M.C. Escher was born in 1898 in Leeuwarden (Netherlands). He received his first drawing lessons during secondary school from F.W. van der Haagen, who also taught him the block printing, thus fostering Escher's innate graphic talents. From 1912 to 1922 he studied at the School of Architecture and Ornamental Design in Haarlem, where he was instructed in graphic techniques by S. Jessurun de Mesquita. Escher is not a surrealist drawing us into his dream world, but an architect of perfectly impossible worlds who presents the structurally unthinkable as though it were a law of nature. The resulting dimensional and perspectival illusions bring us into confrontation with the limitations of our sensory perception.

Treasury of 63 works for keyboard by major French composer, harmonic innovator. Published between 1706 and 1741, they are reprinted in this volume from the authoritative edition edited by Camille Saint-Sa ns. Included are such well-known pieces as: "Musette en Rondeau," "Tambourin," "Les Niais de Sologne," "Les Cyclopes" and "La Poule."

Renowned for such masterworks as the opera The Bartered Bride and Ma Vlast (My Fatherland), a cycle of symphonic poems, Czech composer Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884) was also a composer of important chamber music. The two quartets in this volumeboth autobiographical in nature--are among his finest works in the genre. The String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor, a musical recollection of the composer's life, paints a picture of yearning ambition, a happy social life, and the delights of love; but the end brings hints of future difficulties that darken the quarter's sunny mood. The String Quartet No. 2 in D Minor, written in 1882 after deafness had overtaken Smetana, is less sanguine in tone. Its somber themes, suggesting the difficuhies of the composer's life with the handicap of hearing loss, exert a powerful, emotional pull on the listener. Remarkable for their quasi-programmatic realism in recalling Smetana's life, both works are frequently heard and performed today. Reproduced here from authoritativ

This two-volume compilation brings together highlights from TASCHEN's first two volumes of our renowned Fashion Now! books for a comprehensive study of fashion design around the world at the beginning of the 21st century. Up-and-coming fashion designers tomorrow's superstars are featured alongside the field's most respected practitioners: Haider Ackermann, Azzedine Alaia, Giorgio Armani, Agnes B, Christopher Bailey (Burberry), Neil Barrett, Luella Bartley, Veronique Branquinho, Thom Browne, Consuelo Castiglioni (Marni), Dean and Dan Caten (DSquared), Roberto Cavalli, Hussein Chalayan, Maria Cornejo (Zero), Francisco Costa (Calvin Klein), Giles Deacon, Christophe Decarnin (Balmain), Ann Demeulemeester, Dolce & Gabbana, Alber Elbaz (Lanvin), Silvia Venturini Fendi, Alberta Ferretti, Limi Feu, Tom Ford, Dai Fujiwara (Issey Miyake), John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier (JPG, Herm ¨s), Nicolas Ghesquire (Balenciaga), Frida Giannini (Gucci), Katharine Hamnett, Ann Val rie Hash, Desiree Heiss & Ines Kaag (Bles

These popular works include the complete Four Norwegian Dances, Op. 35; four excerpts from Lyric Pieces (Erotik, March of the Trolls, Notturno, and Wedding Day at Troldhaugen); the complete From Holberg’s Time, Op. 4 (Praeludium, Sarabande, Gavotte, Air, and Rigaudon); selections from Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 and 2 (Morning Mood, Ase’s Death, Anitra’s Dance, In the Hall of the Mountain King, and Solvejg’s Song); and complete Sonata in E-minor, Op. 7. Authoritative scores.

" All His Jazz practically dances off the pages." Harper'sBazaar . Bob Fosse (19271987), the director and choreographer ofChicago and Sweet Charity , has never been more popular than he isright now. Here is the less-publicized side of his story-hissurprising ascent from the world of sleazy Chicago strip joints tothe glitter of Broadway. A legend's memory is preserved in thiseloquent biography.

Magnificent array of exquisite floral illustrations, chosen from rare periodicals and illustrated books, includes such favorites as roses, hydrangea, irises, lilies, and carnations. Botanically accurate, these lush, permission-free images appear in small bouquets, as lovely single blossoms, and as graceful sprays-many of them forming frames, repeating borders, and other motifs. 294 black-and-white illustrations.

Ever been overwhelmed by a closet that feels as if it's filledwith all the wrong pieces? "Instant Style" is the ultimate guide tostreamlining, shopping for, and maintaining your ideal wardrobe allyear round. The book starts with the basics, outlining essentialclothing items for each season-winter coats, spring skirts, summersandals, fall sweaters-then shows how to complement them withpieces that accentuate personal style. Learn which tops go withwhat pants, what boots look best with different skin shapes, howthe right bag can change the entire look of an outfit, and how toflatter your colouring and figure. Find out when to hit the bestsales, what's worth splurging on, and how to recognize quality inclothes. Finally, benefit from the book's listing of recommendedstores around the country: "Instant Style" is filled with hundredsof colourful photographs of clothes and celebrities that willinspire and delight. It is the first book that gives readerseverything they need to make getting dressed, no matter wh

The Van de Star collection of ethnic jewellery is unique, bothin size and in quality. It brings together masterpieces fromAfrica, the Arab world. India, Central and Southeast Asia, and thePacific Islands. Each of these areas has its own individual designsand its own specific uses and symbolism attached to the jewellery.Materials used include gold, silver and many types of gemstones,but also more everyday materials such as leather, coral, beads,bone, teeth and shells. In this lavishly illustrated book, morethan 500 magnificent pieces are presented in colour, together withdetailed de*ions. Authoritative texts are included aboutjewellery making and the history, uses and designs from the variousareas. These chapters are further illustrated with historical andcontemporary photographs that show the jewellery being worn.

Renowned as one of the foremost early exponents of Darwinism, biologist- philosopher Ernst Heinrich Haeckel (1834-1919) advocated the continuity of all organic and inorganic life--from prehistoric times to the present. His marvelous renderings of exotic organic life forms first appeared in his famous Kunstformen der Natur, an illustrated study he developed through research on such life forms as spiders, turtles, hummingbirds, algae, starfish, and lichens. Drawn with an awareness of subtle evolutionary changes, hundreds of his figures are displayed in this comprehensive, illustrated collection. Included are: One CD-ROM containing 608 high-quality, permission-free images, many in color, saved in TIFF format A large-format 48-page book with every image on the CD-ROM printed large and clearly for easy reference One of the great landmarks of applied art, this collection of beautifully rendered natural forms is perfect for direct use by artists and illustrators as well as for study by stude

Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) emerged from humble circumstances - reflected in his nickname, "the customs official". An employee in the Paris customs bureau, Rousseau was an autodidact who incrementally worked his way into a position among the artists who were renewing the art world at the turn of the century. It was a difficult journey - for years the art world laughed at the layman's flat, icon-like figures, simple landscapes and, in his late phase, exotic jungle scenes. However his "naive" compositions in fact became an emblem that piqued the interest of the avant-garde. Rousseau's jungle paintings consisted of ornamental variations of plant leaves, among which he set brilliantly coloured predators, natives and naked beauties. In so doing, the artist evinced intuitive principles of design and compositions, which subsequent avant-garde artists had to work out for themselves with great effort. Ultimately winning recognition as an uncompromising modernist, Rousseau inspired comparison with Derain, Cezanne, Matis

To contemporaries, Amedeo Modigliani was the very definition of Parisian Bohemia, the controversial darling and target of the popular press and the model on which many a novel, play and film was based. As an artist, the scandalous Modigliani made his name chiefly with his celebrated pictures of women, with almond eyes and long necks and bodies. His style had ancient roots that lay deep in classical antiquity or Africa. But his portraits of intellectual giants of the age, friends such as Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau or Diego Rivera, were inimitable also. In Doris Krystof study, the scene Modigliani was the hero of comes alive, and his sensitive paintings and sculptures speak in tongues.

Jacques Offenbach (18t9-1880) was one of the greatest composers of lighthearted operettas, and his famous songs continue to cbarm millions who know neither their name nor their composer. This volume brings together tile sheet music for 38 songs from 14 operettas. These are Offenbach's most popular songs, and they are reproduced from the original sheet music (some witb lively pictorial covers) or, in a few cases, from the original piano-vocal scores. Included are four songs from Orphee aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld),five songs from La belle Helene, four songs from La vie parisienne, six songsfrom La Grande Duehesse de Gdrolstein, seven songs from La Pdrichole, three songs from La fille du tambour-realor, and more. Tile complete French texts appear on the music pages, while a separate section gives newly translated English versions. All tile songs have been chosen by Antonio de Almeida, tile renowned French orchestral conductor who is probably tbe world's foremost authority on Often-bach. He has

The logo bible, this book provides graphic designers with an indispensable reference source for contemporary logo design. More than 1300 logos are grouped according to their focal form, symbol, and graphic associations into 75 categories such as crosses, stars, crowns, animals, people, handwritten, illustrative type, etc. To emphasize the visual form of the logos, they are shown predominantly in black and white. By sorting a vast, international array of current logotypes ranging from those of small, design-led businesses to global brands the book offers design consultancies a ready resource to draw on in the research phase of identity projects. Logos are also indexed alphabetically by name of company/designer and by industrial sector, making it easy to piece together a picture of the state of the identity art in any client's marketplace.

"Contemporary Asian Living Rooms" takes you into the stunningliving rooms in 50 of Southeast Asia's most interesting homes andhotels. Shown on these pages are dozens of beautiful interiors,shown in more than 150 full-colour photographs from internationallyrenowned photographer Luca Invernizzi Tettoni. Created by some ofthe leading talents in contemporary Asian design today, theseinteriors feature creative shapes, contours, materials, and newways of working with the space where family and friends spend mostof their time together in the house.

Jean-Jacques Sempé is one of the most successful and best-loved cartoonists in the world, best known from his cartoons that have graced the covers and pages of the New Yorker for decades. Sempé has published numerous collections of his work in his native France, but never before have they been translated into English. Phaidon Press is delighted to present the first English translated publication of EVERYTHING IS COMPLICATED by Jean-Jacques Sempé, one of four witty and beautifully illustrated collections from this notorious and widely adored cartoonist. Sempé is equally adept at capturing the little indignities (and triumphs) of everyday life as he is at high farce. EVERYTHING IS COMPLICATED, the second Sempé volume published in France, features some of his favorite subjects, such as hapless tourists, pipe-smoking novelists and unruly schoolchildren, as well as people who choose to express their innermost feelings through the medium of the protest sign. One classic image portrays a family after dinner; th

The "Scottish," "Italian," and "Reformation" symphonies rank among Mendelssohn's greatest works. All three of these staples of the orchestral repertoire appear here in one convenient volume, reproduced from authoritative Breitkopf and H rtel editions. Attractive and inexpensive, this compilation offers excellent value to both professional and amateur musicians.

This handsomely designed book is published to accompany theexhibition of the same name at the Museum fr Angewandte Kunst inCologne, from 24th January to 25th April 2010.

Many designers use folding techniques in their work to make three-dimensional forms from two-dimensional sheets of fabric, cardboard, plastic, metal and many other materials. This unique book explains the key techniques of folding, such as pleated surfaces, curved folding and crumpling. An elegant, practical handbook, it covers over 70 techniques explained by clear step-by-step drawings, crease pattern drawings, and specially commissioned photography. The book will be accompanied by a CD containing all the crease pattern drawings.

Forty-seven vocal works from the 12th to the 17th centuries, including songs by Henry IV and Henry VIII as well as Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Thomas Ravenscroft, Thomas Morley, John Dowland, and Thomas Weelkes. Introduction by Joel Newman. Some Suggested Reading. Indexes.

This unique anthology samples the vast repertoire available for the beginning and intermediate guitarist. A number of these pieces have never appeared in a modern edition, while others have found their place among the world's best-loved compositions. Many periods and musical styles are reflected-from guitar tran*ions of the earliest Italian lute tablatures to an arrangement of the American favorite "Dixie's Land." Here also are such staples of classical guitar as selected Studies of the great Fernando Sor, as well as period and modern arrangements of popular themes from such beloved classics as Bach's "Minuet in G,"Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," the theme from Brahms's Symphony No. 1, a selection from Rossini's opera "William Tell," and the famous "Goin' Home" theme from Dvorak's "New World" Symphony. Edited by concert guitarist and music scholar David Nadal, who has newly transcribed many of the pieces for solo guitar, this practical, sturdily bound, inexpensive treasury will be welcomed by students, afic

Inspired by the verse of the German romantic poets, Franz Schubert achieved glittering fame as a creator of the 19th-eentury lied long before public recognition of his symphonies assured his place in music. "Schubertiads" with baritone Johann Michael Vogl were the rage of Viennese drawing rooms ca. 1817 and, by 1825, these concert parties in the homes of affluent merchants and civil servants were more popular than ever. In 10 years, Schubert composed over 600 lieder, whose charming melodies, harmonic invention, and depth of emotion rank them at the top of the form. This handsome reading and playing edition offers 59 favorite Schubert songs-settings of the verse of 30 lyric poets, including Schiller, Mayrhofer, Schober and Wilhelm Mtiller-from the standard Breitkopf & Hartel complete-score edition of 1884-97. Here are authoritative full scores, complete with modern literal prose translations of the poems-all handsomely set with wide margins and sturdy binding in one conv enient, affordable volume.

TASCHEN's Great Adventure began back in 1980, when eighteen-year-old Benedikt Taschen opened a shop in his native Cologne, Germany, tomarket his massive comics collection. Within a year he began publishing catalogues promoting his wares, but it wasn't until 1984 that his first art-book breakthrough occurred: he purchased 40,000 remainder copies of a Magritte book printed in English, reselling them for a fraction of their original price. From a young age, Taschen had been interested in art but found that art books were too expensive and hard to obtain, and the success of this daring move proved that Taschen was not alone in thinking that the art-book market should be democratized. Soon he began reprinting books under his own name for budget prices and the next year he published his first original titl and the first book in the Basic Art series: Picasso. Before long, high-quali y-yet-still-inexpensive hardcover books were added to the lineup and in 1989 the landmark double-jumbo Van Gogh: The Complete Pai