Science

James Loeb (1867–1933), the son of a German-Jewish banker in New York, followed his artistic and art historical inclinations and used his tremendous financial wealth for the purpose of cultural and social philanthropism. This publication examines the patron’s life and work and outlines his scholarly achievements.

Giambologna (1529–1606) is regarded as the most important European sculptor between Michelangelo and Bernini. How did he achieve this status? This volume investigates this question and examines above all Giambologna’s study of Michelangelo, his all-powerful role model, and how he successfully prevailed.   

In this publication the sinologist Rupprecht Mayer presents 143 Chinese reverse glass paintings from a private collection in southern Germany. Traditional motifs of happiness, scenes from plays and novels, landscapes, China’s entrance into modernity, and the changing image of the Chinese woman define the central motifs.

"A Princely Pursuit" highlights more than seventy pieces from the Meissen porcelain collection of Malcolm D. Gutter. Promised to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the collection’s roughly 170 works focus on exemplary early examples from the German manufactory and trace the evolution and experimentation of Meissen wares.

The Bruschettini Foundation is world-renowned for its collection of Islamic and Asian art. This fine publication reproduces a fascinating selection of 13th- to 17th-century carpets, textiles, polychrome Iznik wares, paintings, and precious inlaid metalwork chosen from the collection, revealing the enduring allure of Islamic masterpieces.

The so-called chasuble of Thomas Becket (1118–1170) is one of the most magnificent medieval textiles in the Mediterranean region. Richly decorated with ornaments, fabulous animals and figures in lavish gold embroidery with Arabic inscriptions, this precious liturgical garment provides impressive proof of the re-utilisation of the Islamic arts in the Christian world.

The precise details in the works of Otto Marseus van Schrieck, the inventor of the sottobosco still life, fascinate viewers to this day. For the first time the artist is now being shown within the context of his contemporaries, revealing an unknown side of the Golden Century of Netherlandish painting and the beauty of still life, as well as the fascination of the dark, the hidden and the uncanny.

In addition to the accompanying book we shall also be publishing a short guide which spotlights the five chapters of the exhibition and presents their most important exhibits: The Reformations of the 16th Century; The Development of a Lutheran State Church in Sweden 1500–1750; The Diversity of Protestantism in the United States 1600–1900; and Encounters and Dialog in Present-Day South Korea and Tanzania.  

Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov (1853-1939) is known for inventions and engineering challenges that were ahead of his time such as the construction of the first Russian oil-pipeline and the invention of oil-cracking. Shukhovs pioneering structural works, such as hanging roofs and hyperbolic lattice towers, relate to the most cited examples of advanced engineering design from the turn of the 20th century.   

In many cultures lines take centre stage in art and science, in writing, drawing and construction. This publication explores the fascination and power of the phenomenon of the line from the point of view of various academic disciplines ranging from the history of art to philosophy and the history of science.