In a career that lasted only 10 years, Dutch-born Vincent Van Gogh created some of the best-loved paintings in modern art. Many of his most dazzling canvases were completed in the year he spent in Arles, a sunny village in the south of France. This book features detailed walking tours of Arles and Saint-Rémy where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind such an iconic work like "Starry Night."

Master of light and shadow, revolutionary realist, and violent street brawler—Caravaggio's life is shrouded in mystery and myth. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio settled in Rome in 1592, where he painted much of the best work of his brief, but brilliant, career. His violent temper, however, did not serve him well, and in 1606 he was forced to flee Rome. This book features detailed walking tours of Rome and Valletta in Malta where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover ...

Vermeer, who painted exquisite light-infused scenes of middle-class life in Delft, was a slow craftsman and produced few works in his lifetime. Many of his paintings were scooped up by wealthy Delft patron Pieter van Ruijven, which may be why his fame didn't spread to other Dutch art centers. In fact, Vermeer was relatively unknown until 1866, when French critic Théophile Thoré saw his "View of Delft" in The Hague. This book features detailed walking tours of Delft, the Hague and Amsterdam...

When we think of Edvard Munch, Norway's best-known artist and the so-called "father of Expressionism" we invariably think of his iconic masterpiece, The Scream. But Munch was an extremely prolific and influential artist who left thousands of other works to the city of Oslo when he died. This book features detailed walking tours of Oslo and Asgardstrand where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind such an iconic work like "The Scream."

Illustrated listings of 150 must-see Impressionist paintings from Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, Musée Marmottan Monet, Musée du Louvre, Petit Palais, Musée Picaso and Musée Rodin with the stories behind the art. Easy-to-follow tours that bring the reader into the streets of Paris to explore the places where the artists lived, fell in love, found inspiration and placed their easels to paint these famous works.

Courtier and Old Master portraitist, harsh social critic, and modern Expressionist—perhaps no artist personifies Madrid at the crossroads of the 18th and 19th centuries more than Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. Arriving in Madrid to work at the Royal Tapestry Factory in 1775, Goya served the Bourbon court and Madrid society. This book features detailed walking tours of Madrid and Zaragoza where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind suc...

Explore the vibrant art scene of New York City with this comprehensive guide.Art + NYC is your key to unlocking the artistic treasures of the Big Apple. Discover iconic museums, cutting-edge galleries, and stunning public art installations across the city's diverse neighborhoods.This guide features:In-depth profiles of influential NYC artists, from Warhol to BasquiatA historical overview of key art movements that shaped the ...

An extended-travel journey through the French countryside, exploring Normandy and the quaint Paris suburbs where the Impressionists learned to paint en plein air, out in the open air. Explore the beautiful villages and cities including Auvers-sur-Oise, Giverny, Rouen, Le Havre, Etretat, Honfleur and more.

One has to look no further than the audiences hungry for the narratives served up by Downton Abbey or Wolf Hall to know that the lure of the past is as seductive as ever. But incorporating historical events and figures into a shapely narrative is no simple task. The acclaimed novelist Christopher Bram examines how writers as disparate as Gabriel García Márquez, David McCullough, Toni Morrison, Leo Tolstoy, and many others have employed history in their work.Unique...

Christ’s war examines Carolingian holy war from the forging of their empire in the eighth century to its dissolution in the late ninth century during the Northmen’s attacks. It argues that the Franks understood their wars to be holy when their soldiers were without sin and, therefore, were holy themselves. God heard their prayers as they begged for divine aid, and he helped them overcome and slaughter their foes. Therefore, the Carolingian vision of holy war differed from the piou...

Included in the Discovering Art Series, The Life, Times and Work of Claude Monet provides an accessible introduction to Monet's life and work and his important role in establishing French Impressionism. Illustrations in the book chart Monet's progression from the creation of light and space by painting outdoors – plien-air – to his final near abstract paintings of water lilies at his famous Giverny home where he moved in 1883, remaining there until his death at a venerable 86 in 1926.To fu...

This book makes an important and compelling intervention in long-standing debates about social changes, the power of the aristocracy and the “Feudal Revolution” in the European central middles ages. At its core, the book asks how the élites of Europe – the ecclesiastical hierarchy as well as the lay aristocrats – ‘got away with’ the extreme accumulations of wealth and power which characterised medieval society. The research adopts an innovative methodology, seeing social status not as a st...