Art Books Essential Collection

 Art Treasures of England: The Regional Collections [Illustrated] (Hardcover)

 Hardcover: 488 pages
 Publisher: Merrell Publishers Ltd; illustrated edition edition (1 Jan 1998)
 Language English

Always well-loved but frequently little-known, the collections in this guide from museums and galleries up and down the country are outstanding in their variety and quality'



The Power of the Poster (Hardcover)
 Hardcover: 252 pages
 Publisher: V & A Publications; New edition edition (30 Sep 1999)
 Language English

Published to coincide with a major exhibition in April 1998 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, this is an account of the evolution of the poster, from its early beginnings in the 1870s to the increasingly radical approach of the late-20th century. The book is divided into three parts: "Issues and Ideas" examines the political poster; "Products and Services" takes a look at the poster in the context of advertising and consumerism; while "Arts, Events, Performances" covers posters used to promote artistic activities, and looks at the poster as a work of art in its own right. Contributors from all three fields provide insights into how posters have been used as a communications tool in the 20th century, while the illustrations offer some of the best examples of poster art.


The Oxford Dictionary of Art  (Hardcover)

Paperback: 672 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 2nd Revised edition edition (April 2001)
 Language English

This second edition of "The Oxford Dictionary of Art" covers topics ranging across painting, sculpture, drawing, and the applied arts, from classical times to the contemporary scene. Over 3,000 entries provide the reader with instant information about styles, techniques, collections, artists, and historians and a there is also a practical reference section comprising a contextual chronology of major works and directory of museums and galleries around the world. Features of the dictionary include: material on 20th-century art including entries on graffiti art, David Hockney, Tamara de Lempicka, Richard Long, Neo-Expressionism, New Realism, the Pompidou Centre, and the Turner Prize; entries accompanied by quotations from artists and critics; and list of classical and biblical themes in painting and sculpture.


John Constable: The Man and His Art (Hardcover)

 Hardcover: 144 pages
 Publisher: V & A Publications (31 Jul 1998)
 Language English

Both an introduction to John Constable's life and a companion to the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection, this book ranges from his early years at the Royal Academy, through his relationship with fellow artist, William Turner, to his last years in Hampstead. The Constable Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, much of which was the gift and bequest of the artist's daughter, is the largest and most comprehensive anywhere. It is particularly strong in preparatory studies which give an insight into the creative process, and provides a view of how some of Constable's major masterpieces came into being. The book is illustrated throughout in colour with key paintings and drawings and details which reveal Constable's mastery of technique.


Dada and Surrealism (Paperback)
 Paperback: 176 pages
 Publisher: Laurence King Publishing; New edition edition (14 Mar 1994)
 Language English

The two related movements, Dada and Surrealism, dominated the art world between the two World Wars with a new form of art that was intended to shock the spectator into a new awareness of reality. But Dada and Surrealism were more than just movements in art advocating new styles of painting; they were the expression of a revolt against Western civilization and culture, in which works of art were the means to an end rather than an end in themselves. Robert Short looks at the ideas which lay at the heart of the two movements, explaining how the Dadas and the Surrealists came to produce works defying the canons of taste that had dominated European culture since the Renaissance, works whose bizarre power and striking originality have made them the most instantly recognizable and universally popular of all types of modern art. This book also reveals the considerable diversity within the two movements. Tracing Dada to its origins - Man Ray and Duchamp in New York; Hugo Ball and Jean Arp in Zurich; Huelsenbeck and George Grosz in Berlin - Robert Short describes the forms taken by Dada in different centres before it reached its extraordinary finale in Paris. He also shows that the break between the Surrealists and the Dadas was not merely the result of a struggle for control of the movement between the various personalities but had its roots in fundamental differences of belief.