coffee table french

The art of magic

Magic has enchanted humankind for millennia, evoking terror, laughter, shock, and amazement. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, magicians have always been conduits to a parallel universe of limitless possibility whether invoking spirits, reading minds, or inverting the laws of nature by sleight of hand. Long before science fiction, virtual realities, video games and the internet, the craft of magic was the most powerful fantasy world man had ever known. As the pioneers of special effects throughout history, magicians have never ceased to mystify us by making the impossible possible.
This book celebrates more than 500 years of the dazzling visual culture of the world s greatest magicians. Featuring over 1,000 rarely seen vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings in one 650-page volume, it traces the history of magic as a performing art from the 1400s to the 1950s. Combining sensational images with lucid and incisive text, Magic explores the evolution of the magician s craft, from medieval street performers to the brilliant stage magicians who gave rise to cinematic special effects; from the 19th century s Golden Age of Magic to groundbreaking daredevils like Houdini and the early 20th century’ vaudevillians.
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An in-depth study of Koons’s entire oeuvre to date. Unlimited popular edition.
From kinky to kitsch to conceptual, Jeff Koons s art is anything but conformist. Since he stirred up the art world establishment in the 1980s with his unapologetic basketball sculptures and stainless steel toy blow-ups, Koons has been known as somewhat of a bad boy a reputation he confirmed in the early 90s via works depicting him having sex with then-wife Cicciolina, the Italian porn star-cum-politician. Following this torrid phase, he changed gears to produce the gargantuan Puppy, the 43-foot tall floral terrier that now resides at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Koons s exploitation of the banal, in the aggrandizement and/or embodiment of kitsch and pop imagery, has become his trademark; detractors may delight in their naysaying, but Koons s work commands millions at auction and his position at the forefront of contemporary art is indisputable.
This exhaustive monograph begins with a biographical essay by Interview magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Sischy that puts his work into context and tells his personal story, as well as a text by Eckhard Schneider s analyzing Koons from a European perspective. Arranged in chronological chapters by work groups, the main body of the book features art historian and critic Katy Siegel s detailed analyses alongside hundreds of large-format images tracing Koons s career from 1979 to today. Rounding off the book are an extended bibliography and a lavishly illustrated biography. Fans of Jeff Koons s work will find in this publication not only a sumptuous book-object, but also the most comprehensive study of the artist s work ever published.
This unlimited popular edition is for readers on a budget or who were unable to get their hands on the original limited Collector’s and Art Edition.
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The world history book to define all others, National Geographic Visual History of the World is a classic in the making. No other volume offers such a comprehensive and richly illustrated chronicle of world events, from the construction of the Pyramids to the overthrow of the Taliban. Readers see how momentous happenings, personalities, catastrophes, discoveries, and inventions unfold in a visually stimulating layout. Four eight-page gatefolds bring to life major events of world history and thousands of paintings, photographs and illustrations depict subjects ranging from the Roman Empire to the Reformation, World War II, to the war in Afghanistan. A timeline at the bottom of every page highlights the most important events, names, and dates of the era, and color-coded cross-referencing helps point readers to other applicable sections. Ideal for people who prefer to flip through books at random, this highly accessible resource contains sidebars on the great religions, influential ideologies, and other topics, as well as biographies of world leaders and notable personalities in the arts and humanities.
National Geographic Visual History of the World is an indispensable, impressive, and extravagantly illustrated reference of social, cultural, and military history in one volume. It is a must-have for all families, armchair historians, and serious scholars alike.
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Best review for National Geographic Visual History of the World

The island of Hawaii teems with lofty volcanic peeks – Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa – remote tropical forests, water-carved valleys, frozen fields of lava, black and empty stretches of desert, white- and green-sand beaches, fountains of fire, cattle-grazing pastures, rugged coastlines and wind-swept cliffs. This coffee table volume captures all of the beauty of the Big Island of Hawaii and has become a classic in the travel book genre. Includes maps and special vintage postcard endsheets.
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Best review for Hawaii: The Big Island: A Visit to a Realm of Beauty, History and Fire

The warm hearts, cold noses and funny scowls of French Bulldogs-as captured by a master photographer.

With their prominent jowls and furrowed brows, French Bulldogs may look a little like Winston Churchill on occasion. But when a Frenchie raises his broad, sweet face for a kiss, you know you’ve never seen a more appealing sight.

Frenchie lovers will quickly testify to the undying loyalty of this little dog with big bat ears and a most curious expression. With the wisdom of an old soul in his eyes-and his endearing, satisfied snore- this playful and sometimes stubborn little pooch has a big heart and a personality all his own.

A clown always ready for tricks, the French Bulldog laughs with his whole body and is a big part of his human family. Frenchie Kisses showcases the spirit of this one-of-a-kind breed.
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Best review for Frenchie Kisses: The Many Faces of the French Bulldog

This dazzling collection of one hundred works by the masters of nineteenth-century French painting tells the story of the Impressionist movement that changed the way artists view the world and the way the world views art. This book tells the story of the beloved Impressionist movement, focusing on the tumultuous period of the 1860s and 1870s and the emergence of the New Painting out of the Paris Salon. Lavish reproductions of masterpieces of French painting from the monumental canvases of Bouguereau to the landscapes and peasant scenes of Millet and Courbet set the stage for a rich visual narrative that recounts the incubation and evolution of the Impressionist movement. The range of subject matter and techniques reflects the stylistic diversity of the artists who were part of this revolution. Drawn from the incomparable holdings of Paris s Musee d Orsay, the stunning publication includes paintings by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Cezanne, Morisot, and Degas, among others. The paintings have been selected and thematically grouped to prompt discussion of Impressionism’s many facets, including France s turbulent social and political climate at the time, the state-run Salon system and the artistic rivalries it fostered, and aspects of daily life during the Belle Epoque. This companion volume to a major exhibition offers a quintessential collection of Impressionist jewels that will delight all lovers of art.
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Best review for Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musee d’Orsay