Parkstone International

-- Nicolas Poussin (1594 - 1665) was undoubtedly a highly significant master of the historical genre. He shaped its aesthetics which, regrettably, subsequently became regarded as a set of hard-and-fast rules (a trap which the Russian followers of the founder of classicism also fell into). -- We know that Poussin attributed prime significance to the actual choice of matter for depiction, giving pre...

-- When, almost twenty years ago, we founded the World of Art, we had a burning desire to liberate Russian artistic activity from the tutelage of literature, to instil in the society around us a love of the very essence of art, and that was the aim we had when we took the field. -- We considered enemies all those “who fail to respect art as such”, those who either fasten wings to an old nag or har...

-- Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer… the Devil has many names and faces, all of which have always served artists as a source of inspiration. Often commissioned by religious leaders as images of fear or veneration, depending on the society, representations of the underworld served to instruct believers and lead them along the path of righteousness... - Read full article here: https://bom.so/0qoNhG - Buy t...

-- Mexican painting did not come to be internationally recognised until the early 20th century. -- It was the muralist movement, starting in the 1920s and strongly connected to the Mexican Revolution of the previous decade, from which such great artists as José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Diego Rivera emerged. Rarely has art been more political. -- Thus, what Mexican muralists of...

-- Not only was Leonardo da Vinci (1453-1519) an astonishing painter, but also a scientist, anatomist, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, inventor, and more. -- The archetypal Renaissance man is here explored by the engaging prose of Eugène Müntz who narrates how Leonardo da Vinci mastered a diverse range of fields, from painting to engineering, making him one of the most brilliant minds in...

-- Transylvanian mystique and legendary hauntedness surround the most infamous Bram Stoker’s protagonists, forming a legacy that allows the myth to continue into modern times, maintaining a cultish following, yet broadening to a general fascination. -- Dracula became such an obsession as it embodied a taboo subject matter: the desire for blood and sex. - Read full article here: https://bom.so/wfdU...

-- It was in 1946 that the world first came to hear of a coral atoll in the Marshall Islands called Bikini. The following year, French couturier Louis Réard borrowed the name and applied it to a bathing costume for women. -- Breaking from decades of conformity, Réard dared to ‘undress’ women’s bodies in order to better emphasize what remained clothed - albeit in tiny wisps of material. - Read full...

-- Although the techniques of classical ballets were invented by French and Italian masters two hundred years ago, the Russian Ballet refined these techniques, thus enhancing its already superb performances. -- This book uncovers the Great History of Russian Ballet, its art and choreography. - Buy this wonderful book here: https://bom.so/ICjHp7 - Read full article here: https://bom.so/lRe363 -----...

-- This book is not a panegyric of homosexuality. It is a scientific study led by Professor James Smalls who teaches art story . His works examines the process of creation and allows one to comprehend the contribution of homosexuality to the evolution of emotional perception. -- In a time when all barriers have been overcome, this analysis offers a new understanding of our civilisation's masterpie...

-- "All living beings are Buddhas and have wisdom and virtue within them". (Buddha) -- Perfect for all those passionate about Asian art, from neophytes to Buddhists, this fascinating work invites the reader to discover or rediscover Buddha, his history, his codes, but also his innumerable faces through one thousand representations selected from among the most beautiful works held in the world's gr...

-- Spreading from the Arabian Peninsula, the proselyte believers conquered, in a few centuries, a territory spreading from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Multicultural and multi-ethnical, this polymorphic and highly spiritual art, in which all representation of Man and God were prohibited, developed canons and various motives of great decorative value. -- Lively and coloured, Islamic art mirror...

-- After serving for a long time as a backdrop for paintings and as a skill-practicing exercise for artists, nature came to be observed for its own sake and was incorporated into works of art as an illustration of an enlightened and scientific study of the world. -- Through continual change, it has inspired the greatest painters and has allowed some others, like Turner, to transcend the relentless...

-- Icon painting has reached its zenith in Ukraine between the 11th and 18th centuries. This art is appealing because of its great openness to other influences – the obedience to the rules of Orthodox Christianity in its early stages, the borrowing from Roman heritage or later to the Western breakthroughs – combined with a never compromised assertion of a distinctly Slavic soul and identity. - See...

-- The Bauhaus movement (meaning the “house of building”) developed in three German cities - it began in Weimar between 1919 and 1925, then continued in Dessau, from 1925 to 1932, and finally ended in 1932-1933 in Berlin. -- Three leaders presided over the growth of the movement: Walter Gropius, from 1919 to 1928, Hannes Meyer, from 1928 to 1930, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, from 1930 to 1933. --...

-- Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (1755-1842) was not only the rare woman of her time who integrated herself into the French Royal Academy of Painting, but also beloved portraitist to the aristocracy. -- Self-taught, Vigée-Lebrun knew how to get the best from her models, mastering painting effects to perfection and making use of a delicate and refined style. - See full article here: https://bom.so/xo6693...

-- James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) debütierte in der Kunstszene in einem entscheidenden Moment der Kunstgeschichte und wurde zu einer Pionierfigur. Während die Impressionisten den Inbegriff der Avantgarde verkörpern, erreichen Whistlers Gemälde ein Abstraktionsniveau, das vor ihm noch nie erreicht wurde. -- Als enger Freund von Stéphane Mallarmé und bewundert von Marcel Proust, spielte W...

-- Whistler suddenly shot to fame like a meteor at a crucial moment in the history of art, a field in which he was a pioneer. Like the impressionists, with whom he sided, he wanted to impose his own ideas. -- He never hesitated in crossing swords with the most famous art theoreticians of his day. His personality, his outbursts, and his elegance were a perfect focus for curiosity and admiration. --...

-- Deriving from the French word rocaille, in reference to the curved forms of shellfish, and the Italian barocco, the French created the term "Rococo". -- Appearing at the beginning of the 18th century, it rapidly spread to the whole of Europe. Extravagant and light, Rococo responded perfectly to the spontaneity of the aristocracy of the time. In many aspects, this art was linked to its predecess...

-- Erotic photo art has lost much of its exquisite soul since Playboy and other girlie monthlies repackaged the human body for mass-market consumption. -- Like much painting, sculpture and engraving, since its beginning photography has also been at the service of eroticism. - See full article here: https://parkstone.international/2022/02/08/oh-nostalgia-when-you-take-possession-of-our-senses-there...

-- Since the foundation of the Au Lac kingdom three centuries ago – famous for their bronze drums and their magnificent artilleries – until the works of the painters from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Indochina, created in Hanoi in 1925, the arts of Vietnam have been marked by its profoundly original cultures and the fusion between Asia and the Occident. -- The modern Vietnamese civilization has the...

- Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was one of Japan’s most internationally-renowned artists. He single-handedly transformed the art form from a simple style focused on courtesans and famous actors into a grander style depicting the beauty of nature seen through landscapes and wildlife. - His style of art and subject evolved as many times as he changed his name, but Hokusai’s talent as an artist rema...

- The art world is filled with the presence of the Virgin Mary – a fundamental symbol of motherhood, who has been radiating youthfulness, tenderness, and compassion for two thousand years. - These works of art present a fascinating visual commentary on the evolution of Western art as well as a striking record of the rise in status of women in society. With more than 200 illustrations, two thousand...

- Ilya Répine était le plus doué du groupe que l'on appelait en Russie «Les Ambulants ». Dès l'âge de douze ans, il entre à l'atelier d'Ivan Bounakov pour apprendre le métier de peintre d'icônes. La représentation religieuse restera très importante pour lui. - Ses tableaux, qui s'éloignent des contraintes académiques de ses prédécesseurs, sont délicats et offrent une plasticité puissante. Même dan...

- Ilya Repin was the most gifted of the group known in Russia as “The Itinerants”. When only twelve years old, he joined Ivan Bounakov’s studio to learn the icon-painter’s craft. Religious representations always remained of great importance for him. - Repin’s works, which depart from the academic constraints of their predecessors, are both delicate and powerful. He achieved a superior mastery of s...

- Dracula in the Wallachian language means Devil. The Wallachians were, at that time, as they are at present, used to give this as a surname to any person who rendered himself conspicuous either by courage, cruel actions, or cunning. - It became such an obsession as it embodied a taboo subject matter. Filled with extraordinary pictures of the Count, his literary companions, and the movie idols, th...