This funny, personal journey through the art world answers the basic questions that might occur to us in an art gallery but that we’re too embarrassed to ask. Questions such as: What is “good” or “bad” art—and does it even matter? Is art still capable of shocking us or have we seen it all before? And what happens if you place apiece of art in a rubbish dump?

    Here, in Raphael, Painter in Rome, Storey tells of its creation as never before: through the eyes of Michelangelo’s fiercest rival—the young, beautiful, brilliant painter of perfection, Raphael. Orphaned at age eleven, Raphael is determined to keep the deathbed promise he made to his father: become the greatest artist in history. But to be the best, he must beat the best, the legendary sculptor of the David, Michelangelo Buonarroti. When Pope Julius II calls both artists down to Rome, they are pitted against each other: Michelangelo painting the Sistine Ceiling, while Raphael decorates the pope's private apartments. As Raphael strives toward perfection in paint, he battles internal demons: his desperate ambition, crippling fear of imperfection, and unshakable loneliness. Along the way, he conspires with cardinals, scrambles through the ruins of ancient Rome, and falls in love with a baker’s-daughter-turned-prostitute who becomes his muse.  With its gorgeous writing, rich settings, endearing characters, and riveting plot, Raphael, Painter in Rome brings to vivid life these two Renaissance masters going head to head in the deadly halls of the Vatican.

    His style ranged from the social realism of his WPA murals through his abstract expressionist canvasses of the 1950s and 1960s (when he counted Pollock, Rothko, de Kooning, and Kline among his friends) to his cartoonlike paintings of Klansmen, disembodied heads, and tangled piles of everyday objects. Critics and public alike savaged Guston for his return to figurative art, but today his late work is recognized for the singular power of its darkly hilarious vision. Musa Mayer augments her firsthand knowledge with extensive interviews with his family, friends, students, and colleagues, as well as Guston's own letters, notes, and autobiographical writings, to re-create a turbulent era in American art. Night Studio, profusely illustrated (including almost a dozen paintings in full color), illuminates not only the life of a great artist, but the experience of growing up in his shadow.

    In this anthology the authors have edited material not only from his so-called Treatise on Painting but also from his surviving manuscripts and from other primary sources, some of which were here translated for the first time. The resulting volume is an invaluable reference work for art historians as well as for anyone interested in the mind and methods of one of the world’s greatest creative geniuses.“Highly readable. . . . Also included are documentary sources and letters illuminating Leonardo’s career; the manuscript sources for all of Leonardo’s statements are fully cited in the notes. The volume is skillfully translated and is illustrated with appropriate examples of drawings and paintings by the artist.”—Choice“Certainly easier to read and . . . more convenient than previous compilations.”—Charles Hope, New York Review of Books“A chaotic assemblage of Leonardo da Vinci’s writings appeared in 1651 as Treatise on Painting. . . . [Kemp] successfully applies . . . order to the chaos.”—ArtNews

    From painting and sculpture to installation, video art, and performance, it examines the roles played by the body in art, from being the subject of portraiture to becoming an active presence in participatory events.Organized thematically, the book focuses on subjects such as nature and technology, the grotesque, identity politics, and the place of the individual in society. Featuring work by artists such as Matthew Barney, Marlene Dumas, Olafur Eliasson, Oleg Kulik, and Ernesto Neto, it shows how the body continues to be pivotal to the understanding and expression of our place in the universe.

    In Heaven in Stone and Glass, Catholic priest and professor of theology at Mundelein Seminary in Chicago teaches us how to read these secrets, with beautiful reflections on aspects such as light and darkness, the labyrinth, the meaning of gargoyles and demons, and the imagery of vertical space. whether you are preparing for a pilgrimage to York Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, or looking ahead to inspirational bedside reading, this book is the perfect guide.

    A loosely formed autobiography by Andy Warhol, told with his trademark blend of irony and detachmentIn The Philosophy of Andy Warhol—which, with the subtitle "(From A to B and Back Again)," is less a memoir than a collection of riffs and reflections—he talks about love, sex, food, beauty, fame, work, money, and success; about New York, America, and his childhood in McKeesport, Pennsylvania; about his good times and bad in New York, the explosion of his career in the sixties, and his life among celebrities.

    Even today remembered primarily as the mentor and lover of Robert Mapplethorpe, the once infamous photographer, Wagstaff, in fact, had an incalculable—and largely overlooked—influence on the world of contemporary art and photography, and on the evolution of gay identity in the latter part of the twentieth century.  Born in New York City in 1921 into a notable family, Wagstaff followed an arc that was typical of a young man of his class. He attended both Hotchkiss and Yale, served in the navy, and would follow in step with his Ivy League classmates to the "gentleman's profession," as an ad executive on Madison Avenue. With his unmistakably good looks, he projected an aura of glamour and was cited by newspapers as one of the most eligible bachelors of the late 1940s. Such accounts proved deceiving, for Wagstaff was forced to live in the closet, his homosexuality only revealed to a small circle of friends. Increasingly uncomfortable with his career and this double life, he abandoned advertising, turned to the formal study of art history, and embarked on a radical personal transformation that was in perfect harmony with the tumultuous social, cultural, and sexual upheavals of the 1960s.Accordingly, Wagstaff became a curator, in 1961, at Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum, where he mounted both "Black, White, and Gray"—the first museum show of minimal art—and the sculptor Tony Smith's first museum show, while lending his early support to artists Andy Warhol, Ray Johnson, and Richard Tuttle, among many others. Later, as a curator at the Detroit Institute of Arts, he brought the avant-garde to a regional museum, offending its more staid trustees in the process.After returning to New York City in 1972, the fifty-year-old Wagstaff met the twenty-five-year-old Queens-born Robert Mapplethorpe, then living with Patti Smith. What at first appeared to be a sexual dalliance became their now historic lifelong romance, in which Mapplethorpe would foster Wagstaff's own burgeoning interest in contemporary photography and Wagstaff would help secure Mapplethorpe's reputation in the art world. In spite of their profound class differences, the artistic union between the philanthropically inclined Wagstaff and the prodigiously talented Mapplethorpe would rival that of Stieglitz and O’Keefe, or Rivera and Kahlo, in their ability to help reshape contemporary art history.Positioning Wagstaff's personal life against the rise of photography as a major art form and the simultaneous formation of the gay rights movement, Philip Gefter's absorbing biography provides a searing portrait of New York just before and during the age of AIDS. The result is a definitive and memorable portrait of a man and an era.

    For easy use, the lists are organized into ten sections, given here with a sample from each: All About Art ("Elements of Art") ... Art History ("Timelines of Art History") ... For the Art Teacher ("The National Visual Arts Standards") ... Art Materials ("Things to Do with Collage") ... Painting, Drawing & Printmaking ("All About Color Pigment") ... Sculpture ("Master Sculptors & Their Work")... Architecture ("Great Architects of the World")... Fine Arts & Folk Art ("African American Crafts") ... Technology & Art ("The Evolution of Photography") ... Museums ("Museums Devoted to the Work of One Artist").

    After a dozen years at the court of Lodovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, Leonardo was at a low point personally and professionally: at forty-three, in an era when he had almost reached the average life expectancy, he had failed, despite a number of prestigious commissions, to complete anything that truly fulfilled his astonishing promise. His latest failure was a giant bronze horse to honor Sforza's father: His 75 tons of bronze had been expropriated to be turned into cannons to help repel a French invasion of Italy. The commission to paint The Last Supper in the refectory of a Dominican convent was a small compensation, and his odds of completing it were not promising: Not only had he never worked on a painting of such a large size-15' high x 30' wide-but he had no experience in the extremely difficult medium of fresco.  In his compelling new book, Ross King explores how-amid war and the political and religious turmoil around him, and beset by his own insecurities and frustrations-Leonardo created the masterpiece that would forever define him. King unveils dozens of stories that are embedded in the painting. Examining who served as the models for the Apostles, he makes a unique claim: that Leonardo modeled two of them on himself. Reviewing Leonardo's religious beliefs, King paints a much more complex picture than the received wisdom that he was a heretic. The food that Leonardo, a vegetarian, placed on the table reveals as much as do the numerous hand gestures of those at Christ's banquet. As King explains, many of the myths that have grown up around The Last Supper are wrong, but its true story is ever more interesting. Bringing to life a fascinating period in European history, Ross King presents an original portrait of one of the world's greatest geniuses through the lens of his most famous work.

    She was called the Wild Rose.Emma Frost is on a relaxing and romantic vacation in the small town of Enniskerry in Ireland with her boyfriend, Morten, when they find a dead woman in the river.The small town of Enniskerry is shocked by this murder, but also by the secrets it threatens to expose.When another woman is found dead in the river with a rose between her teeth - Emma is plunged into a frantic chase for this serial killer, while she and Morten attempt to solve the mysterious riddles of this town’s painful past.The Wild Rose is an old Irish tale of a man courting a woman and killing her while they are out together.No one ever found her body, and as the years passed, her real name could not be remembered, so she was called The Wild Rose. It is what inspired the song by Nick Cave and now also a serial killer in Enniskerry, Ireland.WALTZING MATHILDA:When a young boy's body is found drained of all its blood, Emma Frost will stop at nothing to keep her children from suffering the same fate. At the same time, a mysterious young girl seems to bring out powerful abilities in Emma's special needs son. As she combs her small Danish island for clues about both mysteries, she realizes the killer and the strange girl are somehow connected…Before the killer strikes again, Emma must risk it all to uncover the frightening truth about what lies beneath her isolated island home…DRIP DROP DEAD:Emma Frost is chasing a killer that seems to bend the laws of physics.Things are going well for Emma Frost for once. She has a sweet boyfriend and has just finished a new book. Her daughter, Maya, is doing well in high school and even her special needs son, Victor is thriving and playing with his new best friend, the strange girl who fell from the sky.But soon, a murder shocks the island of Fanoe, when a woman is found dead in her bed with no apparent signs of having been killed. But as they find out she died by drowning, and more deaths like it begin to occur around the peaceful island, Emma once again finds herself following signs that lead to her own front door while chasing a killer quite out of the ordinary. A killer who can gain access to all houses without leaving a trace.Emma has to ask herself the question: What exactly is going on in her island home and especially underneath it?As the investigation moves on, and terrifying answers begin to emerge, Willow Rose's compelling story evolves rapidly, resulting in a novel with almost agonizing suspense. If you like small-town mysteries, eerie tales, and a touch of humor, then you'll love Willow Rose's whodunnit. No one is more addictive than Willow Rose.If you like a story with nerve-wracking suspense, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love the Queen of Plot Twists, Willow Rose’s, breathtaking novel.Buy this box set today to indulge in a mystery packed with suspense!

     Whatever I want, I buy. I need a sexy escort for the evening - the best money can buy. When the annoying girl I –met on the plane is on the list, I can’t refrain from hiring her. She was stunningly beautiful, though she seemed a little stupid, and since I didn’t like her, the evening should be “clean”, just the way I wanted. No strings attached. No sex. No commitments. But I was wrong, and I hate being wrong. JACIE: I’m a “clean escort”, the summer job I took hoping to make some extra cash. A clean escort means no ties…or sex. Just dates with lonely men who take me to fancy places. All is going well until the jerk from the plane hires me for the evening. I’m furious and want to refuse, but I have bills to pay. A few hours won’t hurt. Plus, he’s incredibly sexy. I expect to have a horrible night, but I go home with him and give him my virginity. So much for being a “clean” escort. NO STRINGS ATTACHED is a full-length Sexy Romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger! This copy contains another full-length romance story.

    The first three Alpha SEALs Coronado books in one set!SEAL'S DESIREHe’s her fiercest protector. She’s his only weakness. A Navy SEAL doesn’t expect to find a beautiful hostage when running his op…Navy SEAL Blake “Raptor” Reynolds is a legend in his own right. His ability to sneak into enemy territory, sight unseen, and eliminate the target has earned him the reputation of being cool, hard, and calculating. When his team infiltrates an enemy camp in Colombia to disarm a terror cell, the last thing he expects is a beautiful, injured blonde to bring him to his knees.Biologist Clarissa Rothschild has been conducting research in the Colombian rainforests. When she leaves her camp one day, she is captured by insurgents. The leader of a Navy SEAL team with penetrating dark eyes and brute force strength is just what she needs to get out alive—and exactly the type of man she’d never fall for.When they’re separated from the others, the sparks between them begin to ignite. Heated nights in the jungle shouldn’t lead to wanting anything more, but Blake realizes he’ll risk everything for Clarissa’s safety and the chance to make her his.SEAL'S EMBRACEHe’s rescued people all over the world…but she’s the only one he can’t forget.Department of Defense admin Hailey Fletcher never expects a suicide bomber at Bagram Airfield to cut her year-long assignment short. Nor does she expect a muscular Navy SEAL to come to her rescue. Her skin heats at his gentle touch, but it’s the smoldering way he looks at her that sends shivers racing down her spine.Navy SEAL Grayson “Ghost” Douglass has rescued his fair share of civilians over the years, but the auburn-haired woman with piercing green eyes is the only one he can’t get out of his head. Weeks pass, and he reconnects with her in San Diego, knowing he must see if the sparks and chemistry between them can turn into something real.Neither of them expects danger to have followed them home from Afghanistan—but the traitor from base behind the bombing knows Hailey can identify him, and he’ll stop at nothing to silence her forever.Grayson won’t rest until he finds the man after her and until he convinces Hailey to be his once and for all.SEAL'S HONORHe’ll fight all her battles and stop at nothing to make her his…Navy SEAL Jackson “K-Bar” Clinefield is strong, silent, and lethal. He’s not interested in the flirtatious women always hanging around his teammates, but when he meets his buddy’s beautiful yet reserved neighbor, he can’t deny their instant attraction—even if he suspects she’s hiding something from him.Taryn Miller is on the run. Her abusive ex-husband has tracked her across the United States, and she’s finally settled into a new life—and new name—in San Diego. When trouble catches up to her, leaving her bruised and badly shaken, Jackson is the one who rushes to her side. The massive and muscular Navy SEAL should terrify her, but he’s gentler than any man she’s ever known, and she feels nothing but safe and protected in his arms.Discovering someone laid a hand on the innocent Taryn makes Jackson see red. He’ll stop at nothing to track down her abusive ex and won’t rest until the gorgeous brunette is safe in his arms and sleeping in his bed—forever.

    Unlike the friends she makes at school, Paula strives to understand the specifics of what she's painting--replicating a wood's essence or a marble's wear requires method, technique, and talent, she finds, but also something else: craftsmanship. She resolutely chooses the painstaking demands of craft over the abstraction of high art.With the attention of a documentary filmmaker, de Kerangal follows Paula's apprenticeship, punctuated by brushstrokes, hard work, sleepless nights, sore muscles, and long, festive evenings. After completing her studies at the Institute, Paula continues to practice her art in Paris, in Moscow, then in Italy on the sets of great films, all as if rehearsing for a grand finale: at a job working on Lascaux IV, a facsimile reproduction of the world's most famous paleolithic cave art and the apotheosis of human cultural expression.An enchanted, atmospheric, and highly aesthetic coming-of-age novel, Painting Time is an intimate and unsparing exploration of craft, inspiration, and the contours of the contemporary art world. As she did in her acclaimed novels The Heart and The Cook, Maylis de Kerangal unravels a tightly wound professional world to reveal the beauty within.

    DAVID BUSCH'S CANON EOS 7D GUIDE TO DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY shows readers how to make the most of their camera's robust feature set, including 18 megapixel resolution, blazing fast automatic focus, the real-time preview system Live View, and full HD movie-making capabilities, to take outstanding photos and videos. They'll learn how, when, and, most importantly, why to use all the cool features and functions of their camera to take eye-popping photographs. Introductory chapters will help them get comfortable with the basics of their camera before you dive right into exploring creative ways to apply the Canon EOS 7D's exposure modes, focus controls, and electronic flash options. This book is chock full of hands-on tips for choosing lenses, flash units, and software products to use with their new camera. Beautiful, full-color images illustrate where the essential buttons and dials are, so they'll quickly learn how to their Canon EOS 7D, and use it well.