The essential purpose of a staircase is utilitarian: to facilitate ascent and descent. Yet the design of even the simplest stair is complex, requiring great knowledge, skill and ingenuity. This vol...więcej »
From the rise of the egalitarian Little Free Library movement (motto: 'Take a book, return a book') to the growth in luxury hotel libraries, Alex Johnson - whose parents were both librarians - maps...więcej »
Imagine a terraced house whose courtyard separates the kitchen from the bedroom. Or a tiny, triangular tower of rooms stacked one above another. Quirky, experimental and utterly fascinating, the ho...więcej »
Vincent van Gogh believed that drawing was the ‘root of everything’. This was reflected in the remarkable number of more than a thousand graphic works produced by the artist during his ...więcej »
Karl Lagerfeld lived a very public life. He shaped the Chanel and Fendi brands for decades, and his wit and wisdom amused and informed the world. Yet despite a massively public persona, his hinterl...więcej »
A concise, accessible, and up- to-date overview of the arts of Africa from prehistoric times to the present day.This indispensable introductory guide explores the art of the African con...więcej »
Giorgio Vasari’s The Lives of the Most Famous Painters, Sculptors and Architects (1550 and 1568) is a classic of cultural history. A monumental assembly of artists’ lives from Giotto to...więcej »
From the burrows and secret bunkers beneath our feet to imagined hellscapes and surrealist dreamscapes, the disquieting, alarming and wonderful visuals span natural and constructed subterranea and ...więcej »
Coco Chanel was an emancipated fashion revolutionary. Raised by nuns in an orphanage, she rose to become a star of the world of couture and a byword for stylish elegance. But now, a fascinating new...więcej »
While acknowledging the legacy of Herbert Read’s classic 1959 study A Concise History of Modern Painting in the World of Art series, academic and artist Simon Morley places the foundation of ...więcej »
The Impressionists – Monet, Manet, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley and others – are probably the most popular of all artistic schools. Their struggle to impose a new vision is ...więcej »
Islamic architecture dates back 1,400 years and continues to reinvent itself up to the present day. The enormous richness of building types, regional styles, and architectural details is revealed h...więcej »
This is not just another history of fashion: it is a survey of how fashion past continues to inspire fashion present. It features over 1,000 stand-out pieces, together with over 300 contextual illu...więcej »
Through simple projects on subjects such as 'Making Self-Portraits' and 'Capturing Personal Moments' as well as captivating profiles of twenty internationally acclaimed photographers, Cian Oba-Smit...więcej »
Lavishly illustrated and exquisitely designed, this book opens with stunning images of style icons – historic and modern – wearing their favourite emerald jewelry.As befits ...więcej »
Between 1790 and 1910, Danish painters developed a national school of art that matched the artistic centres of France, Germany and Britain. The range of outstanding works created by Nicolai Abildga...więcej »
Norway-based Canadian architect Todd Saunders' unique approach, set in some of the most remote locations on earth, splices modern sculptural forms with a deeply rooted respect for nature, most famo...więcej »
Over the past decade, China’s new generation of young female architects have proven themselves to be talented, confident, innovative and successful on the world stage. Engaging with tradition...więcej »
The first and only book to showcase a complete sartorial history of the Oscars' red carpet. The red carpet is so much more than fabulous gowns on famous people. It reflects the styles and values o...więcej »
Vermeer's intensely quiet and enigmatic paintings invite the viewer into a private world, often prompting more questions than answers. Who is being portrayed? Are his subjects real or imagined? And...więcej »