Books published by publisher Prestel

How do we understand contemporary art today? Where do we even start? Where do we end up? Art historian Matthew Israel responds to these questions by exploring ten of today’s most exciting contemporary artworks created by ten artists over a span of fifteen extraordinary years. With a clear eye for the captivating detail and a deep appreciation for the panoramic view, Israel reveals the fascinating stories behind each of the artworks, connecting them to larger social and artistic contexts, while stirring the sensibilities of art novices and art lovers alike. Drawn from the fields of photography, painting, performance, sculpture, installation, video, film, and public art, the works selected range from Andreas Gursky’s stunning, large-scale color photograph Rhine II to Ai Weiwei’s powerful Remembering, an installation of children’s backpacks following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, to Kara Walker’s acclaimed installation, A Subtlety, in Brooklyn’s former Domino Sugar Refinery. Accessible and insightful, The Big Picture presents an indelible portrait of the multifaceted, confounding, often mercurial world of contemporary art in the twenty-first century―a place of wonder and delight that reflects our rapidly shifting global reality.

Set in a Tahitian village very much like the ones Gauguin painted, this beautifully illustrated book draws on the figures in Gauguin’s painting Arearea, or “Happiness”―two women, a red dog, and a large stone idol―to weave a simple but profound tale. Vahine-Noa, queen of daylight, lives for happiness and color while her sister, Vahine Po, queen of the night, lives for her dreams, darkness, and silence. Bringing these two women together is a young boy, Tevai, and his dog, who undergo a magical experience that unites their village and helps them understand the importance of being true to your feelings. Throughout the story, Vanessa Hié’s gorgeous illustrations recall Gauguin’s colorful, mystical paintings of the South Seas. The book closes with a stunning reproduction of its inspiration, Gauguin’s painting Arearea. Children will be drawn into Hié’s intricate paintings as they follow Tevai’s story, which, along with a brief introduction to Gauguin and his work, offers a superb look into the life and art of this hugely influential artist.

This stunning book uses 21st-century technology to reveal the original colors of ancient sculpture. When Renaissance artists sought to imitate ancient sculpture, their medium of choice was pure, white marble, but little did they know that the works they emulated were originally painted in dazzling and powerful hues—from red ocher and cinnabar to azurite and malachite. By illustrating painted reconstructions of well-known sculptures in relation to original examples, this volume reveals how ancient artists in Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Aegean, Greece, and Rome brought unexpected and breathtaking color to their artworks. Accompanying these reproductions are watercolors of Greece’s landscapes dating from different years, which show how our perception of ancient art has changed over time. Generously illustrated, this book testifies that the study of ancient sculpture is incomplete without an understanding of the many ways that color was employed to bring such art to life.

Children will be utterly absorbed by this journey through the history of architecture, from the earliest mud huts to today’s soaring towers. Chronologically arranged, this large-format book gives each iconic building its own double-page spread featuring an exquisite watercolor illustration and clearly written descriptions, facts, and features. These vibrantly detailed pages are filled with people, animals, and other objects that help bring the buildings to life. A detailed appendix includes a timeline, a world map that points out where each building can be found, and an extensive glossary. Children will enjoy poring over this book―and will come away with a fundamental understanding of not only the most common architectural terms, but also of how the built world has evolved marvelously over time.

Children love to be fooled―and artists are some of the greatest tricksters around. This collection features artworks that incorporate a variety of methods for tricking our eyes: including trompe l’oeil, clever uses of color and perspective, Surrealism, and Photo-Realism. Arranged thematically, each work is presented in a two-page spread. Lively texts explain the methods the artists employed to shape their illusions. Reproduced in vibrant color, these pieces of ripe fruit, blooming flowers, a half-opened curtain, flickering lines, and impossible worlds come alive on the page, providing hours of absorbing fun as readers are drawn into the stories behind their creation. Playful, intriguing, and educational, these great illusions are a terrific way to introduce children to the world of art.

One of Wassily Kandinsky’s most fantastical and vivid paintings is the foundation for this children’s book about a journey into the heart and mind of a sleeping giant. Inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s 1940 painting, Sky Blue, this delightful children’s book delves into the kaleidoscopic mind of a sleeping giant. Author Véronique Massenot and illustrator Peggy Nille interpret Kandinsky’s abstract characters as the somnolent visions of a giant who stumbles into a village of microscopic townspeople. Though the villagers initially fear the enormous stranger, they soon discover a gentle soul through his beautiful dreams. With its brightly colored palette and playful drawings, this wonderfully imaginative book echoes Kandinsky’s lively style. As young readers explore the wonders of the miniature villagers’ world and the colossal giant’s imagination, they will be inspired to find their own way around Kandinsky’s enigmatic masterpiece.

This fascinating look into the world of the artist Frida Kahlo introduces children to the themes that infused Kahlo’s vibrant paintings, while demonstrating how her life influenced her art. Parrots, trees, deer, family members, friends, flowers, the sun and the moon―Frida Kahlo’s use of symbolism and color wonderfully lends itself to teaching children about the artistic process. Through illustrations of her work and photographs ofKahlo and her family, children are encouraged to learn about herlife, artworks, and important relationships. An engaging text andgorgeous reproductions call attention to Kahlo’s use of bold colorand natural imagery, as well as her ingenious use of perspective,collage, and varying styles. Children will learn much about creativeself-expression through this beautifully designed and insightfulbook about Kahlo’s life and work.

Beautifully illustrated in the style of Pablo Picasso, this tale of music’s ability to soothe a savage beast introduces children to aspects of the great artist’s work. The kingdom of Mirador is terrified of a monstrous, fire-spewing beast that lurks just outside the village walls. No one has actually seen the creature except for the king, whose constant reminder of impending danger turns the village gloomy and joyless. One spring day a troupe of musicians and their dog enters the gates. Suddenly there is fun and romance, song and dance. The people are no longer afraid―until the loathsome beast does, in fact, appear. What happens next will delight children and adults alike as the magic of art and music transforms screams of terror into peals of laughter. Drawing on details of Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece Three Musicians, artist Vanessa Hié uses brightly hued watercolors, bold lines, and graphic images to familiarize children with Picasso’s style. The book closes with a reproduction of Picasso’s original painting and an engaging lesson on the artist’s use of images and symbols, his fascination with theater and music, and his passionate pleas for peace in the wake of world war.

This highly engaging book lets young readers play detective as they examine great works of art to see if they are the real thing--or forgeries. From Michelangelo to Picasso, art history is filled with stories of spectacular forgeries that have stumped the greatest scholars of their time. It is from this fascinating angle that young readers learn about the great works of art in this fun and educational book. Set in an imaginary museum, it presents reproductions of famous art works alongside "forgeries." Readers are asked to play detective as they examine each painting closely, looking for the differences. Along the way a small cartoon sleuth leads them through the paintings, uncovering technical and historical details that enhance readers' appreciation and knowledge. Whether they're examining Seurat's painting of an afternoon scene on the island of La Grande Jatte; an arrangement of flowers by Sargent; van Gogh's Starry Night; or Rousseau's Exotic Landscape, readers will be playfully drawn into the world of great art and no doubt eager to examine other works first hand.

Children can enter the surreal world of the master architect, Antoni Gaudí, and color in his weird and wonderful creations inspired by nature and the intricate beauty of the world around us. This delightful coloring book introduces children to one of the world's most recognized and admired architects, Antoni Gaudí. His masterpiece, the still-uncompleted Sagrada Família Basilica of Barcelona, is one of the most visited monuments in Spain. The Catalonian architect is especially appealing to children, who will marvel at the organic forms inspired by nature he employed in his buildings and designs. This engaging activity book will inspire learning and creativity in children, and will encourage young readers to build their own Gaudí-like creations.

This beautifully illustrated book explores some of the world’s iconic images, teaching children about the impact of photography on their world. Some of the world’s most renowned pictures are also the most exciting to view and discuss. From Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon to the fall of the Berlin Wall; Lindbergh’s historic landing in Paris to Nelson Mandela’s release from prison; portraits of Albert Einstein, Princess Diana and the Beatles; the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, and the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico―these and other history-making photographs are presented in double-page spreads that offer stunning reproductions of the images themselves, helpful background information on the events and people they portray, and perspectives on the circumstances that inspired them. Paging through these photographs, children will learn not only about people and events that changed the world, but how photographs preserve and help us understand these important moments.