Art and Art History: New Books

Featuring more than 200 drawings as well as paintings, sculpture, and architectural plans and views, this authoritative examines Michelangelo as "the divine draftsman and designer" whose work, according to Giorgio Vasari, embodied the unity of the arts. In each thematic chapter, related drawings and other works are illustrated and discussed together. In addition to St. Peter's, other featured projects include the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Tomb of Pope Julius II, and the architecture of the Campidoglio in Rome. Michelangelo's theories of art are also explored, and new consideration is given to his personal life and affections and their effect on his creative output.

My Soul Has Grown Deep considers the art-historical significance of self-taught Black artists, many working under conditions of poverty and isolation, in the American South. It features paintings and drawings, mixed-media and sculptural works, and quilts, including pieces ranging from the pioneering paintings of Thornton Dial (1928-2016) to the renowned quilts made in Gee's Bend, Alabama. Nearly 60 remarkable works of art--originally collected by the Souls Grown Deep Foundation--are illustrated alongside insightful texts that situate them in the context of rural Southern life, simultaneously revealing their connections to mainstream contemporary art while considering them on their own terms. Each of the works, described and outstandingly illustrated, tells a remarkable story of artists who faced enormous difficulties, and whose creativity and determination produced extraordinary and unique forms of artistic expression.

"The Diamond Mountains, known in Korea as Mount Geumgang, are perhaps the most famous and emotionally resonant site on the Korean Peninsula, a breathtaking range of rocky peaks, waterfalls, lagoons, and man-made pavilions. For centuries the range has inspired cultural pride and a vast outpouring of creative expression. Yet since the partition of Korea in the 1940s, situating them in the North, the Diamond Mountains have remained largely inaccessible to visitors, shrouding the site in legend, loss, and longing. This book examines the visual representation of this remarkable landscape from the 18th century to the present day. It explores how Jeong Seon (1676-1759) revolutionized Korean painting with his Diamond Mountains landscapes, replacing conventional generic imagery with specific detail and indelibly influencing generations of artists in his wake. It also discusses the potency of these mountains as an emblem of Korean cultural identity, as reflected in literature and in exquisitely detailed album leaves, handscrolls, hanging scrolls, and screens. This magnificent volume is the first in English to survey this rich artistic tradition and bring these distant mountains into view"-- Provided by publisher.

The fascinating story of the American art pottery movement told through hundreds of distinctive works. During the height of the Arts and Crafts era in Europe and the United States, from the late 1800s until World War I, American ceramics were transformed from industrially produced ornamental and table wares to aesthetically and technologically innovative art pottery…. More than 300 of the finest examples of works made by both well-known and less familiar ceramists, including George E. Ohr, Hugh Robertson, Charles Volkmar, Mary Louise McLaughlin, Matt Morgan, Maria Longworth Nichols, and Frederick Hurten Rhead, are beautifully reproduced, along with numerous period advertisements and photographs.

"Drawn from Gaiman's trove of published speeches, poems, and creative manifestos, Art Matters is an embodiment of this remarkable multi-media artist's vision--an exploration of how reading, imagining, and creating can transform the world and our lives. Featuring original illustrations by Gaiman's longtime illustrator, Chris Riddell, Art Matters is a stirring testament to the freedom of ideas that inspires us to make art in the face of adversity, and dares us to choose to be bold."

"Women have long been the creative force behind Native American art, yet their individual contributions have been largely unrecognized, instead treated as anonymous representations of entire cultures. 'Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists' explores the artistic achievements of Native women and establishes their rightful place in the art world. This lavishly illustrated book, a companion to the landmark exhibition, includes works of art from antiquity to the present, made in a variety of media from textiles and beadwork to video and digital arts. It showcases more than 115 artists from the United States and Canada, spanning over one thousand years, to reveal the ingenuity and innovation that have always been foundational to the art of Native women."