"Tells the dark and compelling stories of iconic cultural objects that were stolen, smuggled or sold, and eventually returned back to their original owner. This book is structured as a series of vivid stories in which the reader joins the author as she uncovers a cultural treasure and follows its often-convoluted trail. Along the way author and reader encounter a cast of fascinating characters from the underbelly of the cultural world: unscrupulous...

Widely acknowledged as the most authoritative art critic of his generation, Hilton Kramer advanced his comments and judgments largely in the form of essays and short pieces. Thus, this first collection of his work to appear in twenty years is a signal event for the art world and for criticism generally. “The Triumph of Modernism” not only traces the vicissitudes of the art scene but diagnoses the state of modernism and its vital legacy in the...

"The true story of the world's most prolific art thief--a spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, from the bestselling author of The Stranger in the Woods. For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly ten years--in museums and cathedrals all over Europe--Breitwieser,...

In this thought-provoking practical guide, a noted artist and educator demonstrates that learning to violate the rules of perspective (profitably) is as important for the practicing artist as learning the principles of perspective themselves. Only in this way can students free themselves from the constraints of tradition and find their own imaginative paths. However, it is vital that students first have a solid grasp of classical perspective before...

Well-crafted and class-tested, this guide to figure drawing features a unique teaching method. It focuses on learning to draw complete figures prior to the study of individual components, and it stresses action figures rather than the customary static examples favored by most drawing and anatomy texts. Employing more text than typical art instruction books, it presents thirty figure drawing lessons and fifty-six drawings and figures. Each lesson includes...

An indispensable and easy-to-follow companion for the intermediate art student, this concise guide focuses on how to capture the natural representation of the human hand in all its forms and motions. Over 100 clear and expertly rendered drawings help artists discover: • The subtle but crucial differences between hands of young and old, male and female • How to accurately draw hands engaged in a variety of activities • Skeletal and muscular depictions,...

In this stimulating, thought-provoking guide, a noted sculptor and teacher demonstrates how to discover a rich new design source in the abstractions inherent in natural forms. Through systematic study of such properties as line, form, shape, mass, pattern, light and dark, space, proportion, scale, perspective, and color as they appear in nature, students can learn to utilize the infinite variety and diversity of those elements as a wellspring of creative...

Known as an expert on Islam, Sufism, and Islamic arts & crafts, Burckhardt presents in-depth analyses of seminal examples of Islamic architecture, from Spain and Morocco to Persia and India. He examines Koranic calligraphy and illumination, arabesque, carpets and rugs, Persian miniatures, and much more while making illuminating comparisons with Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist art. Beautifully illustrated in color, this masterpiece is presented in a...