Art, Architecture & Photography > art history

It is entirely possible to immerse oneself in the glories of European art without having to travel to the Louvre, the Uffizzi, the Tate or the Frick. That's because New Zealand's public art galleries are richly studded with works collected by benefactors over the last 150 years and generously gifted to the nation. Many are infrequently seen and the richness of the collections often goes unacknowledged. In this outstanding book, respected curator Mary Kisler delves into the storerooms and reintroduces our historic art treasures (and... read more

Includes 500 great works of art from different periods and regions in the world. This book reveals the diversity of man's artistic achievements through time and around the globe. It includes both fine and decorative arts - most commonly painting and sculpture, but also textiles, masks, ceramics and jewellery.

This comprehensive, landmark book surveys products our society has made since pre-European times. Begining with ingenious Maori tools, traps, lures and more, it moves to pioneer-era inventions, the industrial and agricultural inventions of early entrepreneurs such as Hayes Machinery and the products of the housewife's friends - Shacklock and Fisher & Paykel - to our modern era, with its sophisticated products such as the Yike bike and Formway furniture, products which hold their own in international company. There's insp... read more

The Canterbury Society of Arts domin-ated the cultural life of Canterbury for nearly a century, and played a vital role in the development of New Zealand art. Whereas art societies are often assumed to be conservative and reactionary institutions that failed to nurture the work of younger or more radical artists, this fascinating and entertaining history reveals a different story. The CSA was formed in 1880 by Euro-pean settlers resolute in their vision to nurture serious New Zealand artistic talent. From the start, the instituti... read more

A never-before-seen presentation of art and architecture from the Renaissance era, in elegant, informative, and engaging three-dimensional form. Accompanied by stunning art and ingenious pop engineering, Renaissance Art Pop-Up Book presents the talent and imagination of some of the most influential artists in history. Ranging from the influences of Gothic art on the early Renaissance to the culmination of High Renaissance, this book follows the appearance of new forms in religious and secular painting and the burgeoning use of grou... read more

The Art Museum is the finest art collection ever assembled between two covers. This revolutionary and unprecedented virtual art museum in a book, features 1,000 oversized pages of over 2,700 works of art. It is the most comprehensive and visually spectacular history of world art ever published. Ten years in the making, this unique book was created with a global team of specialists in all fields of art, including museum curators and educators, who have collected together important works as they might be displayed in the ideal mus... read more

This is a step-by-step guide to all the tricks - both freehand and digital - to create the best manga characters! Here is an amazing manual of manga for artists of all ages! Concentrating on Shojo manga and anime (a genre targeting female audiences), "Shojo Manga" is a practical, hands-on guide to learning the skills of Shojo drawing. It includes detailed information on how to apply digital colour, 3D designs, vectorial drawing, and a host of other fascinating and useful design applications. And each project in Kodomo Manga include... read more

The year 1884 saw the appearance in Paris of a fin de siecle cult novel that was celebrated as an altogether perverse sensation on the European cultural scene. The title of the book was "A Rebours" (translated both as "Against the Grain" and "Against Nature"). Its author Joris-Karl Huysmans wrote it as a seductive textbook of decadence, as an antidote to 'banal' naturalism or realism. Symbolism, whose influence was felt well into the modernist era, was an artistic religion-substitute, a spiritually charged cult of beauty. A Symboli... read more

The Real Art Roadshow is an eclectic yet cohesive collection of contemporary artworks by a cross-section of New Zealand artists, both reknowned and emerging. It hangs together as a fascinating and insightful snapshot of post-1945 New Zealand visual art. The Real Art Roadshow brings the art to the students, not the students to the art. Thankfully, those of us who left secondary school some time ago don't have to chase the truck down the road to get a glimpse of the collection. The Real Art Roadshow is now commited to the pages of th... read more

In this hugely engaging book, acclaimed art writer Justin Paton takes us on a journey of exploration through the centuries and across the painted world - from the luscious fruit of Italy's Caravaggio to the lonely landscapes of New Zealand's Rita Angus, the dazzling panoramas of America's Lari Pittman and the mysterious 'tombstones' of Japanese artist On Kawara. Whether you're a keen art collector, a student of art, or just love to visit a gallery occasionally, this brilliant exposition of painting in all its forms will open your e... read more

For centuries China has intrigued and entranced Westerners. From Marco Polo's travels onwards, China's heritage of thousands of years of continuous civilization has long inspired awestruck respect in visitors, while its wide-ranging achievements, both artistic and intellectual, have retained the power to amaze and enthral. "Treasures of China" presents, in stunning colour photographs, a vivid portrait of this distinguished civilization and its great treasures - tracing the imperial kingdom's history through its dynasties of rulers,... read more

Kowhaiwhai, according to John Hovell, is about process, a shorthand summary of the passage of life, and a space within the whare whakairo (decorated meeting house) for the Maori artist to express his wry and droll view of human nature. This book looks at John Hovell's life and work, his ongoing interest in kowhaiwhai, and locates him within a larger story of Maori art. From the mid-1960s, Hovell was part of the contemporary Maori art movement, exhibiting his paintings alongside artists such as Paratene Matchitt and Sandy Adsett, an... read more

John Reynolds is one of New Zealand's most significant and most admired contemporary artists. An Arts Laureate, his Cloud was last year a centrepiece of the Sydney Bienale, at which he was New Zealand's representative, a rare honour for a New Zealand painter. Certain Words Drawn brings together examples of his recent work and practice in a stunning book designed by Arch McDonnell of InHouse Design. Magnificently packaged, this book is a limited edition of 1500 copies only, each numbered and signed by the artist. Edited by Universit... read more

On Beauty is neither a history of art, nor a history of aesthetics, but Umberto Eco draws on both these disciplines to define the ideas of beauty that have informed us from the classical world to modern times. In terms of form and style, On Beauty has been conceived for a vast and diverse readership. Packed with examples from painting, sculpture, architecture, film, photography, the decorative arts and literature, it offers a rich and intelligent panorama of this huge subject. In On Beauty Eco is at his most captivating and eclecti... read more

This title is Taschen 25 - Special edition! It presents Picasso and peers. Pioneered by Picasso and Braque, Cubism was the first avant-garde art movement of the 20th century. Heavily influenced by the stark power of African and Native American art and sculpture, it deconstructed conventions of viewpoint and perspective, revolutionizing painting and western art in general. With its flattened, geometric shapes, overlapping, simplified forms and fragmented spatial planes, Cubism was one of the most influential movements in 20th-century art.

The latest addition to Phaidon's best-selling Colour Library series of affordable introductory books on the great masters and movements in art features all of Leonardo' da Vinci's painted works and a detailed illustrated introduction.

CSI meets Who Do You Think You Are? meets Time Team meets The Antiques Roadshow. Two-dimensional works of art become three-dimensional thrillers. Philip Mould is an international art dealer who has lived the high stakes game of art sleuthing for twenty years. In Sleuth, we encounter the fascinating dealers, experts, auctioneers and restorers who risk fortunes and reputations to turn overlooked artworks into coveted treasures. Sleuth is laced with dramas: Gainsborough's earliest picture emerges in a Los Angeles saleroom - the auth... read more

Weaving is more than just a product of manual skills. From the simple rourou (food basket) to the prestigious kahukiwi (kiwi feather cloak), weaving is endowed with the very essence of the spiritual values of Maori people. The first Maori settlers brought the knowledge of weaving with them. In Aotearoa they found new plant materials, including the versatile harakeke (New Zealand flax). They also incorporated feathers from birds and the skin and hair of their dogs. They wove practical items necessary for everyday life. But they also... read more

An historic publishing event! Endorsed by the Louvre and for the very first time ever, every painting from the world's most popular and renowned museum is available in one stunning book. All 2,954 paintings on display in the permanent painting collection of the Louvre are presented in full colour in this striking slip-cased book. Comes with a, supportive DVD-ROM. This book is organized and divided into the four main painting collections of the Louvre: the Italian School, the Northern School, the Spanish School, and the French Schoo... read more

This attractive series reveals the V&A's spectacular and extensive pattern collections. Each title in the series includes a free CD of high resolution images. Liberty & Co. charts the development of a legendary company through its textile designs, from its beginnings in the Aesthetic movement, through Art Nouveau and into the late twentieth century.