Most streets and highways offer any number of folk figures to anyone who cares to see them. A few -- like snowmen or scarecrows -- are ephemeral; but most of these folk forms have a longer life expectancy, and some like weathervanes or trade signs are older than the nation. Their makers...  more

Most streets and highways offer any number of folk figures to anyone who cares to see them. A few -- like snowmen or scarecrows -- are ephemeral; but most of these folk forms have a longer life expectancy, and some like weathervanes or trade signs are older than the nation. Their makers seldom thought of themselves as artists, but when you compare such familiar forms as a pavement lid, a gravestone, or a neon sign with other of the same kind, you can readily see that one is better than another, and that the best are very good art indeed. The succinct text for A Carrot For A Nose and the exceptional illustrations have been brought together by a specialist on American folk art in a manner that invites you to see and judge for yourself the folk forms that are all around you. Working with photographs by some America's great photographers and with drawings from the celebrated index of American design, he explores why and how some of these forms came to be, and he considers their variety as expression of their maker's artistry. As he puts it -- you can start out thinking about why a snowman has a carrot for a nose and end up with an aesthetic experience.

Beginning with the startling twentieth century developments in physics and the Freudian revolution, this volume of The Humanistic Tradition addresses 100 years of precipitous change. The exciting conclusion to the six-volume series, Book 6 can also be used as a literary or cultural supplement to...  more

Beginning with the startling twentieth century developments in physics and the Freudian revolution, this volume of The Humanistic Tradition addresses 100 years of precipitous change. The exciting conclusion to the six-volume series, Book 6 can also be used as a literary or cultural supplement to courses on the art or the history of the period from 1900 to 2000.

Dutch settlers in the 1600s, English manor lords and colonial aristocrats like the Livingstons of Clermont, political and industrial leaders of the new republic, waves of immigrants from New England and New York City, the great landscape painters of the Hudson River School like Frederic...  more

Dutch settlers in the 1600s, English manor lords and colonial aristocrats like the Livingstons of Clermont, political and industrial leaders of the new republic, waves of immigrants from New England and New York City, the great landscape painters of the Hudson River School like Frederic Church--all left their mark on Columbia County.

Although she is mentioned only a few times in the Bible, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most holy and revered woman in the Christian world. Through the ages she has inspired millions through her quietly majestic visage, and is second only to Jesus as a revered subject for artists over the...  more

Although she is mentioned only a few times in the Bible, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most holy and revered woman in the Christian world. Through the ages she has inspired millions through her quietly majestic visage, and is second only to Jesus as a revered subject for artists over the centuries. Mary: Images of the Holy Mother is a visual celebration of Mary that takes an international and comprehensively historic view of this exalted religious figure. From the earliest known depiction in a fourth-century Roman catacomb to modern murals and colorful tattoos, folk and popular images of Mary abound between the pages of this vibrant collection. Also lending their own renowned versions of Mary are such great artists as Henry Moore, Paul Gauguin, Francisco de Zurbaran, Rufino Tamayo, Edward Munch, and Fra Filippo Lippi. A breathtaking visual feast, Mary invites people of all faiths to contemplate her endless manifestations.

A collection of three-dimensional stereogram images encompasses the work of leading contemporary stereo artists, including Christopher Tyler, facts about the development of the technology, and a look at it as an artistic medium.

On its publication in 1999, The American Art Book immediately filled a critical gap in accessible yet authoritative surveys on American artists of the past three centuries. With an A to Z format that departs from the usual emphasis on genres and time periods, it offers an unparalleled overview...  more

On its publication in 1999, The American Art Book immediately filled a critical gap in accessible yet authoritative surveys on American artists of the past three centuries. With an A to Z format that departs from the usual emphasis on genres and time periods, it offers an unparalleled overview of the most influential and best-loved American artists from Colonial times to the present. This book is now available in a new mini version that presents the compelling content of the original edition in a highly portable format that is both useful as a serious work of reference and fun for on-the-go art enthusiasts. The American Art Book presents 500 artists and their works, ranging from Puritan portraits to the luminous paintings of the Hudson River School and the American Impressionists, to the videos and digital works of today's most intriguing conceptual artists. Its alphabetical format generates intriguing juxtapositions: Jenny Holzer faces Winslow Homer, and Richard Avedon sits next to Milton Avery, encouraging readers to contemplate the connections between art and American history and popular culture. Each artist is represented by a full-page colour plate of a representative work, and an informative, engaging text which places the artist and the image in the context of contemporary movements and preceding traditions. The book includes an easy-to-use glossary of artistic terms and movements, and a directory of museums and public collections across the United States and around the world with important holdings in American art. With its original format and fresh selections of artwork, this volume offers a stimulating way to approach this rich, varied subject.