Ludion

How does an artists interpretation of historical events alter our understanding of them? Kings, queens, presidents, and generals from Alexander the Great to Theodore Roosevelt have commissioned paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs of major events, and artists have responded to important moments with works that forever shape historical memory. This book deals with specific episodes, from the proclamation of the Code of Hammurabi to more recent events such as the fall of the BerlinWall and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It also deals with broader themes, such as the founding of states (Persia, Rome, the Chinese Empire, the United States) and war (Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, Picassos Guernica). Here too are the great voyages of exploration, the industrial revolution, and much more. The book also looks at history outside Europe, from Asia and Africa to the Americas and the Islamic world.

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (1599-1660), famous for his intriguing portraits of monarchs, courtiers and jesters, is considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Surrounded by canvases by Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens and Van Dyck, Velazquez created a furore as painter at the cosmopolitan court of Philip IV during the Spanish Golden Age.But it was not just Madrid that lay at his feet. Velazquez was also admired and famous at the imperial court of Vienna and the papal court in Rome for his disciplined, intelligent play with space, light and colour, which gives his paintings an exceptional dignity. His work was rediscovered in the 19th century and was the stimulus for the development of modern painting, particularly Realism and Impressionism.The impassioned Velazquez expert Fernando Checa guides you in this beautiful, superbly illustrated reference work through the traditional interpretations that set the oeuvre of the master within the Realist school, and at the same time explores the more daring vision that links Velazquez with Classicism and the most progressive currents within the painting of his day.Checas unusual approach and the comprehensive survey of Velazquez paintings show why the work of this master was so important for the development of modern art, and why the painter is regarded as a gifted artist almost without parallel.