"This book by Nils Buttner traces the history of gardens, as seen through the eyes of artists, over the course of 2,000 years. The focus of this book is not gardens themselves or different concepts of the garden, but rather the representation of gardens in art. In this study the author explains why pictures of gardens are a mirror of the social, historical, and aesthetic context in which gardens were conceived. He also examines how artists paint gardens...

Truly an international figure whose actions and words continue to influence millions of people around the world, both Catholic and not, John Paul II's leadership has inspired enormous respect and constant debate. This fascinating, sumptuous look at twenty-five years of his papacy serves as both a respectful perspective on his achievements and a glorious celebration of the man considered the most popular pope in modern times.

"Over the course of his 60-year career, Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) has employed both representation and abstraction as a means of reckoning with the legacy, collective memory, and national sensibility of post-Second World War Germany, in both broad and very personal terms. This book features approximately 100 of his key canvases, from photo paintings created in the early 1960s to portraits and later large-scale abstract series, as well as select works...