Joseph Mallord William Turner is considered a trailblazer of modernism in Europe. More than almost any other artist in the first half of the nineteenth century, he succeeded in making atmosphere and color the defining elements of his paintings. His world-famous landscapes, seascapes and vedute bear witness to his virtuoso use of light; the figurative seems to dissolve in favor of mood. This book cements Turner’s reputation as a role model for the Impressionists and a forerunner of abstraction.
An introductory essay sheds light on Turner’s life and work within a historical context, while selected paintings and watercolors are examined in detail.

A little-known fact about iconic artist Frida Kahlo was her love of Mexican cuisine, especially that of her mother’s birthplace – Oaxaca. Frida loved dishes such as mole, tamales and enchiladas and savored trips to the market in Coyocan. Her famous “Mole Poblano” recipe, a chocolate-chili sauce, indispensable to Mexican cuisine, now hangs in the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City.
This luxurious cookbook is filled with authentic dishes that reflect Kahlo’s distinctive style. Saturated with color and flavor, it includes fundamental recipes for the building blocks of Mexican gastronomy-tortillas, moles, salsas, beans, chiles, and beverages-as well as classic dishes such as tacos with beef, pork and chicken; enchiladas, chilaquiles, and posole; flan and tres leches cake. Castellanos’ recipes are true to her own and Kahlo’s heritage, using traditional methods and ingredients that emphasize quality and taste over convenience foods.
In engaging texts, Castellano explores Kahlo’s relationship to food, as well as the historic importance of Mexican culinary arts in Kahlo’s work. Fans of Kahlo’s art will gain a deeper understanding of her use of color and her connection to Mexican tradition. Anyone interested in authentic Mexican cooking will be drawn to the flavors and textures of Castellanos’ gorgeously illustrated recipes.

Highlighted by domestic scenes and witty allegories that fuse the ordinary with the extraordinary, Vermeer’s luminous paintings have captivated and inspired art enthusiasts for centuries. This book spotlights dozens of his works with stunning reproductions that enable readers to appreciate his mastery of light and shadow, meticulous brushwork, his extraordinary gift for capturing human emotion on canvas, and his innovative use of optical devices. An introductory essay provides biographical background, examines Vermeer’s work in the context of the Dutch Golden Age of painting, and explores his enormous influence on modern artists and popular culture.

Founded in Munich in 1911, the Blue Rider Group was a revolutionary collective of artists that pioneered German Expressionism. Including Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, Natalia Goncharova, Gabriele Mu ¨nter, and Marianne von Werefkin, the group rejected the prevailing formal and academic artistic trends of their time, sought to break free from the constraints of traditional painting, transcend the material world, and explore emotional and spiritual truths in their art. This book spotlights 35 important works that embody the artists’ pioneering achievements and radical innovations. It features stunning reproductions that highlight the movement’s use of luminous colors, symbolic forms, and expressive brushwork.

Gustav Klimt’s career straddled the last gasps of Vienna’s golden age and the birth of modernism. When seen through this bifurcated lens, it is easy to understand why his relatively small oeuvre created such a lasting impact.
 
This gorgeously illustrated biography explores the unique environment in which Klimt worked-a society in which the schooling of artists was both appreciated and encouraged; a city that was pouring money into magnificently ornate architecture and portraiture; a population that was both experimenting with and suppressing freedom of thought. The full breadth of Klimt’s accomplishments is represented here-history and symbolist paintings, building decorations, murals, posters, magazine illustrations, portraits, and landscapes.
 
Readers will learn how Klimt navigated the complex architecture of fin-de-sie`cle Vienna and helped found the Vienna Secession and they will see how Klimt’s style and motifs changed extensively through the years. Dozens of key works allow for close inspection of Klimt’s dazzling artistry, his profound appreciation of female sensuality and his brilliant application of color and mosaic. The author draws out the importance of the relation between the plane surfaces of Klimt’s paintings and the spaces they represent, thereby raising surprising connections between his painting and his skills in the applied arts.
 
Compact and satisfying, this book traces a singular artist’s trajectory across an ever-changing cultural landscape.

Throughout his career, Magritte subverted expectations about artists in the world by disguising himself as an unremarkable member of the bourgeoisie.  While the public mined his work for symbolism and deep meaning, the truth is, that with Magritte, what you see is what you get.
 
What readers will get with this gorgeous volume is a deeply engaging overview of Magritte’s entire career, and an eloquent argument that his Surrealist masterpieces were simply an extension of the Romantic tradition. Chronologically arranged, this volume features full- page reproductions of thirty-five works, each paired with a concise text that highlights its significance in Magritte’s catalog.
 
In addition to greatest hits, such as Time Transfixed,  1938; The Treachery of Images, 1929; and The Lovers, 1928, the inclusion of several lesser-known works provides an overview of the range and character of Magritte’s art. Readers will become acquainted with the main figures in the artist’s life, including relatives, colleagues, rivals, and they will see how Magritte’s relationships with collectors and dealers led to the production of particular works, as well as how his theories about painting evolved over the years.
 
Across this compact but utterly satisfying book, Magritte’s exquisite use of color, his grasp of collage and composition, and his superb gifts for invention and mood are luminously and thrillingly in evidence.

From his earliest pointillist-influenced paintings to this mature and playful paper cut-outs; from enormous, ebullient murals to reverent stained glass–Henri Matisse was renowned for his dramatic use of color and fluid draftsmanship. Thirty of Matisse’s most beloved works are given close attention in this introduction that explores the varying tensions of the artist’s oeuvre–his embrace of pure color, patterns, and texture; the languorous pleasures of the Cote d’Azur; primitive displays of human ecstasy; tranquil scenes of domestic life and soaring monuments to religious life. An engaging biography takes readers through every phase of Matisse’s career and reveals how his aversion to troubling or depressing subject matter was in direct opposition to the radical spirit of his work.

Marc Chagall’s remarkable oeuvre spans a variety of media; from painting, ceramics, and stained glass to illustration,
tapestry, and stage sets. Regardless of the format, his singular narrative style embraced the memories of his happy childhood in Vitebsk, Russia, and his roots in Jewish culture. This engaging examination of the artist and his life features stunning fullpage illustrations of Chagall’s works, along with illuminating biographical details. On every page, Chagall’s genius with color and composition spring to life. Comparisons and contrasts are made to the works of other Fauve and Cubist artists among whom he lived and worked, as well as to the poetry of the era. Although he depicted the harsh anti-Semitism that his countrymen faced, Chagall nevertheless embraced a vision of humanism and tolerance that remains refreshingly poignant decades after his death.

How does a plane move through the air? What is turbulence? What do those lines on the runways mean? All these questions and many more are answered in this gorgeously illustrated history of planes and flight. The book opens with a basic introduction to plane anatomy and shows how aircrafts have developed over the ages. Readers will then learn about aerodynamics, the mechanics of wing shape and lift, and how ailerons, propellers, and flaps work. There’s even a section on communications systems, runway design, and GPS. Profiles of famous historic planes illustrate basic principles throughout the book. Readers will find out about record-breaking flights across continents and oceans; how “flying wings” evolved into the B-2 bomber; and where the world’s most treacherous runways are located. A section on experimental aircraft looks at zeppelins, flying cars, and the fate of the Concorde jet. Jan Van Der Veken’s lushly colored, retro drawings detail everything from plane design to the physics of flight and provide the perfect companion to his engaging text. Budding aviators will linger over every detail of this information-packed book that serves both to demystify and celebrate the miracle of flight.