Книги по живописи

An eye on the everyday. Bruegel's account of his society and times

At a time when artists were still primarily occupied with religious or mythological subject matter, the great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel (c. 1525-1569) turned his eye on the everyday.

Most of Bruegel’s 45 surviving works, which are all reproduced in this book, record the facts of 16th-century life in rural or small-town communities. In this title in the Basic Art Series, Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen outline the Bruegel’s account of his society and times, and the relevance that account has for us today.

About the Series:

Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art Series features:

• a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
• a concise biography
• approximately 100 colour illustrations with explanatory captions

The authors:
Rose-Marie Hagen was born in Switzerland and studied history, Romance languages and literature in Lausanne. After further studies in Paris and Florence, she lectured at the American University in Washington D.C.

Rainer Hagen was born in Hamburg and graduated in literature and theatre studies in Munich. He later worked for radio and TV, most recently as chief editor of a German public broadcasting service. Together they have produced 15 episodes of the TV series History In Pictures, and collaborated on several TASCHEN titles, including What Great Paintings Say I & II, and Francisco de Goya.

The sense of a scene. Pieter Bruegel's mastery of composition and community

The great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1526/31 - 1569)was an astoundingly inventive painter and draftsman, who made his art historical mark with beautiful, evocative landscapes as well as religious subjects, both notable for their vernacular language and attention to everyday, contemporary life.

Immersing himself in rural or small-town communities, Bruegel is particularly notable for his depiction of peasant experience and folk culture, earning the artist nickname Peasant Bruegel. Whether hunters shivering in the snow or a boisterous country fair, Bruegel raised the farming, festivals, gatherings, and games of peasant culture to the status of high art. Bruegel s imposing religious and moral subjects, meanwhile, such as The Triumph of Death and The Tower of Babel are as awestriking and influential today as they were in the 16th century, inspiring contemporary culture from The Lord of the Rings cinematic battle scenes to Don DeLillo s novel Underworld. 

From the corn harvest to the conversion of Saul, from quaint wedding processions to Christ s road to Calvary, this book brings together the rich range of Bruegel's subjects to introduce his powerful compositions of both biblical and earthly tableaux. 

About the series:

Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features:

- a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
- a concise biography
- approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

The perfect companion for the Bruegel year of 2019: an introduction to the famous painter through stunning large close-up details in a beautiful coffee table book.

Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525–1569), known for his beautiful landscapes and peasant scenes, is among the most popular artists in the history of Netherlandish painting. Reproducing all of Bruegel’s best-known paintings, drawings and prints, this book reveals them as never before, in stunning large close-up details that showcase his mastery. Organized by his major themes – landscapes, daily life, biblical subjects and festive celebrations – it offers astonishing views of popular works of art such as Hunters in the Snow, Peasant Wedding and The Tower of Babel. The printings and drawings section includes his series on Sins and Virtues. Bruegel expert Manfred Sellink reveals how the painter introduced new subject matter into fine art and examines his use of landscape, perhaps the artist’s greatest innovation.

Pieter Bruegel invites us to study and to admire his work down to the tiniest element. He was a trained and experienced miniaturist, draughtsman and print designer: skills that combined with his brilliant painting technique enable us to read every image and every detail. Bruegel created a world of unprecedented visual richness: it is impossible to take in everything at once, as there is so much to see. Even experts who have studied his work for years are continually surprised by new discoveries. Alongside this rich viewing experience, Bruegel always offers layers of visual and intellectual meaning, expressed most clearly in the details. Not to forget the equally characteristic dollop of humour we find in the subtle and ironic way he approaches his fellow human beings and their universal and timeless foibles. Bruegel in Detail homes in on the extraordinary visual, technical and intellectual wealth of this master’s work. Every detail in Bruegel is packed with significance and relevance.
 

A compact, affordable, portable edition of the perfect companion for the Bruegel year of 2019: an introduction to the famous painter through stunning close-up details.

Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525–1569), known for his beautiful landscapes and peasant scenes, is among the most popular artists in the history of Netherlandish painting. Reproducing all of Bruegel’s best-known paintings, drawings and prints, this book reveals them as never before, in stunning large close-up details that showcase his mastery. Organized by his major themes – landscapes, daily life, biblical subjects and festive celebrations – it offers astonishing views of popular works of art such as Hunters in the Snow, Peasant Wedding, and The Tower of Babel. The printings and drawings section includes his series on Sins and Virtues. Bruegel expert Manfred Sellink reveals how the painter introduced new subject matter into fine art and examines his use of landscape, perhaps the artist’s greatest innovation.

__________

Pieter Bruegel invites us to study and to admire his work down to the tiniest element. He was a trained and experienced miniaturist, draughtsman and print designer: skills that combined with his brilliant painting technique enable us to read every image and every detail. Bruegel created a world of unprecedented visual richness: it is impossible to take in everything at once, as there is so much to see. Even experts who have studied his work for years are continually surprised by new discoveries. Alongside this rich viewing experience, Bruegel always offers layers of visual and intellectual meaning, expressed most clearly in the details. Not to forget the equally characteristic dollop of humour we find in the subtle and ironic way he approaches his fellow human beings and their universal and timeless foibles. Bruegel in Detail homes in on the extraordinary visual, technical and intellectual wealth of this master’s work. Every detail in Bruegel is packed with significance and relevance.

A presentation of highlights from the collection of Maida and George Abrams, a private collection of Dutch 17th-century drawings.

The works range from studies by renowned masters - including Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jacob van Ruisdael, Jacques de Gheyn II, Hendrick Goltzius and Hendrick Avercamp - to drawings by lesser-known draftsmen whose contributions are essential to understanding the art of the period. The volume features seven drawings by Rembrandt, a diverse group by his pupils, a comprehensive survey of Dutch landscape drawing, and figure studies and scenes of daily life by genre artists such as Willem Buytewech and Adriaen van Ostade.

The works are explicated in William Robinson's detailed catalogue entries and in two essays: George Abrams reflects on acquisitions for his collection; and Martin Royalton-Kisch examines the Abrams' holdings within the tradition of specialized collections of Dutch drawings in England, France and America.

Bruegel’s Complete Paintings. An in-depth exploration of Bruegel’s painted work

Derived from the XXL monograph which saw TASCHEN undertake a comprehensive photographic survey of the artist’s oeuvre, this compact edition explores Bruegel’s 40 paintings through exceptional details and reproductions. We discover how, using his own pictorial language in scenes teeming with minutiae, Bruegel captured the theater of life.

The life and times of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1526/30–1569) were marked by stark cultural conflict. He witnessed religious wars, the Duke of Alba’s brutal rule as governor of the Netherlands, and the palpable effects of the Inquisition. To this day, the Flemish artist remains shrouded in mystery. We know neither where nor exactly when he was born. But while early scholarship emphasized the vernacular character of his painting and graphic work, modern research has attached greater importance to its humanistic content.

Starting out as a print designer for publisher Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel produced numerous print series that were distributed throughout Europe. These depicted vices and virtues alongside jolly peasant festivals and sweeping landscape panoramas. He then increasingly turned to painting, working for the cultural elite of Antwerp and Brussels. Rather than idealizing reality, he bravely confronted the issues of his day, addressing the horrors of religious warfare and taking a critical stand against the institution of the Church. To this end, Bruegel developed his own pictorial language of dissidence, lacing innocuous everyday scenes with subliminal statements in order to escape repercussions.

This book is derived from our XXL monograph, which saw TASCHEN undertake a comprehensive photographic survey of the artist’s oeuvre. The result boasts exceptional details and reproductions, unveiling Bruegel’s larger-than-life universe with unprecedented clarity. This volume, in celebration of our 40th anniversary, presents all 40 paintings, accompanied by enlarged details and accessible, immersive texts.

The author:

Jürgen Müller holds the chair of Early Modern and Modern Art History at the Technical University of Dresden. He studied art history at the universities of Bochum, Münster, Pisa, Paris and Amsterdam, and has worked as an art critic and curated numerous exhibitions. He is also the editor of TASCHEN’s movies by decade series.

About the series:

TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The 40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program — now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.

Illustrations :  1010 en couleur

L’Histoire naturelle des Oiseaux bénéficia des fabuleuses collections royales dont Buffon disposait et du réseau de scientifiques avec lesquels il correspondait dans le monde entier. Elle marque une étape décisive dans la naissance de la science ornithologique. Si les connaissances ont progressé depuis, elle demeure une référence
incontournable, longtemps sans équivalent par son caractère exhaustif et le fait qu’elle ajoute à la description l’étude du mode de vie des oiseaux. Les Planches enluminées que Buffon commande à François-Nicolas Martinet font intrinsèquement partie de cette entreprise. Elles sont conçues comme une source complémentaire d’informations sur la morphologie et les couleurs – un élément essentiel dans la reconnaissance –, mais aussi comme des œuvres à part entière par leur valeur visuelle.
Cet ensemble était cependant peu accessible : le tirage fut limité car la gravure et surtout la peinture à la main de chaque planche représentaient un énorme travail ; les planches furent mises en vente cahier après cahier pendant plusieurs années, indépendamment du texte, puis dispersée, avant de se perdre dans l’iconographie pléthorique auxquelles donnèrent lieu les nombreuses éditions de l’Histoire naturelle de Buffon.
Le lecteur découvre ou retrouve, ici, ce style inégalable propre l’auteur – loin du jargon scientifique–, plein de vivacité et d’échappées poétiques, qui marqua, bien au-delà de son époque, des générations d’écrivains (Rousseau, Chateaubriand, Balzac, Proust…).

Introduced to painting and perspective by his father, a theatre decorator, the Venetian Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto (1697-1768), is best known for his vedute. Whilst the amateurs of his time brought back their landscape paintings as evidence of their travels in Italy, Canaletto became the incarnation of La Serenissima of the baroque period.

A forerunner in his method of spacing out the different planes of his works, he embellished his pictures with details in order to better highlight the distances, and used a camera obscura in the composition of his paintings. With the precision of the lines and the tonality of the palette, Canaletto’s paintings are still, defined by his own hand, the most beautiful panoramas in the history of art.

In course of this inspired, richly-illustrated text, Octave Uzanne revives the reader’s passion for this striking Venetian painter of the seventeenth century.

177 ills., 103 in color

A luxurious volume on the brillant painter's unconventional visual inventions and his life as an outsider among artists of the Baroque period.

Notorious bad boy of Italian Baroque painting, Caravaggio (1571-1610) is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Though his name may be familiar to all of us, his work has been habitually detested and forced into obscurity. Not only was his theatrical realism unfashionable in his time, but his sacrilegious subject matter and use of lower class models were violently scorned.

Caravaggio's great work had the misfortune of enduring centuries of disrepute. It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that he was rediscovered and, quite posthumously, deemed a great master. He is now considered the most important painter of the early Baroque period; without him there would have been no Ribera, Zurburán, Velázquez, Vermeer or Georges de la Tour. Franz Hals, Rembrandt, Delacroix, and Manet would have been different.

In this new book you'll find over 50 of Caravaggio's best paintings; we think you'll agree that he was a genius beyond his time.

About the Series:
Every book in TASCHEN's Basic Art Series features:

* a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist
* approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions
* a concise biography

120 illustrations

It took a mid-twentieth century art show in Milan to rediscover this Italian artist, emblematic of the Baroque period, who lived during the second half of the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries.
Michelangelo Merisi was born to a family of modest means in 1571 near Milan. At the age of thirteen, he became an apprentice of the painter Simone Peterzano, who taught him artistic techniques and the use of colours. But he was atracted by Rome, with its fast pace of life and its loose morals. In 1597, he became the protégé to a noble cardinal who assisted him in securing important orders, such as The Martyrdom of St. Matthew, but he turned many of the offers down because of the vulgarity of the subject. Rejecting mannerism in favour of realism, this artist of the Counter- Reformation restored to the saints their humanity. Paradoxically, this mystical painter gives the saints a sensuality which goes beyond veneration and opens the door to an ambiguous eroticism.
Caravaggio also experienced the taste of dishonour and prison. After the murder of Tomasi, he was condemned to exile. He died on the 18th of July 1610 as he had lived – unexpectedly, like a character in a novel, far away from his beloved Rome, on the eve of his pardon by Pope Paul V.
His work remains tremendous – both his themes and his techniques became an inspiration for Rubens, Velázquez, and Rembrandt, inspiring especially the technique of chiaroscuro, of which he was one of the precursors.
With the help of numerous colour reproductions, this book retraces the life of Caravaggio and analyses his work while illustrating the scope of his influence on the greatest artists.

Notorious bad boy of Italian Baroque painting, Caravaggio (1571-1610) is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Though his name may be familiar to all of us, his work has been habitually detested and forced into obscurity. Not only was his theatrical realism unfashionable in his time, but his sacrilegious subject matter and use of lower class models were violently scorned.

Caravaggio's great work had the misfortune of enduring centuries of disrepute. It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that he was rediscovered and, quite posthumously, deemed a great master. He is now considered the most important painter of the early Baroque period; without him there would have been no Ribera, Zurbarán, Velázquez, Vermeer or Georges de la Tour. Franz Hals, Rembrandt, Delacroix, and Manet would have been different.

In this anniversary edition you'll find over 50 of Caravaggio's best paintings; we think you'll agree that he was a genius beyond his time.

The editor:
Gilles Néret (1933–2005) was an art historian, journalist, writer and museum correspondent. He organized several art retrospectives in Japan and founded the SEIBU museum and the Wildenstein Gallery in Tokyo. He directed art reviews such as L'Œil and Connaissance des Arts and received the Elie Faure Prize in 1981 for his publications.

About the Series:
Every book in TASCHEN's Basic Art Series features:

* a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist
* approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions
* a concise biography

Every extant work by Caravaggio is reproduced in color in this lavish newly updated volume, the long-awaited result of more than 20 years of research by a leading authority on the artist.

In an engaging and informed text, John T. Spike explores in detail Caravaggio's scandalous life and provocative work. Placing Caravaggio within the broad panorama of society and ideas at the turn of the 17th century, the author sets a richly detailed stage for an artist who has been called "the first modern painter." Caravaggio (1571-1610) reflected in his canvases his own desires and spiritual crises to an extent no one ever had imagined possible, and he shocked his contemporaries by portraying the saints and virgins of Christianity with the faces and bodies of his companions and lovers in Rome's demimonde.

Accompanying the book is a critical catalog on CD-ROM in which all of Caravaggio's extant paintings, as well as lost and rejected works, are thoroughly described. Each entry specifies the work's medium, dimensions, location, and provenance, and provides an annotated bibliography of sources. Most of the entries conclude with a brief technical analysis. Much of this scientific data, of prime importance for attribution and dating, has not previously been published.

With its fresh insights, as well as judicious readings of the documents and the physical evidence of the paintings themselves, Caravaggio is the most thorough study on the artist to date, and it will no doubt remain a definitive monograph for many years to come.

Revised Second Edition

A revolution in painting. The Baroque genius who electrified art history

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) was always a name to be reckoned with. Notorious bad boy of the Italian Baroque, the artist was at once celebrated and controversial, violent in temper, precise in technique, a creative master, and a man on the run.

Though famed for his dramatic use of colour, light, and shadow, it was above all Caravaggio's boundary-breaking naturalism which scorched his name into the annals of art history. From the dirtied soles of feet to the sexualised languor of bare flesh, the artist allowed even sacred and biblical scenes to unfold with a startling, often visceral humanity. This vivid pictorial world was accompanied by an equally intense personal biography, scored by gambling, debts, drunken brawls, and even a murder charge.

This book brings together Caravaggio's most famous and revolutionary works to explain why this artist is now considered the most important painter of the early Baroque period and one of the defining influences of art history, without whom Ribera, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Delacroix, Courbet, and Manet could never have painted the way they did.

About the series:

Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features:

- a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
- a concise biography
- approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

120 illustrations

It took a mid-twentieth century art show in Milan to rediscover this Italian artist, emblematic of the Baroque period, who lived during the second half of the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries.
Michelangelo Merisi was born to a family of modest means in 1571 near Milan. At the age of thirteen, he became an apprentice of the painter Simone Peterzano, who taught him artistic techniques and the use of colours. But he was atracted by Rome, with its fast pace of life and its loose morals. In 1597, he became the protégé to a noble cardinal who assisted him in securing important orders, such as The Martyrdom of St. Matthew, but he turned many of the offers down because of the vulgarity of the subject. Rejecting mannerism in favour of realism, this artist of the Counter- Reformation restored to the saints their humanity. Paradoxically, this mystical painter gives the saints a sensuality which goes beyond veneration and opens the door to an ambiguous eroticism.
Caravaggio also experienced the taste of dishonour and prison. After the murder of Tomasi, he was condemned to exile. He died on the 18th of July 1610 as he had lived – unexpectedly, like a character in a novel, far away from his beloved Rome, on the eve of his pardon by Pope Paul V.
His work remains tremendous – both his themes and his techniques became an inspiration for Rubens, Velázquez, and Rembrandt, inspiring especially the technique of chiaroscuro, of which he was one of the precursors.
With the help of numerous colour reproductions, this book retraces the life of Caravaggio and analyses his work while illustrating the scope of his influence on the greatest artists.