Between 1667 and 1792, the artists and amateurs of the Acade mie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris lectured on the Academie's "conferences", foundational documents in the theory and practice of art. These texts and the principles they embod...

In the late 1700s, as the events of the French Revolution roiled France, London displaced Paris as the primary hub of international art sales. Within a few decades, a robust and sophisticated art market flourished in London. "London and the Emergence...

The fascination with personal adornment is universal. It is a preoccupation that is primal, instinctive, and uniquely human. 'Jewelry' encompasses a seemingly endless number of ornaments produced across time and in all cultures. The range of material...

For centuries Italy has fascinated travelers and artists. From the crumbling ruins of ancient Rome to the crystal- clear light of Venice, artists have found inspiration not only in the cities but also in the countryside and in the deep history and cu...

The celebrated French artist Edme Bouchardon (1698-1762) is primarily known as a sculptor today, but his contemporaries widely lauded him as a draftsman as well. Talented, highly innovative, and deeply invested in the medium, Bouchardon made an impor...

In the most comprehensive investigation of the Los Angeles Public Library'searly history and architectural genesis ever undertaken, Kenneth Breisch chronicles the institution's first six decades, from its founding as a private library association in...

This incisive book offers a revealing glimpse into the life and thought of a seminal art critic. Lawrence Alloway (1926-1990) was a key figure in the development of modern art in Europe and America from the 1950s to the 1980s. He is credited with coi...

This elegantly produced book brings the luxury arts of antiquity back into brilliant life. In contrast to other histories of ancient art that typically privilege well-preserved works of ceramics or stone, "Luxus" offers an integrated contextual analy...

This is the riveting history behind the iconic gateway to the city of Los Angeles. Union Station today is a celebrated architectural icon and vibrant centrepiece of Los Angeles' regional transportation network. Designed by John and Donald B. Parkinso...

This is a thoroughly illustrated guide to the history and technology of autochromes with a practical guide for storage and preservation. Louis Lumiere is perhaps best known for his seminal role in the invention of cinema, but his most important contr...