December is on the calendar, and it’s high time to think about gifts! We collected the most colorful and original editions of 2016. Magnificent album of Hieronymus Bosch, coloring book based on the works of Leon Bakst, Hokusai in three dimensions and Salvador Dali’s cookbook - all of these wonderful albums and books are available to wide range of art’s admirers.
The Great Wave in 3D
Publishing house "Thames & Nudson" has pleased the connoisseurs of art with the album in an enlarged format with six works of Japanese artist Hokusai, presented in 3-D look. It is noted that the author was an extraordinarily prolific artist of ukiyo-e style (it's translated as images or pictures of ever-changing world). Folding out over the plane of this large-sized album, the engravings look especially interesting and like a premium release!
"Thames & Nudson" offers album for 19.95 pounds sterling, Amazon’s website (look for the header of Hokusai Pop-Ups) — for about 25 USD.
The images of ever-changing world in 3-D made by famous designer Courtney Watson McCarthy. Here is another example of his work — the album with the paintings of Salvador Dali.
The magic squared
The "Harry Potter" is akin to the New Year. It seems to be for children, seems not respectable, but how many adults around the world love this fairy tale! Among those there is a British artist Jim Kay.In 2012 he received the Medal of Kate Greenaway for his illustrations to of Patrick Ness`s fiction novel "A Monster Calls". One of the main awards for designers of children’s books became the "ticket" for Jim Kay in Potteriana: he was noticed by its author J.K. Rowling. She asked the artist to illustrate all seven of the Harry Potter books.
Jim Kay against the background of his creation
Kay said that it caused him "a mixture of delight and horror." He was very afraid "to be known as the person who ruins the most popular children’s book in history".
The fears were in vain: illustrations caused mostly positive, and often enthusiastic reviews, and from J.K. Rowling herself. "The illustrations of Jim Kay completely took my breath away. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter’s world, and I feel honoured and grateful he has lent his talent to it."
The fears were in vain: illustrations caused mostly positive, and often enthusiastic reviews, and from J.K. Rowling herself. "The illustrations of Jim Kay completely took my breath away. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter’s world, and I feel honoured and grateful he has lent his talent to it."
The book is published in different languages. And despite the fact that not all volumes have been published yet, the beginning looks really magical!
Little martyr delights
For the first time since 1973 the German publishing house "Taschen" republished exceptionally rare book "Les Diners de Gala" ("Gala Dinners") — a cookbook of the great and terrible Salvador Dali. The illustrations and recipes are by Dalí, of course.
The surrealist described the publication himself as "too lively, too aggressive, and far too impertinent". Just think of the way it goes about chapter titles: "Autumnal cannibalism", " The Sodomized in-between meals", "Little martyr delights", and similar challenges of public morality.
The book price on the Amazon — 36.7 dollars.
Read more about the unique artist’s idea in a special article by Arthive (you'll be impressed by the recipes!)
Alice in the world of Salvador Dali
The famous work of Lewis Carroll — a children’s fairy-tale, which is loved by the adults, and here is Salvador Dali again. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the publication of "Alice in Wonderland" for the first time since the first (and expensive) edition, the book has been republished with illustrations of the same "great and terrible".
Now the edition you can buy, for example, on the Amazon. Prices range from 12 to 19 dollars.
Devil in the Details
"Taschen" presents its breathtaking brainchild "Hieronymus Bosch. Complete Works": the large-scale monograph of complete Bosch oeuvre. This edition in the enlarged format with huge fold-out spreads. The book’s height is about 45 cm, for the convenience of looking at everything in details!
The reason for release of this exhaustive book is the upcoming 500th anniversary of Bosch’s death. "Special attention is given to Bosch`s most famous work, a fascinating and terrifying triptych "The Garden of Earthly Delights".
Triptych "The Garden of Earthly Delights" - fold-out spread in the book
By the way, Hollywood A-lister and philanthropist, Leonardo DiCaprio gave this book to Pope Francis. DiCaprio is known, in particular, as an active defender of the environment, and the current state of the Planet filmmaker is associated with the "Garden of Earthly Delights" - more precisely, with the blackened sky on the right wing of the triptych…
Publishing House offers a book-album Hieronymus Bosch: Complete Works in the usual format (about 300 A4-sized pages) for 27.99 pounds sterling and in the original, enlarged — £ 99.99. Both versions of the books are also available on Amazon (standard edition — about $ 30, an enlarged format — about $ 115.
The invaluable contribution
… This is how the Russian Museum characterized what Léon Bakst, a Russian painter and scene and costume designer, did for the theater and decorative art. The publication, issued by the institution, is devoted to the oeuvre of this painter and graphic artist. Besides illustrations, the album includes a scientific article, in which the biography and works of the artist are considered "in the context of national and foreign culture in the late XIX — the first third of the XXth century", a detailed chronicle of the life and work of the artist.
Another interesting emphasis on anniversary celebration, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Leon Bakst, is a coloring book based on his works. The edition contains 24 pages, 24×28 cm. The book can be bought in online stores.
From Bronze Age to Contemporary times
Ukraine publishing house "Rodovid" issued art calendar "Ukrainian art: From Bronze Age to Contemporary times." It is presented as "a brief history of Ukrainian art on every day."
The main artworks by prominent artists, who worked in Ukraine and abroad, including "almost all Ukrainian artists in academic art, avant-garde
, modern and primitivism; ancient icons, naive paintings, embroidery, carpets, textiles, jewelery, powder flasks, candlesticks, trunks, sculptures — all this diversity is on the calendar pages. Ancient cultures (Trypillya, Bronze Age, the Polovtsian and Sarmatian times, Kiev Rus) and contemporary photographers' works are also here. This book tells you everything about Ukrainian Art.
Well, this year`s "Art Book Tree" is a success. Enjoy reading and happy New Year!
