Essays on thermodynamics

The nude

A landmark study of the nude in art—from the ancient Greeks to Henry Moore—by a towering figure in art historyIn this classic book, Kenneth Clark, one of the most eminent art historians of the twentieth century, examines the ever-changing fashion in what constitutes the ideal nude as a basis of h...

Skies of parchment, seas of ink

A superbly illustrated history of five centuries of Jewish manuscriptsThe love of books in the Jewish tradition extends back over many centuries, and the ways of interpreting those books are as myriad as the traditions themselves. Skies of Parchment, Seas of Ink offers the first full survey of Je...

Houses and society in pompeii and herculaneum

Few sources reveal the life of the ancient Romans as vividly as do the houses preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius. Wealthy Romans lavished resources on shaping their surroundings to impress their crowds of visitors. The fashions they set were taken up and imitated by ordinary citizens. In this ...

Rethinking the informal city

Latin American cities have always been characterized by a strong tension between what is vaguely described as their formal and informal dimensions. However, the terms formal and informal refer not only to the physical aspect of cities but also to their entire socio-political fabric. Informal ci...

George barbier

The clash of gods

Between the third and sixth centuries, the ancient gods, goddesses, and heroes who had populated the imagination of humankind for a millennium were replaced by a new imagery of Christ and his saints. Thomas Mathews explores the many different, often surprising, artistic images and religious inter...

Design with climate

Architects today incorporate principles of sustainable design as a matter of necessity. But the challenge of unifying climate control and building functionality, of securing a managed environment within a natural setting—and combating the harsh forces of wind, water, and sun—presented a new set o...

Hokusai manga

Draw it

A compact, portable drawing resource book of over 200 highly illustrated pages of sketching and drawing techniques, the book is crafted to be a companion tool which is tucked in your travel gear and referred to regularly. The book is durable with helpful color-coded pages to cross reference with ...

Policy, planning, and people

The contributors of Policy, Planning, and People argue for the promotion of social equity and quality of life by designing and evaluating urban policies and plans. Edited by Naomi Carmon and Susan S. Fainstein, the volume features original essays by leading authorities in the field of urban plann...

Distributed objects

The first cross-disciplinary exploration of Art and Agency by leading scholars in their fields. Examines the reception and influence of a highly influential and still controversial theory 15 years after its publication. Includes a hitherto unpublished essay by Gell (‘The Network of S...

After art

How digital networks are transforming art and architectureArt as we know it is dramatically changing, but popular and critical responses lag behind. In this trenchant illustrated essay, David Joselit describes how art and architecture are being transformed in the age of Google. Under the dual pre...

Chinese painting and its audiences

A history of the reception of Chinese painting from the sixteenth century to the presentWhat is Chinese painting? When did it begin? And what are the different associations of this term in China and the West? In Chinese Painting and Its Audiences, which is based on the A. W. Mellon Lectures in th...

Art and illusion

A groundbreaking account of perception and art, from one of the twentieth century’s most important art historiansE. H. Gombrich is widely considered to be one of the most influential art historians of the twentieth century, and Art and Illusion is generally agreed to be his most important book. B...

From antiquities to heritage

A historical perspective on cultural heritage. The book combines investigations of eighteenth century antiquarianism with contemporary heritage studies. Presents Norwegian material to an international readership. Discusses issues related changes in the modern experience of temporalit...

Exhibiting europe in museums

First pan-European study of processes of transnationalization and Europeanization of history/anthropology museums in Europe. Strongly interdisciplinary account of changing museum landscape in Europe, drawing in particular on social sciences, contemporary history, museum/cultural studies ...

Extreme collecting

A comprehensive debate from a historical and contemporary perspective on the practice of collecting difficult objects Offers a new perspective on the acquirement of objects related to war and genocide Evaluates the limits of new strategies for the practice of collecting Details t...

Whose culture?

The international controversy over who "owns" antiquities has pitted museums against archaeologists and source countries where ancient artifacts are found. In his book Who Owns Antiquity?, James Cuno argued that antiquities are the cultural property of humankind, not of the countries that lay exc...

Who owns antiquity?

Whether antiquities should be returned to the countries where they were found is one of the most urgent and controversial issues in the art world today, and it has pitted museums, private collectors, and dealers against source countries, archaeologists, and academics. Maintaining that the acquisi...