Debra Mancoff's Books

The Secrets of Art

Uncovering the Mysteries and Messages of Great Works of Art

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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The Secrets of Art

Uncovering the Mysteries and Messages of Great Works of Art

By: Debra N. Mancoff

Discover the secrets, mysteries, hidden meanings and stories behind famous works of art. A book full of surprises, discoveries, forgotten treasures and lost tales, The Secrets of Art takes us on a journey through the art world’s mysteries to reveal that works of art are not always what they seem. A long-lost medieval masterpiece unearthed in the Tower of London. A secret message that only an elite few can read encoded in a painting. A glimpse of a ghostly image beneath the surface of a portrait. The intriguing stories of these works, and many more, are brought to life by author, historian and art detective Debra N. Mancoff, as she reveals secret symbols used by Leonardo da Vinci, Vermeer and Caravaggio, uncovers layers of meaning in paintings by Van Gogh, Picasso and Dali, and provides insight into works by Frida Kahlo, Kara Walker and Marina Abramović. Drawing upon the findings of advanced technology, new research, scientific analysis and old-fashioned curiosity, The Secrets of Art unveils the layers of meaning beneath the surfaces of great works of art in a collection of tales that are fully based in fact but are as fascinating as fiction.

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Page Count

242

Publisher

White Lion Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0711248745

ISBN 13

9780711248748

The Arthurian Handbook

Second Edition

By: Norris J. Lacy,Geoffrey Ashe,Debra N. Mancoff

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The Arthurian Handbook

Second Edition

By: Norris J. Lacy,Geoffrey Ashe,Debra N. Mancoff

Everything you ever wanted to know about King Arthur and his knights is covered in this fascinating volume: the origins of the Grail legend, the Tristan and Isolde love story in opera and literature, Spielberg's use of Arthurian motifs in Star Wars , the depiction of Arthur in paintings, the presentation of Camelot on the Broadway stage, the twitting of the legend in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and much more. This critical survey of Arthurian history and legend, archaeology, literature, and the arts from the fifth century to the present provides an introduction for the general reader and a useful summary for the specialist. It offers both historical facts and key discussions on Arthurian subjects, from post-Roman Britain to the most recent novels and films. There is a lengthy glossary of Arthurian characters, motifs, and places, a chronology of major historical and literary items, a guide to pronunciation, and a full bibliography. What's new in the Second Edition:All the material has been revised and updated to 1996 since the original 1988 edition; The chapter on modern literature has been thoroughly revised, with new material on writings from France, Germany, England, and America; The coverage of King Arthur in the arts has entirely rewritten by one of the premier authorities in Arthurian studies. Brand-new geneological charts of the ancestry of Arthur and his family and the Grail kings and knights.; A fully up-to-date chronology; Many new illustrations.

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Page Count

456

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317777441

ISBN 13

9781317777441

Julia Margaret Cameron's Women

By: Sylvia Wolf,Julia Margaret Cameron,Stephanie Lipscomb,Debra N. Mancoff,Phyllis Rose,San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

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Julia Margaret Cameron's Women

By: Sylvia Wolf,Julia Margaret Cameron,Stephanie Lipscomb,Debra N. Mancoff,Phyllis Rose,San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Profiles the life and work of a nineteenth century pioneer of photography and offers a selection of her portraits of women

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Page Count

256

Publisher

Yale University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0300077815

ISBN 13

9780300077810

The Secrets of Art

Uncovering the Mysteries and Messages of Great Works of Art

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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The Secrets of Art

Uncovering the Mysteries and Messages of Great Works of Art

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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242

Publisher

White Lion Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0711248745

ISBN 13

9780711248748

How Art is Made

The Craft Behind the Masterpieces

By: Debra N Mancoff

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How Art is Made

The Craft Behind the Masterpieces

By: Debra N Mancoff

How Art Is Made looks at renowned works of art from across the centuries and around the globe and asks the intriguingly simple question – how were these works actually made? Divided into two sections – materials and methods – each chapter showcases a single work of art which demonstrates the mastery and innovative use of a single material or method, from oil paint, pastel and pencil, to woodcut, litho and impasto. Each work is presented as the centerpiece of a capsule history, while comparative works are also included to help amplify our understanding. How, for example, did Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel fresco, or Turner become such a master of watercolor? How did Warhol turn so effectively to screen printing, and how does Yayoi Kusama create such beguiling 'infinity rooms'? The book enhances the experience of looking at great works of art and guides us to a deeper understanding of how they were created and why we regard them as so important.

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Page Count

226

Publisher

Frances Lincoln Children's Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0711285098

ISBN 13

9780711285095

Looking at Fashion

A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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Looking at Fashion

A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques

By: Debra N. Mancoff

What is an epaulette? What is a hanbok? These clothing items—and hundreds more—are entertainingly explained and vividly illustrated in this accessible guide. Whether in art or life, fashion makes a statement. It gives form to the temper of the times and the motives of the moment, charting shifts in society, status, technology, and economy. Fashion is shaped by both high and popular culture and reveals the influence of individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Spanning the centuries and representing a global point of view, Looking at Fashion is a guide to the elements that make clothing practical, wearable, stylish, and distinctive. Created for scholars, students, fashionistas, and anyone who wants to expand their understanding of world culture through the history of dress, this book provides a rich and varied lexicon of the vocabulary that describes and explains the most essential components of garments and techniques of clothing construction. Ranging from basic pieces and their individual parts to structure, embellishments, and innovations, Looking at Fashion offers insights into the evolution of dress in terms of style, fit, and design. Gorgeous color illustrations, including paintings, photographs, historical garments, and custom drawings, reveal the interrelationship of fashion and art from antiquity to now.

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Page Count

162

Publisher

Getty Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

1606068997

ISBN 13

9781606068991

Van Gogh Fields and Flowers

By: Debra Mancoff

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Van Gogh Fields and Flowers

By: Debra Mancoff

Van Gogh produced some of the most vibrant depictions of the natural world ever put to canvas. This gorgeous book is filled with 45 color reproductions of his vibrant paintings of trees, fields, bouquets as well as his acclaimed irises and sunflowers.

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Chronicle Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0811825698

ISBN 13

9780811825696

Essentials of Consumer Behavior

By: Debra L. Stephens

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Essentials of Consumer Behavior

By: Debra L. Stephens

Essentials of Consumer Behavior offers an alternative to traditional textbooks for graduate students. Shorter than competing books, but no less rigorous, it includes unique material on vulnerable consumers and ethics. Balancing a strong academic foundation with a practical approach, Stephens emphasizes that consumer behavior does not simply equate to buyer behavior. She examines the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that shape consumers’ attitudes and motivations in relation to brands, products, and marketing messages. Providing a concise guide to the discipline, the author covers key themes such as vulnerable consumers, new technologies, and collaborative consumption. The book is supported by a rich companion website offering links to videos and podcasts, surveys, quizzes, further readings, and more. It will be a valuable text for any graduate student of consumer behavior or marketing, as well as any interested consumers.

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Page Count

233

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317648854

ISBN 13

9781317648857

Icons of Beauty

Art, Culture, and the Image of Women

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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Icons of Beauty

Art, Culture, and the Image of Women

By: Debra N. Mancoff

From images of Eve to Cindy Sherman's self-portraits, from Cleopatra to Madonna, from ancient goddesses to modern celebrities, this work offers an overview of the most revered icons of female beauty in world art from pre-history to the present. What gives beauty such fascinating power? Why is beauty so easy to recognize but so hard to define? Across cultures and continents and over the centuries the standards of beauty have changed but the desire to portray beauty, to praise beauty, and to possess beauty has never diminished. This set offers insight as to how we can use perceptions of beauty to learn about world cultures, both past and present. Each chapter looks at an individual work of art to pose a question about the power of beauty. What makes beauty modern? What is the influence of celebrities? How do women portray their own beauty in a different manner than men? In-depth profiles of the icons reveal how specific ideas about beauty were developed and expressed, offering a full analysis of their history, cultural significance, and lasting influence. In addition to renowned works of art, it also looks at icons in literature, film, politics, and contemporary entertainment. Interdisciplinary and multicultural in its approach, chapters inside this set also feature sidebars on provocative topics and issues, such as foot binding and body adornment; myths and practices; opinions and interpretations; and even related films, songs, and even comic book characters.

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Page Count

434

Publisher

Greenwood

Published Date

ISBN 10

031333823X

ISBN 13

9780313338236

Highlights of the Exhibition, Van Gogh and Gauguin

The Studio of the South

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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Highlights of the Exhibition, Van Gogh and Gauguin

The Studio of the South

By: Debra N. Mancoff

Studies the influence the friendship between Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin had on both the artists' work, profiling the paintings which were created by each artist during their friendship.

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ISBN 10

0865591954

ISBN 13

9780865591950

David Roberts

Travels in Egypt & the Holy Land

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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David Roberts

Travels in Egypt & the Holy Land

By: Debra N. Mancoff

In 1838, Scottish painter David Roberts (1796-1864) embarked on a three-year journey that would shape Europe's perception of the Middle East. Nurtured on Bible stories and tales of the exotic Orient, Roberts had always dreamed of exploring the Holy Land, though travel there was an arduous, dangerous undertaking. While he set himself the goal of bringing home an accurate visual record, he returned with a portfolio of hand-tinted lithographs that lost nothing of romanticism. His use of light, color, and atmosphere lent an aura of exoticism to his realistic view.

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Page Count

136

Publisher

Pomegranate

Published Date

ISBN 10

0764910299

ISBN 13

9780764910296

Sunflowers

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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Sunflowers

By: Debra N. Mancoff

One of nature's most commanding blooms, the sunflower has an enduring power and beauty that have been captured most famously by Vincent van Gogh. Indeed, for many the sunflower has become synonymous with van Gogh's art, but, as this delightful book so amply demonstrates, the flower's significance can be traced from pre-Columbian times to the present day." "The book's numerous full-color illustrations celebrate the image of the sunflower from its first appearance in sixteenth-century European botanical texts to twentieth-century representations. Brief essays and reproductions survey the multiple meanings of this species for science, religion, literature, and art, culminating in its importance for the British Aesthetic movement and for art in late-nineteenth century France. The flower's representation creates a context for van Gogh's work, and the penultimate section of the book develops the image of the sunflower as a lasting emblem of the artist. The final chapter surveys the relevance of the flower for artists into the late twentieth century."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Page Count

112

Publisher

Thames & Hudson

Published Date

ISBN 10

0500510539

ISBN 13

9780500510537

Van Gogh's Flowers

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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Van Gogh's Flowers

By: Debra N. Mancoff

Van Gogh was inspired by the beauty and colours of nature. He brought this passion to life in some of the most vibrant depictions of the natural world ever put to canvas. This book takes a look at this side of the artist's life and work. It offers insight into the artist's unique vision with the help of his most beautiful paintings and excerpts from his own writings. We see that flowers such as the iris and the sunflower served as emblems of self-identity and that the fields were a testament to the cycle of life and a warning of the inevitability of death. The book offers a portrait of the joy and pleasure that Van Gogh experienced in his life and expressed with his brush.

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ISBN 10

0711229082

ISBN 13

9780711229082

How Art is Made

The Craft Behind the Masterpieces

By: Debra N Mancoff

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How Art is Made

The Craft Behind the Masterpieces

By: Debra N Mancoff

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Page Count

226

Publisher

Frances Lincoln

Published Date

ISBN 10

0711285101

ISBN 13

9780711285101

Icons of Beauty [2 volumes]

Art, Culture, and the Image of Women [2 volumes]

By: Lindsay J. Bosch,Debra N. Mancoff

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Icons of Beauty [2 volumes]

Art, Culture, and the Image of Women [2 volumes]

By: Lindsay J. Bosch,Debra N. Mancoff

What gives beauty such fascinating power? Why is beauty so easy to recognize but so hard to define? Across cultures and continents and over the centuries the standards of beauty have changed but the desire to portray beauty, to praise beauty, and to possess beauty has never diminished. Icons of Beauty offers an enthralling overview of the most revered icons of female beauty in world art from pre-history to the present. From images of Eve to Cindy Sherman's self-portraits, from Cleopatra to Madonna, from ancient goddesses to modern celebrities, this interdisciplinary set offers fresh insight as to how we can use perceptions of beauty to learn about world cultures, both past and present. Each chapter looks at an individual work of art to pose a question about the power of beauty. What makes beauty modern? What is the influence of celebrities? How do women portray their own beauty in a different manner than men? In-depth profiles of the icons reveal how specific ideas about beauty were developed and expressed, offering a full analysis of their history, cultural significance, and lasting influence. In addition to renowned works of art, Icons of Beauty also looks at icons in literature, film, politics, and contemporary entertainment. Interdisciplinary and multicultural in its approach, chapters inside this set also feature sidebars on provocative topics and issues, such as foot binding and body adornment; myths and practices; opinions and interpretations; and even related films, songs, and even comic book characters. Generously illustrated, this rich set encompasses history, politics, society, women's studies, and art history, making it an indispensable resource for high school and college students as well as general readers.

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Page Count

780

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313081565

ISBN 13

9780313081569

Making A Masterpiece

The stories behind iconic artworks

By: Debra N. Mancoff

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Making A Masterpiece

The stories behind iconic artworks

By: Debra N. Mancoff

What makes a work of art a masterpiece? Discover the answers in the fascinating stories of how these artworks came to be and the circumstances of their long-lasting impact on the world. Beginning with Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, we travel through time and a range of styles and stories – including theft, scandal, artistic reputation, politics and power – to Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, challenging the idea of what a masterpiece can be, and arriving in the twenty-first century with Amy Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama, a modern-day masterpiece still to be tested by time. Each artwork has a tale that reveals making a masterpiece often involves much more than just a demonstration of artistic skill: their path to fame is only fully disclosed by looking beyond what the eye can see. Rather than trying to describe the elements of greatness, Making a Masterpiece takes account of the circumstances outside the frame that contribute to the perception of greatness and reveals that the journey from the easel to popular acclaim can be as compelling as the masterpiece itself. Featuring: Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci Judith Beheading Holofernes, Artemisia Gentileschi Girl with a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer Under the Wave off Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai Fifteen Sunflowers, Vincent van Gogh Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (Woman in Gold, Gustav Klimt American Gothic, Grant Wood Guernica, Pablo Picasso Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, Frida Kahlo Campbell’s Soup Cans, Andy Warhol Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, Amy Sherald Discover the stories of how, why and what makes a masterpiece in this compelling and comprehensive title.

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