V&A Publishing – The Bell Bookshop

The Great Mughals

Emma — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Showcases some of the most stunning treasures from the dynasty that created the Taj Mahal

The Great Mughals presents, for the first time, the opulent, internationalist culture of Mughal Hindustan in the age of its greatest emperors: Akbar (r. 1556-1605), Jahangir (r. 1605-27) and Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58). Providing a compelling new narrative to describe the origins of Mughal art, it explores how a huge Iranian influence permeated the sophisticated craft traditions of the Indian subcontinent to create a distinctively Mughal court are included, from contemporary portraits to jeweled gold vessels and carpets. In chapters that conjure the unique dynamics of each reign, essays with historical sweep combine with texts focused on important objects to tell unexpected stories about a dynasty perhaps best known for commissioning the Taj Mahal.

Chanel

Emma — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

For over a century, the name of Chanel has been synonymous with feminine elegance, modernity and innovation in fashion.

This lavishly illustrated book, newly expanded and updated, examines the creative output of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel (1883-1971) over the course of her long career and documents the creation and meteoric rise of the Chanel fashion empire and the products that bear its exclusive label – haute couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, jewellery and perfumes.

A final chapter looks at the House after Chanel: the vision of creative director Karl Lagerfeld who from 1983 until his death in 2019 ensured that the brand retained its position at the forefront of fashion’s vanguard; and the reinterpreting of Chanel fashion signatures by his successor, Virginie Viard, today.

Dolls’ Houses

Emma — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Presented in covetable hardback with a foreword from Rachel Whiteread, this beautifully illustrated revised edition celebrates some of the best-loved dolls’ houses from one of the world’s greatest collections – the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Opening with a brief history of the dolls’ house, the book then invites you to take a close-up look at the most interesting and historically significant examples of this absorbing craft. Specially commissioned photography reveals the astonishing skill and craftsmanship require to create models from the exquisite Nuremburg House of 1673, to the brightly coloured twenty- first century Kaleidoscope House. From lavish country mansions to cosy suburban villas, it explores the houses’ fascinating roles as both domestic teaching aids and records of contemporary lifestyle, and gives unique insights into the world of their owners.

Beatrix Potter – Drawn to Nature

Emma — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Generations of children have been captivated by the exploits of Jemima Puddle-Duck, Squirrel Nutkin, Peter Rabbit and the host of other characters conjured up by Beatrix Potter. Packed with original artwork, Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature, looks at secrets to her success and celebrates her wider life and legacy – her passions and accomplishments – that stretch far beyond the pages of her storybooks.

Charting her life, from her childhood in South Kensington, London to her later years in the Lake District, Annemarie Bilclough and Emma Laws show how Potter’s exceptional affinity with nature from an early age ensured the success of her stories – underneath the costumes were real, believable, animals. Sara Glenn highlights Potter’s entrepreneurial talents whilst Lucy Shaw takes readers on a Victorian holiday. Contributions from Richard Fortey and James Rebanks reveal her work in the field of mycology and transformation into a farmer, and Liz Hunter MacFarlane discusses her profound impact on the preservation of the Lake District landscape. Naturalist, creative pioneer, storyteller, determined entrepreneur – Potter has been described as ‘a many-sided genius’ and Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature allows readers a tantalising glimpse into the life of this extraordinary woman.

Cars: Accelerating the Modern World

Emma — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

A world without cars would be unrecognizable. They have altered the shape of our cities, transformed our nations and landscapes, revolutionised the way we make and buy things, and profoundly influenced our relationship with speed itself.
From the Ford Model T and the legacy of mass production, to the GM LaSalle and the birth of style and obsolescence, and from the original Volkswagen expression of national identity to the GM Firebird and the desire for frictionless movement, this book presents the car as the driving force that accelerated the twentieth century. It takes an in-depth look at the history of the automobile and its impact, to better understand where we might want to go in the future.

Published to accompany the V&A’s exhibition Cars: Accelerating the Modern World (5 October 2019 – 20 April 2020)

Mary Quant

Emma — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Dame Mary Quant is a fashion icon. The first focused study of her career, this book shows how she revolutionized fashion, harnessing youth, streetstyle and mass production to create a new look for everyone. It surveys the development of her business in the context of British, European and American fashion in the post-war period, and explores how her innovative marketing created a powerful global brand. Featuring new photography of Quant garments, alongside previously unpublished fashion photographs and designs, this book is a dynamic and authoritative account of the designer and her legacy.

Frida Kahlo Making Her Self Up

Emma — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In 1954, following her death, Frida Kahlo’s possessions were locked away in the Casa Azul in Mexico City, her lifelong home. Half a century later, her collection of clothing, jewellery, cosmetics and other personal items was rediscovered.

Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up offers a fresh perspective on the life story of this extraordinary artist, whose charisma and entirely individual way of dressing made her one of the most photographed women of her time.

Specially-commissioned photographs show her distinctive Mexican outfits alongside her self-portraits, an unprecedented pairing that is enriched by iconic images taken in her lifetime.

Bawden Ravilious Artists Great Bardfield

Emma — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

In 1925 the artists Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious moved to the Essex village of Great Bardfield, at first sharing lodgings. Over the course of several years and encouraged by Bawden and Ravilious’ work, other artists came to live in the village, forming a community of artists and designers that has continued to today.Among the first to join them were the Rowntree’s, Kenneth and Diana, and Michael Rothenstein and his wife Duffy Ayers. They were followed by John Aldridge, painter and designer of wallpapers (printed, like Bawden’s papers, by the Curwen Press); Walter Hoyle, printmaker and also a wallpaper designer; Marianne Straub, textile designer and weaver; illustrators and printmakers Bernard Cheese and his wife Sheila Robinson. There were also less well-known names, including George Chapman, Stanley Clifford-Smith and Laurence Scarfe.Though the careers of Bawden and Ravilious are well-documented, many of the other artists are less well-known but equally talented, and most have never featured in a significant publication. This book will tell the story of Great Bardfield and its artists, and their famous ‘open house’ exhibitions, showing how the village and neighbouring landscape nurtured a distinctive style of art, design and illustration from the 1930s to the 1970s and beyond.

Edward Bawdens London

Emma — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This beautiful book, with almost 200 striking images, shows London as represented by Edward Bawden (1903-1989) in prints, posters, drawings, paintings, murals and advertising material produced during his long career. The wide range of illustrations includes early work executed whilst a student in the early 1920s; the Morley College murals carried out in partnership with Eric Ravilious; advertising work for London Transport, Fortnum & Mason, Twinings Teas, Shell, Westminster Bank; the mural for the Lion & Unicorn Pavilion at the 1951 Festival of Britain; and a varied selection of his finest series of linocuts – including London Monuments and London Markets.