Book Description
Velázquez is often considered an artist apart: great, but isolated in a palace/ museum in Spain. This highly original book sets him in conjunction with certain conditions of painting in his time and after.
From the seventeenth century to the twentieth, roughly from Rembrandt and Vermeer to Matisse and Picasso, a succession of European painters has taken the studio as the world; that is, the studio is where the world—as it gets into painting—is experienced. Svetlana Alpers first focuses on this retreat into the confines of the studio, then looks at the ways in which the paintings of the Dutch masters and Velázquez acknowledge war and rivalry while offering a way out. The final chapters give a new account of Velázquez’s The Spinners, a ravishing painting which has been eclipsed by interest in the enigmas of Las Meninas. Alpers concentrates on the seventeenth century but also looks back to Velázquez’s predecessors Titian and Rubens and forward to his modern successors. She discusses Velázquez’s resemblance to Manet, whose art also vexes or unsettles, giving us reason to pause and look. The book concludes by asking whether painting continues to do that today.
Customer Reviews:
"Non ha'l ciel cotanti lumi".......2007-02-16
Doktor Alpers is one of the Super Novas of Art History, and as the Monteverdi song title suggests, she luminates far more than most of her starry peers. Starting with Rembrandt, along with Rubens the core of artistic values and sensibility for this stellar intelligence, we are taken through a carefully grounded argument, arriving finally at Velazquez, and "The Spinners". Alpers never falters as she unveils a plethora of critical perspectives, analyzes each in a dizzingly narrative convergence, and leaves mere mortal readers to return to her pages and consider the embarras de richesses she bestows. Alpers is never easy, but neither is she deliberately obscure; her chapter on Rembrandt's painting of Bathsheba is a model of clarity: a privileged sharing of Alper's lifetime of considered wisdom.
Alper's books are events in the best sense of the word; each as brilliant as an illuminated book. Her works inevitably follow one all-pervading rule - "Let there be light!" And what better touchstone for an historian of art?
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Renaissance Quarterly, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2006. The length of the article is 778 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Vexations of Art: Velazquez and Others.(Book review)
Author: Mindy Nancarrow
Publication:
Renaissance Quarterly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 59
Issue: 2
Page: 551(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
99 color illustrations 37 b/w photos 2 color maps 8 x 11
"Helps us to understand hex signs as no other work on the subject ever has."-Simon Bronner, author of Following Tradition
"A landmark in the study of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art."-Henry Glassie, author of The Spirit of Folk Art
A revised and expanded edition of the classic work on hex-sign barn decorations, offering insight into their various forms, geographical spread, European origins, evolution in Pennsylvania, and current use in tourism, advertising, and regional art. The authors explore the meaning of the symbols by examining evidence from popular writers, scholars, and contemporary hex-sign painters. Full-color photographs display the grandeur of this Pennsylvania Dutch phenomenon.
Don Yoder, who lives in Devon, Pennsylvania, was cofounder of the Pennsylvania Folklife Society and longtime editor of its serial, Pennsylvania Folklife. He was Professor of Folklife Studies at the University of Pennsylvania from 1956 to 1992 and is the acclaimed author of countless works on Pennsylvania Dutch folk culture. Thomas E. Graves lives in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, and has written articles on hex signs, gravestones, and coal culture.
Customer Reviews:
Great Information For the Christian Witch.......2006-11-11
This little gudie is great if you are interested in the Pow Wow practice of Pennsylvania Dutch hexerei. Though these writers are interested in the cultural and commercial aspects of the barn hexes, they do offer an introductory discussion of the hex marks and a brief history of its appearance in teh New World. Totally worth your time to peruse and worth your money to have
Good informitive review of the topic........2004-02-23
The authors take a pragmatic approach to the subject of the many round decorations that have graced barns and homes of Pennsylvania for hundreds of years. Especially among Pennsylvanians of "Deutch" or German ancestry, the fancy round "hex signs" are a cultural identification as well a decoration for their barns. Perhaps these signs also have magickal meaning as a ward or protection. The term "hex" means a magic spell in German, and "hexen" means witch. The authors shy away somewhat from a serious inquiry into the magickal meanings and efficacy of protection hexes. They do offer a collection of good photos of many old and new signs, interviews with current painters and discussion of those available commercially.
Hex Signs:Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Symbols & Their Meaning.......2000-03-02
"It is an excellent book on history of Pa.Dutch Hex Signs" Colorful and very informative!
Average customer rating:
- great storytelling
- The Good (cover), The Bad (text), & The Ugly (artwork)
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Lost Cause: John Wesley Hardin, the Taylor-Sutton Feud, and Reconstruction Texas
Jack Jackson
Manufacturer: Kitchen Sink Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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ASIN: 0878166181 |
Customer Reviews:
great storytelling.......2004-11-13
...when you are looking at the cover of this book by this veteran comix artist you may wonder whether he has gone out of his famous and remarkable style and beacme more mainstream. Well, rest assured, he did not. This fine volume of Jackson historical revisionism is every bit as good as his prior famous works, e.g. "Comanche Moon" and others. This time again it is Texas, but Texas of Reconstruction era, one period of our history that has not been fully explained and is usually taught very one-sided at the universities at al. Here, Mr. Jackson attempts and is successful in giving us a point of view that the conquered Confederate Texas might have held. Since these were times of sudden change and brutality, thus there is violence, more violence, rivalry, racial prejudice, social strife, medeival-like vendetta cycles, poverty - all told with astonishing and refreshing detail and precision of this veteran underground comix artist. Necessarily, this one is a very controversial angle of the Reconstruction era, the subject and theme being loaded with racial and social prejudices and hatred that Hardin and his kind might have had and it seems that they in fact had. This is not for the politically correct folks, but rather for those who seek to find out some reasonable explanation and to gain deeper foundation in order to gain the feel of what might have been like during those hard times in Texas. Finally, Mr. Jackson tells his story while maintaing the most amazing attention to every possible historical detail( as every personality, their guns, clothes and other period material culture items and pieces are acurately portrayed albeit drawn in his unique graphic style). One may ask what more is to ask about this work that is both the finest graphic storytelling and a fine example of reasonable yet passionate historical scholarship.
The Good (cover), The Bad (text), & The Ugly (artwork).......2000-05-14
Intriguing, romantic cover that captures the Westerner's imagination. Too bad the cover artist didn't write & illustrate this book (really a comic book as "graphic novel" would be a complimentary exaggeration). Text is apologist history, weak on facts, thick on excuses for Hardin's murderous tendencies. Hardin doesn't get to his infamous gunfighting career until page 86, so "Lost Cause" doesn't even work as a traditional Western romp. Artwork inside is crude featuring stiff, exaggerated characters that make "Pokemon" look like Rembrandt. "Lost Cause" doesn't work as history or entertainment. If you are interested in Hardin, check out Leon Metz's or Richard Marohn's bios or even Hardin's autobiography. As for "Lost Cause," save your money--the cover is the best part & you've already seen that.
Book Description
THE WORLD OF KONG
A Natural History of Skull Island
It was an uncharted island somewhere off the coast of Sumatra, it was a land whispered about by merchants and sailors. It was a place so unbelievable that no one dared believe in its existence. Except one man, the extraordinary showman Carl Denham. Many will, of course, remember his show on Broadway and its tragic ending. But New York is not where the story ended, it is where it began.
In 1935 a joint expedition of several prominent universities and organizations called Project Legacy was launched. Its stated mission goal was to create the first of several field guides to Skull Island, a land filled with creatures existing outside of their time, where dinosaurs roamed, evolved, and still lived. Only a year later it was discovered that the island was doomed; the geological forces that had formed the island were now tearing it apart. There were only seven more abbreviated expeditions to the island before its destruction and the start of World War II.
The journals, sketches, and detailed notes of the scientists who braved Skull Island would have continued to gather dust on shelves across the planet were it not for the work of the authors of this book. Here for the first time is their work, collected in a comprehensive edition of the natural history of this lost island. Here is The World of Kong.
Customer Reviews:
I love this book!.......2006-10-09
No, I haven't seen the latest King Kong movie.(not yet anyway) I did however pick up The World of Kong at my local library and loved it! The book is a field guide to Skull Island featuring over 200 pages of fantastic creatures and beautiful artwork. I have to have a copy! Even then I will be begging my 11 year old just to have chance to look at it!
Fantastically Detailed Study of the World of Kong.......2006-08-09
This book is no mere list of the creatures seen in King Kong; this is a fantastic and realistic continuation of the story and fleshing out of the "characters" of Skull Island.
Peter Jackson says in his foreword that, "in the end, what you see in the film represents only a tiny portion of Skull Island's possiblility," and the book works hard to prove that. With over 200 pages of 'research' and facts about the lifestyles and characteristics and evolutionary chains of dozens of animals, this book is no mere tie in to the movie; it is a work of fiction all on its own merit. Many, if not most, of the animals in this book were not featured in the film, and for every single one detailed information is given about the lifestyles and characteristics of the creature. Inside this book, you will find a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge about the world of Kong, information that the movie barely even scratched the surface of. You of course get the obligatory pages about the Vastatosaurus Rex, Venatosaurus Saevidicus, and Kong himself, but you also get info on Aspiscimex Exos, Piranhodon Titanus, Sterculithos Arachne, Chalyceratops Seradorsus, and many, many others that were not in the film.
Also, the art is a wondrous thing to behold as well; the crisp, clean paintings also have a certain edginess to them that is needed for any book about Skull Island. The book is certainly not short of fantastic creatures, and the pictures never fail to inspire.
In short, I urge to buy this book if you were a fan of the movie, but longed to see more of Skull Island. With this book, you will not only learn the origins of Skull Island itself, but also the origins of many of the creatures, and ultimately, the fate of the island itself. So I highly recommend this book, just based on its fascinating merit as a 'research' book, and also because of its fantastically rendered art.
awesome book.......2006-06-12
If youve like "after man" by dougal dixon this book is up there with extreme and bizarre ecology. Awesome art and nice species profiles, the only piece i found lacking was the section on herbivorous chameleons, the description was very short and art was extremely lacking. I own quite a few chameleons species myself and the ones i own are more interesting and amazing looking than what was put in the book it would have been better if they didnt include that at all. otherwise a spectacular book id recommend it to anyone with any interest in animals.
kong rocks!.......2006-03-27
loved your goods great delivery rates and superb condition^^
ive recopmended this seller to allmy freinds who visit amazon
Great Book for those who love the artistry and detail of the movie.......2006-03-15
Let me start my review by saying that you shouldn't buy this book if you didn't like the movie, which should be a given. This book is not a behind-the-scenes look at King Kong, nor is it a book on the process of bringing the World of Kong to life, it's more of a fantasy-encyclopeedia for those who loved the movie and would like to explore the world of Kong further. The book does present some impressive artwork, and its a pity that more of the creatures displayed couldn't be in the movie. This book is a must have for fans of Kong.
Book Description
This is the most comprehensive and insightful study ever published on the pioneers of electric blues guitar - including the great Chicago, Mississippi Delta, Louisiana, Texas and West Coast bluesmen. Rollin' and Tumblin' offers extensive interviews with some of the world's most famous blues guitarists, and poignant profiles of historical blues figures. Following a sweeping portrait of blues guitar history, the book features such players as T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins and many more.
Customer Reviews:
got the blues!.......2006-07-27
the only complaint about this book is that it should just go on, and on, and etc,etc.
To Understand The Blues, You Need To Know The Bluesmen.......2003-01-17
Blues music is a highly-codified deep poetry designed to be sung in front of both blacks and whites but only truly understood by blacks. Ask about Sonny Boy's "Fattenin' Frogs For Snakes" and Southern whites will start talking about frogs and snakes; blacks recognize that this is about working and not getting paid or buying a dress for a woman who goes off with another man. This book is one of a few blues books that lets the blues poets tell their story, much of which is between he lines of their stories and their songs. Read it closely and you will begin to understand what it was to be a black in the Mississippi Delta or Chicago in the 1930s through the 1960s. Then you will find parallels with today's world that will change you forever. Jas Obrecht's book has the wisdom to allow the interviewees the dignity to speak in their own words and dialect with minimal editing. This is a major book on life ... and the blues.
To Understand The Blues, You Need To Know The Bluesmen's Liv.......2003-01-17
Blues music is a highly-codified deep poetry designed to be sung in front of both blacks and whites but only truly understood by blacks. Ask about Sonny Boy's "Fattenin' Frogs For Snakes" and Southern whites will start talking about frogs and snakes; blacks recognize that this is about working and not getting paid or buying a dress for a woman who goes off with another man. This book is one of a few blues books that lets the blues poets tell their story, much of which is between he lines of their stories and their songs. Read it closely and you will begin to understand what it was to be a black in the Mississippi Delta or Chicago in the 1930s through the 1960s. Then you will find parallels with today's world that will change you forever. Jas Obrecht's book has the wisdom to allow the interviewees the dignity to speak in their own words and dialect with minimal editing. This is a major book on life ... and the blues.
Nothing but the blues.......2001-08-10
By "postwar blues", we mean the upbeat, amplified, often aggressive material that many popologists see simply as the roots of rock'n'roll. But for blues fans, the muscular power and driving passion of the bluesmen is enough by itself, and this collection of articles and interviews profiling many of the genre's greatest players, is manna from heaven for the folks who could care less what happened after Elvis shook his little heinie on the Ed Sullivan show. This is a classicist's view of the blues -- standardbearers such as Otis Rush, Muddy Waters and BB King get multiple entries, wild West Coast and Texas bluesmen like T-Bone Walker and Clarence Gatemouth Brown also get their propers, and while the main emphasis is on the dudes who plugged in, acoustic players such as Fred McDowell also get a nod or two. The book draws on a variety of writers, and reflects a variety of interviewing and narrative styles -- most of the material originally appeared in "Guitar Player" magazine, but while some technical points are investigated, the book is an even better source of information about the players themselves -- their personalities, their stories, their world view. A true blues fan should enjoy this book quite a bit!
Intimate interviews and profiles of blues greats.......2001-01-25
An outstanding collection of interviews and profiles of some of the most interesting musicians one is likely to come across. The interviewers consistently ask brilliant questions, and get candid and colorful responses. A vivid portrait of the life and times of the modern blues musician, "Rollin' and Tumblin'" tells stories and shares musical insights that give the reader an uncommon peek into what makes the blues such a vibrant and earthy art.
Average customer rating:
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The Beat Vision: A Primary Sourcebook
Manufacturer: Paragon House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Classics
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| History & Criticism
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| Poetry
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
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| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
ASIN: 0913729418 |
Average customer rating:
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The Beat vision: A primary sourcebook
Manufacturer: Paragon House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
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| Drama
| General
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| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
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| Women Writers
ASIN: 091372940X |
Average customer rating:
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Countdown Book of Puzzle and Games
Robert Allen
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Puzzles
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0233050639 |
Book Description
Channel Four's flagship quiz show is appointment television for millions of viewers, young and old. Countdown blends the skills of wordsmiths and number crunchers to create a winning formula that remains unmissable twenty years after it was first broadcast on Channel Four. Packed full of crosswords, word searches and number puzzles, this book will help you increase your vocabulary, improve your observation skills, and sharpen your mental arithmetic. Drawing on all the elements of Countdown, from letters and numbers games to puzzles based on the revelations of Dictionary Corner, this is the perfect companion to help you rise to the Countdown Challenge.
Average customer rating:
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Countdown Puzzle Book
Michael Wylie ,
Damian Eadie , and
Michael Wyle
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
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| Books
Puzzles
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
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Word Games
| Puzzles & Games
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General
| Television
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General
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General
| Performing Arts
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General
| Art
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| 4-for-3 Books Store
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General
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General
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Puzzles
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Word Games
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General
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All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
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ASIN: 0233999434 |
Book Description
The first face to appear on Channel Four was Richard Whiteley's and, over 3,250 episodes later, "Countdown" is still addictive. This book contains hundreds of Countdown puzzles created by the show's producers Michael Wylie and Damian Eadie. There are three letters games, a numbers game and a conundrum on every page—all fun, but not for the fainthearted! It's all packed into a handy pocket-sized format that means you can have your Countdown fix at any time of day, wherever you are.
Average customer rating:
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Countdown Puzzle Book 2
Michael Wylie
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Puzzles
| Puzzles & Games
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Performing Arts
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| Dance
| Magic & Illusion
| Theater
General
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General
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General
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General
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| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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General
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| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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General
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| 4-for-3 Books Store
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Puzzles
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| 4-for-3 Books Store
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General
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| 4-for-3 Books Store
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All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
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ASIN: 0233050604 |
Book Description
The first face to appear on Channel Four was Richard Whiteley's and, over 3,250 episodes later, "Countdown" is still addictive. This book contains 1,000 more Countdown puzzles, created by the show's producers Michael Wylie and Damian Eadie. There are three letters games, a numbers game and a conundrum on every page—all fun, but not for the fainthearted! It's all packed into a handy pocket-sized format that means you can have your Countdown fix at any time of day, wherever you are.
Average customer rating:
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"Countdown" Bumper Puzzle Book 2
Michael Wylie , and
Damian Eadie
Manufacturer: Granada Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Trivia
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0233001085 |
Average customer rating:
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Harry Potter: The Final Countdown.: An article from: Children's Digest
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
Children's Books
| Subjects
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| Baby-3
| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
| Animals
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| Books on Cassette
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| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Computers
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| Issues
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| Reference & Nonfiction
| Religions
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Series
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ASIN: B000U1QDRS
Release Date: 2007-07-21 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Children's Digest, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2007. The length of the article is 710 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Harry Potter: The Final Countdown.
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication:
Children's Digest (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 57
Issue: 3
Page: 10(3)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Books:
- The Yin/Yang of Painting: A Contemporary Master Reveals the Secrets of Painting Found in Ancient Chinese Philosophy
- Thinking Like a Mountain: Towards a Council of All Beings
- Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting
- Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures: 1,087 Renderings from Historic Sources (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)
- Virtual Art: From Illusion to Immersion (Leonardo Books)
- Vladimir Nabokov, Alphabet in Color
- Wedgwood Jasper Ware: A Shape Book and Collector's Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
- What Do Pictures Want?: The Lives and Loves of Images
- What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?: A Portrait of an Independent Career
- White Graphics: The Power of White in Graphic Design
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Bali Houses: New Wave Asian Architecture and Design
- African Americans: Voices of Triumph : Creative Fire
- Billmeyer and Saltzman's Principles of Color Technology, 3rd Edition
- About Looking
- Art for Kids: Drawing: The Only Drawing Book You'll Ever Need to Be the Artist You've Always Wanted
- Ahab's Trade: The Saga of South Seas Whaling
- Antique Trader Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2006
- Art and Life in Renaissance Venice
- After the Great Divide: Modernism, Mass Culture, Postmodernism
- Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
The Art of Describing: Dutch Art in the Seventeenth Century
Rembrandt's Enterprise: The Studio and the Market
The Cambridge Companion to Velázquez (Cambridge Companions to the History of Art)
Velazquez: The Technique of Genius
Velázquez's 'Las Meninas' (Masterpieces of Western Painting)
