Книги по живописи

Giotto di Bodone. A central figure of the Early Renaissance

According to legend, he was discovered by Cimabue as a boy, sketching his father’s sheep. Giotto di Bodone (1266-1337) was the most famous and influential painter of his generation in Italy. As the pioneer of modern painting, his impact was so enormous that his artist colleagues in Florence, however capable, were left struggling to keep up. His services were engaged by numerous high officials and princes, including the Pope and his cardinals, King Robert of Anjou, and the Scaligeri and Visconti. All these works, including the large secular cycles, are lost. Amongst his surviving works, his masterpieces are undoubtedly his decoration, from 1303 to 1305, of the private chapel built by the financier Enrico Scrovegni for his family in a former Roman amphitheatre in Padua, the fresco cycle in the Upper Church of Assisi, and the frescos in side chapels of Santa Croce in Florence. The simplicity and strength of his forms, as well as the humanism he infused in his works, set him apart from his Byzantine contemporaries and at the forefront of Italian painting in the early years of the Renaissance.

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 author:
Norbert Wolf graduated in art history, linguistics and medieval studies at the universities of Regensburg and Munich, and earned his PhD in 1983. He held visiting professorships in Marburg, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Nuremberg-Erlangen, and Innsbruck. His extensive writings on art history include many TASCHEN titles, such as Diego Velázquez, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Caspar David Friedrich, Expressionism, Romanesque, Landscape Painting and Symbolism.

Giovanna Garzoni (1600-1670) a exercé ses talents de miniaturiste à Florence, Rome, Turin, Naples, mais aussi à Paris. Ses natures mortes à la manière hollandaise mêlent fleurs, fruits et légumes, insectes et oiseaux. Cet ouvrage présente des compositions conservées principalement au Cabinet des dessins et des estampes des Offices et à la Galerie palatine de Florence.

"Vers 1855, un célèbre café historique, le Caffé Michelangelo, vit l'éclosion et l'épanouissement d'un mouvement artistique qui, malgré sa courte vie, a marqué l'histoire de l'art italien. Il a fleuri et s'est éteint en l'espace d'une génération d'artistes tout en laissant des traces profondes sur les générations suivantes, au moins jusqu'aux premières décennies du XXème siècle.

(...) Dans ce groupe de jeunes artistes se détache la figure de Giovanni Fattori (Livourne, 1825 - Florence, 1908), considéré comme le représentant principal de ce courant qu'une critique hostile de l'époque gratifia du nom péjoratif de "Macchiaioli", nom qui leur fut attribué dans l'histoire de l'art italien pour caractériser la période 1855-1870.

(...) Giovanni Fattori a manifesté un grand intérêt pour l'histoire contemporaine, immortalisant dans ses premières peintures les grandes batailles du Risorgimento. Ses thèmes de prédilection étaient la Toscane, les paysages agrestes, les hommes au travail dans les champs, les animaux attelés, la mer, la région côtière ou Maremma, avec ses gardiens de troupeau à cheval.
Dans ces superbes portraits, nous saisissons toujours une touche subtile de mélancolie, reflet de l'état d'âme de l'artiste lui-même, qui préfigura le malaise existentiel de l'homme du XXème siècle."
Francesca Giampaolo

Beau choix de 65 oeuvres - huile, crayon graphite, eau-forte, fusain -, bien représentatif des thèmes chers à l'artiste.
La plupart des reproductions sont à pleine page ; les huiles sont reproduites en couleurs.

Explores the life and work of the Russian artist and stage designer Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962).

A contemporary of Picasso, Matisse and Kandinsky, Goncharova is now recognised as one of the leading Russian artists of the twentieth century. This book traces the development of her art from its impressionist origins, through a provocative phase of 'primitive' style paintings on peasant themes to highly innovative abstract works that rivalled the most daring experiments of the Cubists and Futurists. As a woman artist, she was galvanised by gender issues and addressed these directly in her work. In both her paintings and her behaviour she questioned accepted conventions and scandalised Russian society. Arrested in 1909 on the grounds of the 'pornographic' content of her paintings, accused of heresy against the Orthodox Church in 1914 because of her religious work and branded a Futurist because she walked about in public with a painted face, her large-scale retrospective in Moscow in 1913, in which she exhibited over 700 works, demonstrated to public and critics alike that she was, unquestionably, one of the greatest painterly talents that Russia had ever produced.

In 1914 Diaghilev, the director of the famous "Ballets Russes" invited Goncharova to make designs for The Golden Cockerel which was staged at the Paris Opera. The staggering success of this production opened up new creative horizons for her and she remained in Paris to become one of Diaghilev's 'resident' designers. Her work of this period reveals her gifts not only as a superb stage designer but also as a designer of women's fashions for the haute-couture industry of Art Deco Paris. Her work is now in the collections of museums and galleries across the world and is so highly sought that she has achieved the highest sale price ever recorded at auction for a woman artist.

Contents: Life and work in Moscow, Impressionism and Symbolism, Goncharova and gender, Neo-primitivism, Abstraction, futurist books, life and work in Paris, designs for the stage, fashions and textiles, graphic work, and later paintings.

Dr. Anthony Parton is a specialist in Russian avant-garde art of the early 20th century. He is the author of Mikhail Larionov and the Russian Avant-garde, editor of Women Artists of Russia's New Age and has contributed many scholarly essays on the subject of Russian modernism to exhibition catalogues, journals and reference works. He is a lecturer in the History of Art at Durham University.

Francisco Goya (1746-1828), one of Spain's most revered and controversial painters, is known for his intense, chilling, and sometimes grotesque paintings depicting the injustice of society with brutal sincerity.

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

An artist both of and before his time

The Old Master who ushered in the modern era

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828), one of Spain’s most revered and controversial painters, is known for his intense, chilling, and sometimes grotesque paintings depicting the injustice of society with brutal sincerity. A court painter to the Spanish crown, he captured, through his works, a snapshot of life in Spain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Coming at the tail end of the Old Masters period, Goya, with his audacious, subversive, and highly influential works, can be considered the first painter of the modern era. His influence can be seen in the works of artists as varied as Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon.

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

Unflinching Eye. Goya, the vivid witness to beauty, grandeur, and war

From his royal court portraits to horrific scenes of conflict, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes remains one of Spain’s most revered and startling artists. With key works from throughout his career, this vivid introduction explores Goya’s mastery of form and light and varied, daring subjects.

From court portraits for the Spanish royals to horrific scenes of conflict and suffering, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746–1828) made a mark as one of Spain’s most revered and controversial artists. A master of form and light, his influence reverberates down the centuries, inspiring and fascinating artists from the Romantic Eugène Delacroix to Britart enfants terribles, the Chapman brothers.

Born in Fuendetodos, Spain, in 1746, Goya was apprenticed to the Spanish royal family in 1774, where he produced etchings and tapestry cartoons for grand palaces and royal residences across the country. He was also patronized by the aristocracy, painting commissioned portraits of the rich and powerful with his increasingly fluid and expressive style. Later, after a bout of illness, the artist moved towards darker etchings and drawings, introducing a nightmarish realm of witches, ghosts, and fantastical creatures.

It was, however, with his horrific depictions of conflict that Goya achieved enduring impact. Executed between 1810 and 1820, The Disasters of War was inspired by atrocities committed during the Spanish struggle for independence from the French and penetrated the very heart of human cruelty and sadism. The bleak tones, agitated brushstrokes, and aggressive use of Baroque-like light and dark contrasts recalled Velázquez and Rembrandt, but Goya’s subject matter was unprecedented in its brutality and honesty.

In this introductory book from TASCHEN Basic Art 2.0 we set out to explore the full arc of Goya’s remarkable career, from elegant court painter to deathly seer of suffering and grotesquerie. Along the way, we encounter such famed portraits as Don Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zúñiga, the dazzling Naked Maja, and The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, one of the most heart-stopping images of war in the history of art.

About 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 theater studies in Munich. He later worked for radio and TV, most recently as chief editor of a German public broadcasting service. Together they have collaborated on several TASCHEN titles, including Masterpieces in Detail, Pieter Bruegel, and Francisco de Goya.

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

With ravishing full-spread details of paintings and carefully-chosen details of many etchings, this splendidly-illustrated volume focuses on Goya's profoundly disturbing imagery, and demonstrates that his modernity derives from his lifelong investigation of what lies behind the world of appearances and convention.

Werner Hofmann describes the essence of Goya's huge output, pointing to the source of its energy, alarming immediacy and striking modernity. ‘As an artist, Goya is on the side of the passions, the liberated as well as the suppressed, the liberating as well as the oppressive.’

Goya’s paintings, drawings and prints are placed in their historical context, revealing the specific character of each phase of the artist’s life and work. The author discusses ‘the glory and the pain of faith’ in Goya’s early work, the artist’s representation of the threat posed by the French Revolution, his dramatic documentation of the French occupation of Spain, his variations on cruelty in the Horrors of War etchings, and the religious faith apparent in his late work.

Hofmann also illuminatingly relates the artist and his work to contemporary intellectual developments, drawing comparisons with writers, critics and philosophers from Goethe to William Blake and the Marquis de Sade. The book also features extensive Notes, Chronology and a Bibliography.

This generously illustrated volume on the work of Francisco de Goya makes the world’s greatest art accessible to readers of every level of appreciation. Widely regarded as the first modern artist, Goya was both a court painter to the Spanish Crown and a commentator on the tumultuous events of his time. Overflowing with impeccably reproduced images, this book offers full-page spreads of masterpieces as well as highlights of smaller details — allowing the viewer to appreciate every aspect of the artist’s technique and oeuvre.

The 18th century`s Neoclassicist movement, with its white marble sculptures inspired by the art of the ancient world, has helped Greek art to remain vivid in our memories even today. But the reality of ancient art was entirely different, as surfaces were in fact much more brut. As author Michael Siebler points out, recent findings have revealed that the seemingly perfect bodies of statues and sculptures were very often painted in flamboyant colors and ornaments. Thus ancient Greek art combined a high level of classical identity with an equal amount of sensuality. Despite being viewed in a new light, the beauty of the works of art persists.

Including detailed analyses of the following works: Alexander-sarcophagus; Lysippos: Apoxyomenos; Exekias: Amphora; Myron: Diskobol; Apoll from Belvedere; Laocoon; Nike from Samothrake; the altar from Pergamon, now in Berlin; the Alexander-mosaic in Naples; Harmodios and Aristogeiton, in Naples; Polyklet: Doryphoros; sculptures from the Alphaia-temple, now in Munich; Andokides: Amphora; Ptolemaier-Cameo in Vienna; Praxiteles: Hermes; Apollo from the Zeus-temple in Olympia; numerous sculptures in Athens; Euphronios: Krater, now in New York; some Elgin Marbles in London; the warrior from Riace, now in Reggio.

Defining Decadence. The legacy of Gustav Klimt

Fall under the spell of Gustav Klimt. The complete catalogue of his paintings, including new photographs of the Stoclet Frieze, this book follows the Viennese master through his prominent role in the Secessionist movement, his candid rendering of the female body, and the lustrous “golden phase” behind such shimmering works as The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.

A century after his death, Viennese artist Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) still startles with his unabashed eroticism, dazzling surfaces, and artistic experimentation. This monograph gathers all of Klimt’s major works alongside authoritative art historical commentary and privileged access to the artist’s archive.

With top-quality illustration, including new photography of the celebrated Stoclet Frieze, the book follows Klimt through his prominent role in the Secessionist movement of 1897, his candid rendering of the female body, and his lustrous “golden phase” when gold leaf brought a shimmering tone and texture to such beloved works as The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, also known as The Woman in Gold.

Through luminous spreads and carefully curated details, the monograph traces the repertoire of Japanese, Byzantine, and allegorical stimuli that informed Klimt’s flattened perspectives, his symbolic vocabulary, and his mosaic-like textures. Drawing upon contemporary critics and voices, the book also examines the art world’s polarized reception to Klimt’s pictures as much as his own stylistic trajectory. From his landscape painting to erotic works to the controversial ceiling for the Great Hall of the University of Vienna, we see how Klimt’s admixture of tradition and daring divided the press and public — becried by some as a pornographer, hailed by others as a modern maestro.

The editor and author:

Tobias G. Natter is an internationally acknowledged expert on art in “Vienna around 1900.” For many years he worked at the Austrian Belvedere Gallery in Vienna, latterly as head curator. He also worked as guest curator at the Tate Liverpool, the Neue Galerie New York, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Schirn in Frankfurt am Main, and the Jewish Museum in Vienna. From 2006 to 2011, he directed the Vorarlberg Museum in Bregenz, and from 2011 to 2013 was director of the Leopold Museum in Vienna. In 2014 he founded Natter Fine Arts, which specializes in assessing works of art and developing exhibition concepts. He is the author of TASCHEN’s Gustav Klimt. Complete Paintings, Art for All. The Colour Woodcut in Vienna around 1900 and Egon Schiele. The Complete Paintings 1909–1918.

Defining Decadence. The legacy of Gustav Klimt

Fall under the spell of Gustav Klimt. A century after his death, the Viennese artist still startles with his unabashed eroticism, dazzling surfaces, and artistic experimentation. Master of 19th-century Viennese art and pioneer of the Secessionist movement, Klimt built up a shimmering legacy of lustrous tones and gold leaf textures, including such beloved works as The Kiss and The Woman in Gold.

A century after his death, Viennese artist Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) still startles with his unabashed eroticism, dazzling surfaces, and artistic experimentation. In this neat, dependable monograph, we gather all of Klimt's major works alongside authoritative art historical commentary and privileged archival material from Klimt’s own archive to trace the evolution of his astonishing oeuvre.

With top-quality illustration, including new photography of the celebrated Stoclet Frieze, the book follows Klimt through his prominent role in the Secessionist movement of 1897, his candid rendering of the female body, and his lustrous “golden phase” when gold leaf brought a shimmering tone and texture to such beloved works as The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, also known as The Woman in Gold.

About the author:

Tobias G. Natter is an internationally acknowledged expert on art in “Vienna around 1900.” For many years he worked at the Austrian Belvedere Gallery in Vienna, latterly as head curator. He also worked as guest curator at the Tate Liverpool, the Neue Galerie New York, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Schirn in Frankfurt am Main, and the Jewish Museum in Vienna. From 2006 to 2011, he directed the Vorarlberg Museum in Bregenz, and from 2011 to 2013 was director of the Leopold Museum in Vienna. In 2014 he founded Natter Fine Arts, which specializes in assessing works of art and developing exhibition concepts. He is the author of TASCHEN’s Gustav Klimt. Complete Paintings, Art for All. The Colour Woodcut in Vienna around 1900 and Egon Schiele. The Complete Paintings 1909–1918.

About the series:

Bibliotheca Universalis — Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price!

Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together more than 100 of our all-time favourite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.

Bookworm’s delight — never bore, always excite!

Defining Decadence. The legacy of Gustav Klimt

A century after his death, Viennese artist Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) still startles with his unabashed eroticism, dazzling surfaces, and artistic experimentation. This monograph gathers all of Klimt’s major works alongside authoritative art historical commentary and privileged access to the artist’s archive.

With top quality illustration, including new photography of the celebrated Stoclet Frieze, the book follows Klimt through his prominent role in the Secessionist movement of 1897, his candid rendering of the female body, and his lustrous “golden phase” when gold leaf brought a shimmering tone and texture to such beloved works as The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, also known as The Woman in Gold.

Through luminous spreads and carefully curated details, the monograph traces the repertoire of Japanese, Byzantine, and allegorical stimuli that informed Klimt’s flattened perspectives, his symbolic vocabulary, and his mosaic-like textures. Drawing upon contemporary critics and voices, the book also examines the art world’s polarized reception to Klimt’s pictures as much as his own stylistic trajectory. From his landscape painting to erotic works to the controversial ceiling for the Great Hall of the University of Vienna, we see how Klimt’s admixture of tradition and daring divided the press and public — becried by some as a pornographer, hailed by others as a modern maestro.

The editor and author:

Tobias G. Natter is an internationally acknowledged expert on art in “Vienna around 1900.” For many years he worked at the Austrian Belvedere Gallery in Vienna, latterly as head curator. He also worked as guest curator at the Tate Liverpool, the Neue Galerie New York, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Schirn in Frankfurt am Main, and the Jewish Museum in Vienna. From 2006 to 2011, he directed the Vorarlberg Museum in Bregenz, and from 2011 to 2013 was director of the Leopold Museum in Vienna. In 2014 he founded Natter Fine Arts, which specializes in assessing works of art and developing exhibition concepts. He is the author of TASCHEN’s Gustav Klimt. Complete Paintings, Art for All. The Colour Woodcut in Vienna around 1900 and Egon Schiele. The Complete Paintings 1909–1918.

Gustav Klimt: In search of the “total artwork” follows the course of Klimt’s career. It starts with his early work as one of Vienna’s most successful public muralists and concluding with his later triumph as the city’s foremost society portraitist. In between, the publication examines Klimt’s absorption of Symbolist influences, his collaborations with the Vienna Secession and the Wiener Werkstätte, and his involvement with the 1908 “Kunstschau”, the last major exhibition organized by and for the Austrian avant-garde prior to the outbreak of World War I.

Gustav Klimt, well known for his sensual, arresting depictions of women (The Kiss, Fulfillment, The Tree of Life), was a founder of the Viennese Secession movement at the turn of the 20th century, Vienna's own Art Nouveau.

His extravagant work was an obsessive manifestation of the dazzling intellectual society of his time and he painted very large canvases combining oils with gold foil. This beautiful new book brings together a wide selection of Klimt’s magnificent work.