Cultural History

Lying between deserts, mountain chains and seas, Iran developed a fascinating cultural landscape. 360 objects from the time of the first advanced civilisations during the 3rd millennium BC until the end of the Safavid Empire in the early 18th century illustrate the outstanding significance of Iran as the initiator and centre of intercultural exchange.

Three essays by leading scholars in the field of Japanese art explore Sesson Shūkei’s unique life and unconventional painting style, as well as how scholarly perceptions of the artist have changed over time. Fifty-three entries highlight major works by Sesson as well as those by other artists before, during, and after his time.

Caspar David Friedrich and Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov are the most important artists of the Romantic era in their native countries of Germany and Russia. At the centre of this opulent book are night scenes and moonlit landscapes, views of Dresden and Italy that are full of yearning, and portraits and lovingly depicted interiors by both master painters and their contemporaries.

The English illustrator Anna Atkins (1799–1871) was in every respect a modern woman. For the publication of her plant collections she used the latest technology, the recently invented cyanotype. In 1843 she used the process to create the first photo book in history, with images of breathtaking beauty and originality which often look like modern art.

Historical events and our knowledge of them mould our understanding of today’s world. The interdisciplinary authorship of this volume focuses on the connection between past and future. A bold and unusual publication whose approaches and themes extend from biographical experiences via intergenerational exchange to the discussion of current social phenomena.

"Landscapes of Extraction" explores the art of mining, the transformative industry of the American West, competing in sublimity and striking colour with the natural scenic landscape on its own terms. These landscapes of enterprise altered the natural environment on a spectacular scale, with open pit mines, coal tips and oil rigs.

"Global Luxury in Renaissance Venice" offers an unprecedented exploration of maiolica in the Serenissima set in a vibrant context of hybridity and exchange. Versatile and receptive to all forms of decoration, the medium of maiolica offers a unique point of entry into Venice’s material world as it was shaped by Mediterranean trade and local luxury production.

The reconstructed Berlin Palace in the heart of the German capital is both a monument of Baroque architecture and a vital new cultural building in the city. The art history, architecture and sculpture of the palace’s masterful façades by Andreas Schlüter are brought to life here in words and pictures.

This magnificent book sheds new light on the celebration and uses of marble in art and literature and on the iconic potential of the stone. With 240 color illustrations, it showcases the marble cladding of architecture, the carving of marble and painting on stone, their political and philosophical connotations, and the de- and re-materialising of marble made possible by digital technology.

Which influences between the West and the Far East have shaped the history of dance? A vivid chronicle of artistic contacts between the cultures has developed, from early performances of Asian dancers at colonial exhibitions in Europe and pioneers of modern dance via first happenings of Japanese Butoh dancers to contemporary performances.