, tools, spaces, and methods of conveyance not yet known, are all part of the internal dialogue of the concept artist. It is this ability to step outside of one's present condition and provide a voice to the hypothetical future that places them in a distinct position; one where their understanding of technology, expression of art and method of communication result in the objects and environments that provide influence on modern societies' daily experience. In the end, art’s role is not to be amusing either for the artist or the audience…it’s to interpret life, in the past, the present — and the future.

All but closed to outside visitors and influence, its public posture guarded and combative, we see almost nothing from inside North Korea. Award-winning photographer Mark Edward Harris has had rare access to this reclusive country, traveling within its borders as well as documenting life along its northern border with China and the highly militarized DMZ dividing North and South Korea. His images are amazing: the monumental architecture and empty streets of the capital; tightly controlled zones of economic and tourist trade with South Korea; mass games featuring 100,000 choreographed participants. Short essays, extended captions, and a foreword by North Korea expert Bruce Cumings further illuminate a country increasingly at the center of international politics.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) believed that drawing was “the root of everything.” A self-taught artist, he succeeded, between 1881 and 1890, in developing an inimitable graphic style. This book traces the artist’s successive triumphs as a draftsman, first in the Netherlands and later in France, highlighting the diversity of his technical invention and the striking continuity of his vision. Given the pivotal role drawings played in Van Gogh’s artistic conception and the rich dialectic they enjoyed with his oil paintings, a small selection of related canvases by the artist is also featured. This beautiful book presents approximately 120 works in charcoal, ink, graphite, watercolor, and diluted oils. The authors explore enduring questions that surround Van Gogh’s drawings, including their manufacture, artistic precedents, and contribution to Modernism. In addition, the text discusses the significance of the artist’s drawing practice to his development as a painter. The essays and entries feature the most current research on Van Gogh’s drawings and provide fresh interpretations of the motivating influences that shaped the artist’s contributions to the history of drawing.