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Booktopia Comments
You have to forgive me for going over the top in my review here... not that I am some great art aficionado, not at all, more likely the complete opposite. I guess I am just a lover of humanity and this book is a testimony to our relationship with self-expression in the art form. This book is large in every way including size, weight and scope. It is hard to imagine that the publisher took 10 years to complete the project, what great perseverance and commitment!
The video above really does a great job showcasing the final product so I don't need to go in to detail but I would like to touch on its dimensions and weight.
Firstly, I really want you to understand how big the book is, it is about the size of 2 x A4 pieces of paper next to each other. It is huge in size, which means the photos and reproductions inside are a decent size. It gives you, the reader, a great sense of the art work on the page, as bigger is definitely better here. Secondly is the thickness of the book it is almost 1,000 pages, but because they have used the highest quality paper the book is extra thick, about 5 centimetres. Finally, the weight is well over 7 kilograms so you simply cannot browse through it on your lap, you have to rest it on the table and the weight of the pages in your hand gets really heavy. Thankfully the book has superior binding and is able to fold out on the table and not put pressure on the spine.
The pages themselves have interesting and informative descriptions most likely written for anyone with a keen interest in the history of art and it may be a little short for the industry expert, however the range of years that it covers will make it the definitive reference book on the complete history of art.
Very simply, this book is superb and any one who purchases a copy will never be disappointed and will treasure it for many years to come.
In closing, the book comes in its own protective box so I am confident that it will make its way to you in perfect condition plus we always place extra protective packaging around a book of this quality and weight. Oh, the last thing... I think the publisher has definitely gone for the ultimate... "don't judge a book by its cover". This one certainly takes first place in that department!
Reviewed by Tony Nash, Booktopia's CEO.
Book Description
The Art Museum is the finest art collection ever assembled between two covers.
This revolutionary and unprecedented virtual art museum in a book, features 1,000 oversized pages of over 2,700 works of art. It is the most comprehensive and visually spectacular history of world art ever published.
Ten years in the making, this unique book was created with a global team of specialists in all fields of art, including museum curators and educators, who have collected together important works as they might be displayed in the ideal museum for the art lover.
Unrestricted by the constraints of physical space, this luxurious book is organized by innovative color-coded "galleries," "rooms, "corridors" and "special exhibitions" which display hundreds of paintings, sculptures, frescos, photographs, tapestries, friezes, installations, performances, videos, woodblock prints, folding screens, ceramics and manuscripts that tell the history of world art.
This is the only museum to house Leonardo's Mona Lisa, a collection of Rembrandt's finest self portraits, Velazquez's Las Meninas and Picasso's Guernica, as well as ceramics from China, Hokusai's woodblock prints, gold artefacts from Peru, and works by Jackson Pollock in one place.
With intelligent in-depth text throughout, explanatory labels for each artwork, a comprehensive glossary and detailed location maps, The Art Museum, is accessible for everyone from casual art fans to experts in the field.
About The Author
Conceived and edited by Phaidon editors, with a consulting global team of specialists in all fields of art.
'Less a book than a virtual building . Coolly neoclassical in design ... you can take guided tours with experts whispering in your ear as you consult the captions ... an exhaustive history of art' - The Observer 'Terrific' - Sunday Times Culture 'You might even find everything you need in The Art Museum' - The Sunday Times (Books for Christmas) 'This monumental tome astounds and amuses for sheer ambition, chutzpah and range' - The Financial Times (Books of the Year) 'An imaginary museum in which are displayed, spread by spread, 3000 of the finest works of art in the world' - The Independent (Best Boks for Christmas) 'A monumental museum without walls' - Daily Telegraph 'Clearly laid out and lavishly illustrated compendium of the best of world culture' - The Times (Art Books for Christmas) 'A comprehensive and scholarly introduction to world art from pre-history to present' - Royal Academy of Art Magazine 'impressive - should be in public libraries and schools as well as on coffee tables. In an age when so much information about art is gleaned electronically, this massive tome, with its beautiful reproductions, is a bold assertion of the importance of the printed page.' Art Quarterly 'If the world's best curators could create a collection containing every notable work for all time its catalog would resemble The Art Museum.' Conde Nast Traveller 'Unprecedented, unique, and vast in scope, this visually spectacular survey of world art belongs in large public, academic, and special libraries. Destined to delight, inspire, and educate, as well as become an invaluable, classic, art reference resource, it is very highly recommended.' Library Journal.com 'The 2,500 works that really matter in 1,000 stunning pages.'Readers Digest
ISBN: 9780714856520
ISBN-10: 0714856525
Audience:
General
Format:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 992
Published: 13th October 2011
Dimensions (cm): 48.0 x 35.0
x 7.3
Weight (kg): 47.6
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