Decoding Old Masters


Book Description

In this work, Abolala Soudavar examines seven paintings by some of the great masters of the 15th century and demonstrates how we can better understand the state of international relations and the political rivalries of the time by decoding the figures, their postures and gestures, the background scenes, the compositions and much else in these paintings. This is a period of geopolitical turmoil, with the Muslim Turkish assault on Europe causing distress within the Christian World. Yet it is also a time of courtly opulence and Shakespearean drama, with murders and vendettas, wars and crusades, intrigue and treachery dominating contemporary life. -- Dust Jacket.




How to Read a Painting


Book Description

'How to read a painting' draws the attention to the imagery and the wonderful, apparently inconsequential details in paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, El Greco, Michelangelo, Rubens, Vermeer, Hogarth, Gainsborough and many more. Brief yet illuminating explanations accompany over 900 colour illustrations, providing the means to interpret and enjoy these and many other works.




Decoding Dictatorial Statues


Book Description

Decoding Dictatorial Statues' is a collection of images and texts revolving around the different ways we can look at statues in public space. How can we decode statues in terms of their object hood and materiality, their role as media icons and their voice in political debates?




Prayers and Portraits


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The Secret Language of the Renaissance


Book Description

Magnificently illustrated throughout, and with a six-color gold-foil cover, this remarkable book provides an all-encompassing survey of the literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts of the Renaissance.




Esoteric Images: Decoding the Late Herat School of Painting


Book Description

In Esoteric Images: Decoding the Late Herat School of Painting Tawfiq Daʿadli decodes the pictorial language which flourished in the city of Herat, modern Afghanistan, under the rule of the last Timurid ruler, Sultan Husayn Bayqara (r.1469-1506). This study focuses on one illustrated manuscript of a poem entitled Khamsa by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi, kept in the British Library under code Or.6810. Tawfiq Daʿadli decodes the paintings, reveals the syntax behind them and thus deciphers the message of the whole manuscript. The book combines scholarly efforts to interpret theological-political lessons embedded in one of the foremost Persian schools of art against the background of the court dynamic of an influential medieval power in its final years.




How to be a More Successful Language Learner


Book Description

Describes the goals of foreign language study, discusses the nature of language, and recommends strategies for studying




The Master Theorem


Book Description




Art of Renaissance Florence, 1400-1600


Book Description

"Rich and engaging. This account of Florentine art tells the story of who commissioned these works, who made them, where they were seen, and how they were experienced and understood by their viewers. Includes a useful timeline, glossary, and series of artists' biographies."--Patricia L. Reilly, Swarthmore College "An extraordinarily useful book, not only for teachers, but also for historically minded travelers interested in an illustrated guide to the art of Renaissance Florence."--Evelyn Lincoln, Brown University "Clear and compelling. The well-chosen illustrations include ground plans and diagrams of key architectural monuments and sculpture. The updated, judicious bibliography is a resource for anyone tackling the vast scholarship on the art of Renaissance Florence."--Cristelle Baskins, editor of The Triumph of Marriage: Painted Cassoni of the Renaissance




Secret Knowledge


Book Description