The monochrome – a single-colour work of art – is highly ambiguous. For some it epitomizes purity, and is art reduced to its essence. For others it is just a stunt, the emperor’s new clothes. Why are monochromes so admired, yet such an easy target of scorn? In this illuminating book Simon Morley unpacks the meanings of the monochrome as it developed internationally over the twentieth century to today. In doing so he explores more general questions such as how artists have understood what t...

The rose is bursting with meaning: over the centuries it has come to represent love and sensuality, deceit, death, and the mystical unknown. Today the rose enjoys unrivalled popularity across the globe, ever present at life's seminal moments.Grown in the Middle East two thousand years ago for its pleasing scent and medicinal properties, it has attached itself to us, its needy host and servant, to become one of the most adored flowers across cultures. The rose is well-versed at ench...

A beautifully illustrated history of the Queen of Flowers and her enduring power in our gardens, art, religion and imagination.‘Fascinating... I’ll never look at a rose in quite the same way again.’ Adrian TinniswoodThe rose is bursting with meaning. Over the centuries it has come to represent love and sensuality, deceit, death and the mystical unknown. Today the rose enjoys unrivalled popularity across the globe, ever present at life’s sem...

Exploring the deep-rooted links between British artists and France during the Modernist periodThe late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century was the “golden age” of British artists living and working in France. They were attracted to Paris, home to renowned art academies, galleries, modern masters, and a liberating bohemian lifestyle. But many also travelled widely in France, whether on painting holidays in Normandy and Brittany, or, drawn by the Mediterranean climat...

While acknowledging the legacy of Herbert Reads classic 1959 study A Concise History of Modern Painting in the World of Art series, academic and artist Simon Morley places the foundation of modern art much earlier than Read, at the emergence of Romanticism and the dawn of the industrial age. Structured loosely chronologically by period, the focus is as much on individual artists as well as movements, with works discussed within a broader context - stylistic, historical, geographic...

This welcome new resource for international students in art, design, and media provides clear explanations of the terminology they must master in order to fulfill their academic potential and enrich their professional careers.Offers a much-requested new resource that fills a gap in the academic marketTailored specifically to the needs of international students in art, design, and mediaColor-coded key words and phrases for quick referenceIncludes ...