In his Life of Utamaro, Edmond de Goncourt, in exquisite language and with analytical skill, interpreted the meaning of the form of Japanese art which found its chief expression in the use of the wooden block for colour printing. To glance...
What if religions are neither all true or all nonsense? The boring debate between fundamentalist believers and non-believers is finally moved on by Alain's inspiring new book, which boldly argues that the supernatural claims of religion are of...
An entirely new publication, the Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Arts is the most comprehensive single-volume encyclopedia of the arts available. It is the ideal reference book for anyone wanting ready answers to questions about...
The Renaissance began at the end of the 14th century in Italy and by the second half of the 16th century has extended across the whole of Europe. The rediscovery of the splendour of ancient Greece and Rome marked the beginning of the rebirth of...
Vacillating between the majesty of the Greco-Byzantine heritage and the modernity forecasted by Giotto, Early Italian painting summarises the first steps that lead to the Renaissance. Trying out new mediums, those first artists left frescoes for...