Prestel

Portraiture is one of the oldest and most studied genres of art. While most scholars will look at a painting’s composition, style, and themes, often questions remain unanswered–who were these people and why were they painted? This entertaining book reveals the identities and lives of some of the most famous characters that populate art history–from the Renaissance to the 21st century. Readers will learn how the fifteen-year-old subject of da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine nearly destroyed a marriage; that van Dyck’s depiction of Prudence in wild clothes is actually one of the most controversial aristocrats of the seventeenth century; and that Francis Bacon’s character George Dyer was a man he met in a Soho nightclub. These and other stories behind works by Picasso, Klimt, Rubens, Warhol, and dozens of other artists show how portraiture remains one of the most enthralling genres. Based on art scholarship and conveyed in an accessible tone, these fascinating tales of power, lust, intrigue, jealousy, vengeance, and romance will help readers understand masterpieces of art history in an entirely new light.

Filled with compelling images from revered photographers of the past and present, this book sheds light on marginalized communities who have traditionally shied away from the camera.

At a time when individual rights are being contested and when those on the fringes of society feel deeply threatened, this powerful photographic compilation delivers a message of humanity and inclusiveness that transcends geopolitical and cultural boundaries. Works by critically acclaimed photographers including Bruce Davidson, Paz Errazuriz, Jim Goldberg, Danny Lyon, Mary Ellen Mark, Boris Mikhailov, Daido Moriyama, and Dayanita Singh cast a compassionate, unflinching eye on the worlds inhabited by transsexuals, hookers, hustlers, bikers, junkies, circus performers, gang members, survivalists, petty criminals, and others who live in the shadows, on the streets, and out of the public eye. Grouped by photographer and ranging in genre from portraiture to photojournalism, these images were selected for their authentic and humane perspective, as well as for their artistic brilliance. An important testament to photography’s power to both expose injustice and provide affirmation for those outside the norm, this collection bears witness to the ways social attitudes change across time and space, and how visual representation can promote understanding and dialogue.