Displaying a talent for combining aesthetic sensibility with scientific rigor, the author has given new life to something that once excited European passions: an original, non-academic art at the forefront of the 'new technology' of the time. For decades, aristocrats of the Old World and then American collectors (the latter at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries) spent countless sums on the purchase of these works, which were worth a fortune. These wealthy collectors of curiosities of all types were also most certainly great dreamers seeking a worthy setting for their dreams. Unbeknownst to them, their endeavours had much greater scope, creating and nourishing the conditions for a rare encounter between two worlds: a golden age of atypical collaboration, a combined adventure between China and Europe.

"Thanjavur paintings are among the most popular artworks that adorn the walls of Indian homes--avidly collected but little comprehended. This richly illustrated volume presents an enhanced understanding of the subject through an in-depth study of South Indian paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries in the Thanjavur and the allied Mysuru styles. The meticulously researched text showcases and engages with Kuldip Singh's unique collection of 300 paintings. Also included are painted prints, some reverse-glass works and a few lithographs. These cover a wide range of idioms and themes: from the domain of gods and goddesses and the sites and stories associated with their worship, we come down to the realm of their human patrons with portraits made of maharajas, priests and ordinary individuals. We also gain a glimpse of the different regions and schools that come under the larger ambit of the term "South Indian" paintings. A historical and cultural background provides an overview and context to the material while a description of technique and an analysis of styles highlights an aesthetic appreciation. In addition to a focus on the process of conserving and preserving these works, the book looks at the contemporary status of this form which is experiencing a revival within the art market."--Dust jacket.

Bridging the fields of conservation, art history, and museum curating, this volume contains the principal papers from an international symposium titled "Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice" at the University of Leiden in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from June 26 to 29, 1995. The symposium—designed for art historians, conservators, conservation scientists, and museum curators worldwide—was organized by the Department of Art History at the University of Leiden and the Art History Department of the Central Research Laboratory for Objects of Art and Science in Amsterdam. Twenty-five contributors representing museums and conservation institutions throughout the world provide recent research on historical painting techniques, including wall painting and polychrome sculpture. Topics cover the latest art historical research and scientific analyses of original techniques and materials, as well as historical sources, such as medieval treatises and descriptions of painting techniques in historical literature. Chapters include the painting methods of Rembrandt and Vermeer, Dutch 17th-century landscape painting, wall paintings in English churches, Chinese paintings on paper and canvas, and Tibetan thangkas. Color plates and black-and-white photographs illustrate works from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

'During the Tang dynasty, the Chinese artist Wu Tao-tzu was one day standing looking at a mural he had just completed. Suddenly, he clapped his hands and the temple gate opened. He went into his work and the gates closed behind him.' Thus begins Sven Lindqvist's profound meditation on art and its relationship with life, first published in 1967, and a classic in his home country - it has never been out of print. As a young man, Sven Lindqvist was fascinated by the myth of Wu Tao-tzu, and by the possibility of entering a work of art and making it a way of life. He was drawn to artists and writers who shared this vision, especially Hermann Hesse, in his novel Glass Bead Game. Partly inspired by Hesse's work, Lindqvist lived in China for two years, learning classical calligraphy from a master teacher. There he was drawn deeper into the idea of a life of artistic perfectionism and retreat from the world. But when he left China for India and then Afghanistan, and saw the grotesque effects of poverty and extreme inequality, Lindqvist suffered a crisis of confidence and started to question his ideas about complete immersion in art at the expense of a proper engagement with life. The Myth of Wu Tao-tzu takes us on a fascinating journey through a young man's moral awakening and his grappling with profound questions of aesthetics. It contains the bracing moral anger, and poetic, intensely atmospheric travel writing Lindqvist's readers have come to love.

Basic skills from an expert. 14 projects with patterns provided. Full-color, step-by-step photographs.

This book will serve you well if: You're new to traditional stained glass painting and are uncertain which brushes, paints and tools to buy - this book will tell you what you want to know. The accompanying 12 free videos will also introduce you to the key techniques. You've painted stained glass for a while but still worry "Is it my lack of skill which is the problem, or is it my brushes, paints and tools which stop me achieving the results I want?" - this book will guide you to the answer. And the 23 free designs will give you an excellent resource with which to practise. You're a teacher who wants your students to experience the joy of mastering this wonderful craft - this book will show you the smallest, most effective set of brushes, paints and tools to place before them so they can triumph. From designers and painters Williams & Byrne, and featuring entries from the journal of the forgotten Victorian craftsman Nathaniel Somers, this book will demonstrate how few possessions you really need to paint stained glass. This is Book 1 of The Glass Painter's Method.

- This volume, now revised and enhanced, explores the evolution of the leitmotif of Bindu in Raza's art over a span of 50 years - Featuring many previously unseen pictures The Bindu has been the leitmotif in S.H. Raza's work, growing in meaning over many years. To this primordial symbol he was introduced as a boy of eight years, in his native village of Kakaiya in Madhya Pradesh. The intensity of the experience remained, pursuing him as a lodestar, surfacing many years later when he was in France with dynamic force as The Black Sun. Raza's concern with nature was to explore the elementary principles of time and space which govern the universe. To express these fundamental concepts which form the basis of Indian thought, he used the principles of pure geometry. His use of the point, line square, circle and triangle compose part of a universal language, explored equally by the pioneers of abstract art in 20th century Europe and traditional shilpins in ancient India. This revised edition traces the evolution of a vision over fifty years of painting by an artist who retained his Indian sensibility. His images are improvisations on an essential theme: the mapping out of a metaphorical space in the mind which is India.

Stop and paint the roses! And the tulips, and the sunflowers, and the pansies, and... When it comes to painting flowers, Sherry C. Nelson definitely has a green thump. In this book, she shares her secrets to painting lovely, realistic looking flowers. Just follow the step-by-step lessons to create 50 blooming beauties—from amaryllis to zinnia and every blossom in between. Once you learn the basics—like how to create textures and common leaf shapes—you'll be able to paint any flower that grows! Sherry even offers tips for creating your own, unique floral designs. Although she works primarily in oils, Sherry includes information and color charts for acrylic and watercolor artists, making this a must-have reference for every flower painter.

This Retrospective On K.G. Subramanyan Not Only Includes His More Recent Work But Also, With Over Three Hundred And Fifty Works, Takes A More Comprehensive And Balanced Overview Of His Oeuvre Including His Paintings, Terracotta Reliefs, Reverse Paintings On Glass And Acrylic, Linocuts, Lithographs, Etching, Silkscreens, Drawings, Studies, Childrens Books, Toys And Saras-Paintings On Terracotta Platters-And The Photographs Of Murals.