Michelangelo : The Vatican Frescoes by Gianluigi Colalucci Hardcover, 272 pages

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Art and Architecture Editor's Recommended Book, 05/01/97
The restoration of Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel stirred up much controversy and debate among scholars, art historians, and art lovers alike. Originally painted in the late 15th century, it took restorers 14 painstaking years (from 1981 to 1995) to remove the centuries' worth of dust and decay that had obscured the frescoes' brilliant colors and intricate designs. In 250 gorgeous full-color photographs, this unique and beautiful volume presents Michelangelo's restored chapel--perhaps the greatest masterpiece of Renaissance art--in its entirety, from the Creation to the Last Judgment, both before and after cleaning. The only definitive study of the restoration process, this book is the next best thing to actually being there.

Do Not Disturb by Gianni Versace, Roy Strong, Sir Roy Strong Hardcover

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Amazon.com
Ah, naughty Gianni! The front cover of Do Not Disturb shows Versace himself in a Renaissance pose, wrapped in a sumptuous silk quilt; what you can't see on this page is the back cover, on which a nude Claudia Schiffer, hair snaking around her beautiful shoulders like a Teutonic Medusa's, gives you a come-hither stare as she toys with the same strategically placed quilt. Versace, before his untimely death in 1997, had perfected the art of living voluptuously, and these photographs--about half of which include perfect, mostly naked people romping gleefully through the sybaritic surroundings of Versace's various homes (in Milan, Miami, and Lago di Como)--are a testament to his great ability to elevate the beautiful to icon status. For its sheer, amazing gorgeousness, this may be the most wonderful (and one of the most poignant) lifestyle books of the last few years.

Mapplethorpe by Robert Mapplethorpe, Arthur C. Danto Hardcover, 382 pages

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Synopsis
Renowned photographer Robert Mapplethorpe died in 1989. Here is the first collection--published with the cooperation of his estate--drawn from his entire career, including those explicit images that sparked a national debate on censorship and federal funding of the arts. 280 duotone photographs. Slipcased.

Jews/America/a Representation : A Representation by Frederic Brenner (Photographer), Simon Schama, fr Brenner Hardcover, 93 pages

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A photographic celebration of the diversity of the Jewish religion and Jewish people in America--from "Jews with Hogs," a portrait of a motorcycle group astride their Harley Davidsons outside a Miami Beach Synagogue, to "Passover 5754," which captures the observance of the holiday feast in a maximum-security women's prison, to "Marxists," a group portrait of a boisterous band of Groucho Marx imitators. Photographer Frederic Brenner goes beyond the confines of conventional Judaism to depict the practical application of the religion in everyday America. A visual catalogue of signs, ritual objects, artifacts, and kitsch rounds out this book.

The New York Times Book Review, Andrea Cooper
These are not images we have come to expect of American Jewish life, and that is precisely the point.

Frank Lloyd Wright : The Masterworks by David Larkin (Editor), Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer Hardcover, 311 pages

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From Booklist , 11/15/93
Wright has been the subject of numerous books, illustrative and historical, popular and scholarly, but Larkin and Pfeiffer have still succeeded in creating something fresh and exciting. This handsome volume presents brand-new photographs of and lucid critical commentary on 38 of Wright's most significant buildings, including such famous public structures as the Unity Temple (1905) in Oak Park, Illinois, and New York's Guggenheim Museum (1943-59), as well as lesser-known but stunning private homes. This selection embraces Wright's entire career, from the early prairie style to the adventurous creations of the 1940s and 1950s. The process of design for each masterwork is documented from Wright's earliest conceptual sketches to his polished drawings, which are works of art in their own right. Some black-and-white photographs of buildings under construction are provided, but the book's strongest visual components are the grand color photographs. The shots were composed to capture the unique aesthetic of each structure's exterior and interior, from its orientation to the land to its elegant decorative detail and dramatic use of natural light. A liberal sampling of excerpts from Wright's writings and correspondence adds to this volume's authority and value. Donna Seaman
Copyright© 1993, American Library Association. All rights reserved

Birds of America : The Complete Collection of 435 Illustrations from the Most Famous Bird Book in the World by John James Audubon, Tim Parmentor Hardcover, 504 pages

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Charles Rennie Mackintosh by Charles Rennie MacKintosh (Editor), Wendy Kaplan (Editor) Hardcover, 383 pages

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Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) was and remains the most distinguished figure of what was known as the Glasgow School. An architect, decorator, graphic artist, painter and furniture designer, Mackintosh was known for combining the prosaic with the sumptuous, the severe with the romantic. This collection of essays examines his work in relation to the character of Glasgow and other artistic developments of the era. It also considers his contributions, and those of his wife and associates, to the cultural vibrancy of their city.

The Atlantic Monthly
. . .[a] splendidly illustrated study of his work . . .

From Booklist , 09/01/96
The brilliant Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868^-1928) is not an easy subject to tackle because of his impressively varied oeuvre and disinterest in writing or speaking about it. His vision inspired him to work in many forms and on all scales, from the grandeur of buildings to "stunningly inventive" interiors, graphics, and decorative arts. Mackintosh perfected a clean, linear, beautifully proportioned style emphasizing the contrast between dark and light and embodying a sense of calm, restraint, and elegance. Because few think of his home, the industrial city of Glasgow, as an art center, Mackintosh is often thought of as an "isolated genius" ; but as Kaplan and her contributors make clear, there was a lively circle of artists in the Glasgow of Mackintosh's era, and he benefited immeasurably from fruitful collaborations, especially with Margaret Macdonald, who became his wife. This excellent volume--a rich mix of high-quality illustrations and thorough and vivid commentary--was published in conjunction with a major traveling exhibition. Donna Seaman
Copyright© 1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved

Gaudi of Barcelona by Melba Levick (Photographer), Lluis Permanyer, sarah Underhill Hardcover, 188 pages

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Art and Architecture Editor's Recommended Book, 10/01/97
Since the late 1800s, Spanish architect Antonio Gaudí's (1852-1926) fanciful buildings have defined Barcelona's cityscape. His playful spires and towers, undulating tiled roofs, and writhing chimneys loom like Dr. Suess creatures atop commercial and apartment buildings alike, and his sculptures are an integral component of many of the city's parks and public spaces. As respected for his technical innovations as for his aesthetic boldness, Gaudí was able to achieve unique, organic, fluid--at times even bizarre--architectural forms that paralleled the stylistic development of art nouveau. The artist's greatest works are brought into dramatic relief against the background of the modern metropolis with 178 specially commissioned color photographs and 13 maps of Barcelona locating Gaudí's works and offering explanatory descriptions of the buildings.