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Panoramic Friezes, Wall Decorations

The muted colors and illustrative style of the Arts & Crafts movement period are featured in this color trade catalog from 1912-13. The company focused on making large wallpaper friezes, and was one of the first companies to develop a washable color wallpaper printed with oils that could be cleaned with a damp cloth or sponge. It was called San-kro-mura, the “sanitary” wall covering. The company produced wallpaper with panoramic views of mountains, deserts, forests, lakes, and scenic narratives of folklore and history.

Singeries

Christophe Huet (1700-1759), French artist of the Rococo period, illustrated this rare first edition depicting examples of “singerie.” Singerie, derived from the French word “monkey trick," a visual genre which features fashionably attired monkeys humorously imitating human behavior became a popular and amusing diversion for the upper classes in 18th century France. Singerie were depicted in paintings by such artists as Jean-Antoine Watteau as well as motifs in marquetry, textiles, and porcelain.

History of the Indian Tribes of North America

Part of a three-volume collection of Native American biographies and strikingly vivid portraits, this publication contains some of the finest American lithography of the 19th century. Published from 1836 to 1844, Thomas McKenney, US Superintendent of Indian Trade, wanted to preserve "in the archives of the Government whatever of the aboriginal man can be rescued from the destruction which awaits his race." His enlightened view that American Indians ought to be "looked upon as human beings, having bodies and souls like ours" was unfortunately shared by few at that time.

Lectures on Painting

Lectures on Painting contains three lectures given by James Barry (1741-1806), John Opie (1761-1807), and Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), with an introduction by Ralph Nicholson Wornum (1812-1877). The three lecturers were all members of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and they were, as well as Wornum, prominent artists of their time. In addition to being an artist, Wornum was also an art historian, administrator, Keeper of the National Gallery in London, and Secretary for the National Gallery's Trustees.

The Book of the Art of Cennino Cennini

The Book of the Art of Cennino Cennini is an English translated book from Italian, first published in 1859. The artist, Cennino Cennini, was an Italian painter born around 1360 and died before 1427. He trained under Agnolo Gaddi, and worked in Padua, at the court of Francesco Novello da Carrara. This book is an English translation of Cennino Cennini’s most notable publication, Il Libro Dell'Arte, with an introduction and commentary by celebrated British artist (and art patron), Christiana J. Herringham.

After Whistler

Travel to Paris was a prerequisite for aspiring American painters of the late nineteenth century. Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937), an African American painter born in Pittsburgh, was among the throng of artists to journey there. Tanner decided to become a painter at the age of thirteen after seeing an artist painting outdoors in a park in Philadelphia. In 1897, Tanner enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where he studied under Thomas Eakins (1844-1916).

Gullah Images

This beautiful coffee table book book is signed by the author, Jonathan Green of South Carolina. It contains 108 color portraits and paintings, with captions describing each work of art. The first thirty pages share a biography of the artist and describe his life’s work. The rest of the book is devoted entirely to nothing but beautiful art. The images depict the artist’s upbringing. He was raised on a farm in Gullah country, the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia, inhabited by the descendants of freed slaves from the area. 

Heirlooms in Miniatures

Published in 1898, Heirlooms in Miniatures features reproductions of illustrations of the “best examples of colonial, revolutionary, and modern miniature painters." Attempting to document the lives and work of the preeminent American artists of the time, it features notes from the author of incorrectly marked portraits and fun facts that add a taste of personality to the informative biographies of the artists and subjects.

Color Problems; A Practical Manual for the Lay Student of Color

Emily Noyes Vanderpoel was a painter who worked in watercolors and oils, and thus her understanding knowledge of color theory lends a generous hand to the text of this book. Intended to be consumed by designers, decorators, lithographers, and artists, this manual on color theory addresses the basic principles of color theory, color problems, and color harmonies. This first edition has 117 vivid color plates allow the reader to fully understand the concepts and harmonies addressed in the text of the book.

Visitors to Arizona, 1846 to 1980

This colorful catalog for an exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum in 1980 presents photography, painting, and sculpture created by artists who traveled through Arizona and were inspired by the state. The 93 artists included in the exhibition and this catalog span nearly 150 years, and include Helen Frankenthaler, Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington, Dorothea Tanning and Max Ernst, and Carleton Watkins. 

To Be Continued Unnoticed

Man Ray (1890-1976) was one of most important American modernist artists associated with both Dada and Surrealism. This catalog accompanied one of Man Ray's most important exhibitions in the United States and includes a signed lithograph. This copy is especially unique in that it is the artist's proof with marking by the artist before the final printing.

North American Indian Costumes (1564-1950) v. 1

This portfolio volume (vol.1 of the work) contains 25 illustrations by the noted Native American artist Oscar Howe (Mazuha Hokshina). A Yanktonai Dakota artist trained at the Studio of Santa Fe Indian School, the Dakota Wesleyan University, and the University of Oklahoma, Howe is perhaps best known for his 1940s, New Deal-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) murals.

North American Indian Costumes (1564-1950)

This portfolio volume (Vol. 2 of the work) contains 25 illustrations by the noted Native American artist Oscar Howe (Mazuha Hokshina). A Yanktonai Dakota artist trained at the Studio of Santa Fe Indian School, Dakota Wesleyan University, and University of Oklahoma. Howe is perhaps best known for his 1940s New Deal era Works Progress Administration (WPA) murals.