Grandi Maestri dell'Arte Serie

When the final tally of key movers in the plastic arts of this century is compiled, there is no doubt that maestro of movement Alexander Calder (1898-1976), the man who put the swing into sculpture, will be near numero uno. Calder took it off the plinth, gave it to the wind, and left us kinetic playgrounds of the spirit. He operated at the point where Modernity and nature Fused, developing an environmental art that changed the medium Forever. Visiting his Paris atelier in 1932, Duchamp coined the term "Mobiles" For Calder's delicate wire and disc pieces, constructions that would soon become immensely popular. But he didn't rest on his innovations. Friends with Miro, Mondrian and Leger, Calder also turned his hand to painting, drawing, gouaches, toys, textiles and utensil design. A graphic master who sketched as much in air as in ink, the Sixties and Seventies saw Calder take on the monumental, translating the dynamics of cities into both his Mobiles and "Stabiles". At a time when sculpture was perceived to be the antithesis of movement, Calder unmade gravity and freed the elements in a body of work that is still sending a wind of change through the art world today.

Česká verze. Začínal ve skupině impresionistů, ale jeho neposedná duše ho poháněla k jiným zkušenostem a pohledům. Nevydržel déle najednom místě a vyhledával nové bohem zapomenuté krajiny pro svou inspiraci. Proto je jeho styl nezaměnitelný, nedotknutý salonním stylem.

Famous for his patented shade of blue and the use of living brushes, the artist Yves Klein produced over 1,000 works during his brief but impactful career. These pieces are now regarded as classics of modern art, showcasing his innovative approach and unique artistic vision.

With an acute sense of observation and subjects ranging from the biblical tower of Babel to the small-town festivals of peasant life, the master draftsman Pieter Bruegel the Elder provides a unique witness to both the religious mores and the close-knit folk culture of his time.

Henri Matisse (1869–1954) gilt als zentrale Figur des Fauvismus, war jedoch ein Einzelgänger, der zeitlebens nach dekorativer Formvereinfachung und der perfekten Synthese von Linie und Farbe strebte. Nach seiner fauvistischen Phase experimentierte er mit Anregungen des Kubismus und der primitiven Kunst. Seine Reisen in den Orient und nach Polynesien prägten seine Arbeiten, die über die flache Leinwand hinausgingen: Er schuf Glasfenster, Wandgemälde, Bühnenbilder, Kostüme, Buchillustrationen sowie Skulpturen aus Bronze, Keramik und Ton. Durch seinen flächig-dekorativen und ornamentalen Einsatz verlieh er der Farbe ein eigenständiges Dasein und wurde zum Vorbild für Künstler, die neue Wege jenseits der Abbildhaftigkeit suchten. Ein Höhepunkt seiner Kunst war der Wechsel zum Scherenschnitt, als er aufgrund von Krankheit nicht mehr malen konnte. Es entstanden farbenfrohe Collagen aus Gouachefarben, die 1947 unter dem Titel Jazz als eines der bedeutendsten Künstlerbücher des 20. Jahrhunderts veröffentlicht wurden. Dieser Band verfolgt Matisse' künstlerischen Werdegang vom Neoimpressionismus und Fauvismus bis zur reinen Farbfeldmalerei und lädt dazu ein, sich intensiver mit einem Künstler auseinanderzusetzen, dessen Einfluss auf die Moderne enorm ist.

A Frenchman in Tahiti: Gauguin s search for pristine originality and unadulterated natureAfter starting a career as a bank broker, Paul Gauguin (1848 1903) turned to painting only at age twenty-five. After initial successes within the Impressionist circle, he broke with Vincent van Gogh and subsequently when private difficulties caused him to become restless embarked on a peripatetic life, wandering first through Europe and finally, in the search for pristine originality and unadulterated nature, to Tahiti.The paintings created from this time to his death in 1903 brought him posthumous fame. In pictures devoid of any attempt at romantically disguising the life style of the primitive island peoples, Gauguin was able to convey the magical effect that both the landscapes and life of the natives their body language, charm and beauty had on him. Wearying of his reputation as a South Sea painter, Gauguin finally determined to return to France, but died of syphilis on the Marquis Islands before his departure.About the series: Each book in TASCHEN s Basic Art series features: a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions"

Degas's mastery in the depiction of movement ""No art could be less spontaneous than mine. Inspiration, spontaneity, temperament are unknown to me. One has to do the same subject ten times, even a hundred times over. In art, nothing should look like chance, not even movement.""—Edgar Degas In terms of both theme and technique, the key to understanding the early work of Edgar Degas (1834–1917) is classical painting. Although he was eventually associated with the Impressionists and even participated in their joint exhibitions, Degas never adopted a purely Impressionist approach. Degas's work, reflecting an extremely personal and psychological perspective, emphasizes the scenic or concentrates on the detail. Thus, Degas's painting is often discussed with reference to the rise of short-exposure photography. Thematically, nature proved less interesting to the artist than the life and inhabitants of the modern metropolis. Degas primarily sought his motifs at the race track or circus, in bedrooms, or in ballet salons—and dancers always remained his favorite theme. About the Series: Every book in TASCHEN's Basic Art Series features: a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions a concise biography

The solitude of man and the bleak beauty of nature are prominent themes in the work of Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), the great romantic painter whose importance and influence have often been underestimated. This book features a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work.

Divine apples and Cézanne’s quest for “a harmony parallel to Nature” He was the founding father of modern art, the grand master who pointed painting forward on its way from Impressionism to the 20th Paul Cézanne (1839–1906). In Paris, but above all in Provence, Cézanne quested tirelessly for “a harmony parallel to Nature”—discovering it in still lifes of apples, in bathers, or in the renowned landscapes of his beloved Montagne Sainte-Victoire. This book discusses this extraordinary artist’s major works and his theories of painting and color. About the Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series

From night skies to morning mists to the much-cited Wanderer above a Sea of Fog, Caspar David Friedrich mastered the emotional and metaphysical experience of nature. This introductory book presents his most important and celebrated works to explore an oeuvre of sublime and haunting impact and a trailblazer of Romantic aesthetics.

It has been said that James Ensor appropriated the subject matter of a Bosch or Bruegel and revisioned them using the techniques of Manet or Rubens. This work shows that Ensor was a genuine maverick with his own merit.

Lucian Freud (1922-2011) cercava di rivelare la verità attraverso i suoi ritratti, analizzando i modelli con la precisione di uno scienziato. Le sue opere, che rivelano emozioni e vulnerabilità, esplorano il complesso rapporto tra artista e soggetto. Questo libro presenta alcuni dei suoi ritratti più iconici.

Concepts in Artworks as visual explanations of ideas Italian artist Lucio Fontana tore apart the modern art establishment—literally. Trained initially as a sculptor, Fontana (1899-1968) blurred the lines between painting and sculpture by creating works that combined both form and color in a spatial context, most famously exemplified by his slashed canvases of the 1950s and 60s. Fontana`s work was truly conceptual, in that the ideas he wanted to express were more important than the actual work itself; with titles like Concetto Spaziale (Spatial Concept) and Scultura Spaziale (Spatial Sculpture), his pieces served as visual explanations of his ideas. From his early work in collaborating with architects through his years in Buenos Aires (where, in the mid-1940s, he published the famous "White Manifesto" and "Technical Manifesto of Spatialism," among others), his experimental light installations of the early 1950s, and his later experiments with various media, this book covers the entire career of Italy`s pioneering abstract artist. About the Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series

From his royal court portraits to horrific scenes of conflict, Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes remains one of Spain's most revered and startling artists. With key works from throughout his career, this vivid introduction explores Goya's mastery of form and light and varied, daring subjects.

An enigma to art historians and a great source of inspiration to other artists Someone else may have invented the wheel, but Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) invented the ready-made. A bottle dryer may be a bottle dryer, but signed by Duchamp it is also one of the major works of 20th century art. Duchamp has been an enigma to art historians and a great source of inspiration to other artists. This study addresses the myth and reveals the compelling charisma of Marcel Duchamp. About the Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series

Henri Matisse (1869–1954), zentrale Figur des Fauvismus, war ein Einzelgänger, der zeitlebens nach dekorativer Formvereinfachung und der perfekten Synthese von Linie und Farbe strebte. Nach seiner fauvistischen Phase experimentierte er mit Kubismus und primitiver Kunst. Seine Reisen in den Orient und nach Polynesien bereicherten seine Arbeiten, die über die flache Leinwand hinausgingen: Er gestaltete Glasfenster, Wandgemälde, Bühnenbilder, Kostüme, Buchillustrationen sowie Skulpturen aus Bronze, Keramik und Ton. Durch den flächig-dekorativen und ornamentalen Einsatz von Farbe verlieh er ihr ein eigenständiges Dasein und wurde zum Vorbild für Künstler, die neue Wege jenseits der Abbildhaftigkeit suchten. Ein Höhepunkt seiner Kunst war der Scherenschnitt, den er im Alter aufgrund von Krankheit entdeckte. Hier entstanden farbenfrohe Collagen aus mit Gouachefarben bestrichenem Papier, die rhythmische Improvisationen darstellten. 20 dieser Werke wurden 1947 unter dem Titel Jazz als Künstlerbuch veröffentlicht, ein bedeutendes Werk des 20. Jahrhunderts und eine Krönung seiner kreativen Reise. Dieser Band verfolgt seinen künstlerischen Werdegang von Neoimpressionismus und Fauvismus bis hin zur reinen Farbfeldmalerei und lädt dazu ein, sich intensiver mit einem Künstler auseinanderzusetzen, dessen Einfluss auf die Moderne enorm ist.

Edgar Degas, významný francouzský malíř (1834 - 1917), proslavený pastelem a žánrovými malbami z prostředí koňských dostihů a baletu. Kniha shrnuje život a dílo tohoto umělce, součástí knihy jsou i barevné fotografie obrazů.

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) gilt als Gründervater der modernen Kunst. Obwohl er zu Lebzeiten wenig geschätzt wurde, erlangte sein Werk später große Bedeutung. Sein experimenteller Umgang mit Abstraktion und Perspektive ebnete den Weg für die moderne Malerei, insbesondere den Kubismus.

Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828), one of Spain's most revered and controversial painters, is known for his intense, chilling, and sometimes grotesque paintings depicting the injustice of society with brutal sincerity. This book features a detailed chronological summary of the artist's life and work.

Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968), Kunstrevolutionär, Erfinder des Readymades, obsessiver Schachspieler und Schweigeartist, stellte zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts alle überkommenen Kunstformen in Frage. Seine Arbeiten, nicht zuletzt seine Readymades wie das berühmte Pissoir oder der Flaschentrockner, sind das ebenso subversive wie radikale Fazit einer kritischen Auseinandersetzung mit den Produktions- und Vermarktungsbedingungen der Kunst im Industriezeitalter. Während der junge Duchamp noch Monet bewundert, Fauvismus, Kubismus und zeitweilig auch dadaistischen und surrealistischen Positionen nahegestanden hatte, formuliert er durch seine Arbeiten schon wenig später einen neuen Kunstbegriff und rechnet mit der Zunft gründlich ab. Dass Duchamp Selbstironie und Zweifel insbesondere auch im Hinblick auf die eigenen Arbeiten konstruktiv verstanden wissen wollte, bringt eine seiner wenigen Äußerungen zum Thema bestens zum Ausdruck: „Ich zwinge mich, mir selbst zu widersprechen, um zu vermeiden, dass ich mich nur meinem eigenen Geschmack anpasse.“ Kunsthistorikern war Duchamp ein Rätsel, anderen Künstlern jedoch ein ergiebiger Quell der Inspiration. Diese Studie behandelt den Mythos Marcel Duchamp und macht das bezwingende Charisma dieses Künstlers verständlich.

British artist Lucian Freud is widely considered the most important figurative painter working today. His portraits may be physically unflattering to their subjects, but they are honest, frank, and unapologetic.

British artist Lucian Freud is widely considered the most important figurative painter working today. Master portraitist and specialist in nudes, Freud uses impasto to create depth and intensity while restraining his color palate to mostly muted hues. His portraits may be physically unflattering to their subjects, but they are honest, frank, and unapologetic. I paint people, Freud has said, not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be.