Iconography, the study of symbols – be they animals, artefacts, plants, shapes or gestures – is an essential element of art history. This guide unravels over fifty of the most common and intriguing
This lively introduction tells the ever-evolving story of abstract art, tracing its history from the early 1900s right up to the present day. Emerging out of western movements such as Cubism and Expre
Jessica Lack introduces fifty pioneering modern and contemporary art movements born out of political engagement, decolonization, marginalization or conflict. These movements have aimed to revitalize s
For more than 2,000 years the art of Greece and Rome has lain at the heart of western civilization. This book recaptures the excitement of the artists who first created it. It traces the daring innova
Street Art is a phenomenon and subcultural movement that reaches from the darkest urban backstreets to the most glamorous international art fairs. Simon Armstrong examines how it evolved from its orig
It is often forgotten just how provocative Impressionist canvases seemed when they were first exhibited in 1874. The advocates of the new style rejected the established principles of art prevalent at
Surrealism was launched as a literary and artistic movement by French poet Andre´ Breton in 1924, and by the time of his death in 1966 it had become one of the most popular and recognizable art moveme
In 1971, in an essay that has now become one of the touchstones of feminist art history, Linda Nochlin raised the question heard round the world: “Why have there been no great women artists?” Since th
Pop Art refers to a post-war movement connecting art with popular culture. Billboard signs, comic books, and movie stars were just some of the subjects chosen by pop artists, such as Andy Warhol, Roy
Art lovers can list history’s most important art objects, but what many don’t know are the dramatic, funny, and sometimes bizarre stories behind these most famous works. Spanning the last 500 years of
The first in a new series of essential introductions to art, Modern Art guides the reader through individual movements from Impressionism to Conceptual Art, situated within five broader chronological
Beautifully illustrated with some of the world’s greatest pictures, from cave paintings and Roman mosaics to Picasso and Damien Hirst, this affordable guide explains the art of looking at and understa
150年前，臺灣鳥類的博物繪圖，是全歐洲達官顯貴爭相預購的珍奇150年後，由臺灣專家團隊，重現當年風華維多利亞時代最著名的鳥類學家兼出版人約翰・古爾德（John Gould），在他的鉅作《亞洲鳥類》（Birds of Asia）巨大開本的精裝七卷中，收錄了530張鳥類的全彩繪圖，大部分照鳥類等比例繪製，並且配有說明文字，整理當時科學界對圖版中鳥的生態知識。其中多幅繪圖描繪了來自臺灣的特有鳥種，像是藍腹鷴、臺灣藍鵲、五色鳥等。這些作品以當時頂尖的石版印刷技術製作，而後逐幅手工上色，不僅在科學上極具參考價值，更因為畫風優雅寫實，成為十九世紀自然圖譜出版的藝術高峰。這些「福爾摩沙鳥類」的圖版，當年曾在歐洲的收藏家間引起轟動，甚至成為王公貴族和達官顯貴書房中的炫耀話題。150年後的今天，我們重新翻開這些圖像，除了驚艷於當時精細的畫工與敏銳的鳥類生態觀察，更令人意外的是：這麼美的臺灣，為什麼我們從未聽聞？《臺灣珍鳥重現》挑選《亞洲鳥類》中和臺灣相關的65張鳥類圖版，完整翻譯原文，並邀集臺灣鳥類和科學繪圖專家，逐幅撰寫導覽和賞析文字，不只帶讀者理解每一幅圖像背後的物種特徵與背景，也補充150年前繪製時的知識局限與技術挑戰。此外，書前更收錄五篇導讀專文，從古爾德的生平、十九世紀自然圖譜的製作技術到催生圖鑑的時代風氣，皆由該主題之專家撰寫，以利讀者領略必要的背景知識。在印刷與裝幀上，本書也力求還原當時的典雅質感。從鳥類圖版之色彩校正、紙張選擇與整體裝幀設計，皆反覆斟酌，讓今日讀者捧讀在手時，能感受到十九世紀原作的莊重與美感。這不僅是一本鳥類圖鑑復刻，更是一場紙上展覽，一次穿越時空的文化盛宴，也是一次追尋臺灣故事的機會。《臺灣珍鳥重現》讓我們發現，早在百餘年前，臺灣之美就曾驚豔世界。
