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eBook
Benvenuto Cellini : and the embodiment of the modern artist
Beyer, Andreas
Reaktion Books
, 2025
; English
; 248 Pages
A clear-eyed portrayal of the audacious Renaissance sculptor Benvenuto Cellini.
Beyer, Andreas
Reaktion Books
, 2025
; English
; 248 Pages
A clear-eyed portrayal of the audacious Renaissance sculptor Benvenuto Cellini.

eBook
The shape of power : stories of race and American sculpture
Lemmey, Karen; Wofford, Tobias; Yasumura, Grace
Princeton University Press
, 2024
; English
; 293 Pages
A major new survey of American sculpture, exploring how it both reflects and redefines concepts of race and identity in the United States
When viewing a sculpture, how quickly do we tend to assign race to the subject? The three-dimensional qualities of sculpture give it a distinct advantage over other art forms in capturing a subject's likeness, and our minds can swiftly conjure a body and racialize it from the most minimal of prompts. The Shape of Power examines American sculpture from the mid-nineteenth century to today, showing how this medium gives physical form to racist ideas and has shaped how generations have learned to visualize and think about race.
Exploring the relationship between sculpture and ideas about race in the United States, this book provides fresh perspectives on artists ranging from Hiram Powers, Edmonia Lewis, and Augusta Savage to Barbara Chase-Riboud, Titus Kaphar, Raven Halfmoon, Sanford Biggers, Betye Saar, Yolanda López, and Simone Leigh. It reveals how sculptors use this versatile medium to challenge discriminatory ideologies and entrenched social and cultural constructions of race while offering bold new visions of community, identity, and selfhood.
Featuring superb illustrations of sculptural works in a broad range of media, The Shape of Power exposes the racist undertones inherent in American sculpture and reflects on the enduring power of sculpture in the making and unmaking of race in the United States.
Published in association with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC
Exhibition Schedule
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC
November 8, 2024–September 14, 2025
Lemmey, Karen; Wofford, Tobias; Yasumura, Grace
Princeton University Press
, 2024
; English
; 293 Pages
A major new survey of American sculpture, exploring how it both reflects and redefines concepts of race and identity in the United States
When viewing a sculpture, how quickly do we tend to assign race to the subject? The three-dimensional qualities of sculpture give it a distinct advantage over other art forms in capturing a subject's likeness, and our minds can swiftly conjure a body and racialize it from the most minimal of prompts. The Shape of Power examines American sculpture from the mid-nineteenth century to today, showing how this medium gives physical form to racist ideas and has shaped how generations have learned to visualize and think about race.
Exploring the relationship between sculpture and ideas about race in the United States, this book provides fresh perspectives on artists ranging from Hiram Powers, Edmonia Lewis, and Augusta Savage to Barbara Chase-Riboud, Titus Kaphar, Raven Halfmoon, Sanford Biggers, Betye Saar, Yolanda López, and Simone Leigh. It reveals how sculptors use this versatile medium to challenge discriminatory ideologies and entrenched social and cultural constructions of race while offering bold new visions of community, identity, and selfhood.
Featuring superb illustrations of sculptural works in a broad range of media, The Shape of Power exposes the racist undertones inherent in American sculpture and reflects on the enduring power of sculpture in the making and unmaking of race in the United States.
Published in association with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC
Exhibition Schedule
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC
November 8, 2024–September 14, 2025

eBook
Painting and sculpture of the San Francisco art association
The San Francisco Art Association
University of California Press
, 2023
; English
; 125 Pages
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1952.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived
The San Francisco Art Association
University of California Press
, 2023
; English
; 125 Pages
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1952.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived

eBook
On a scale that competes with the world: the art of Edward and Nancy Reddin Kienholz
Pincus, Robert L.
University of California Press
, 2023
; English
; 153 Pages
A fully illustrated review of the contemporary artwork of Edward and Nancy Kienholz, which clarifies its importance in American art history and illuminates its critique of American society and culture.
Pincus, Robert L.
University of California Press
, 2023
; English
; 153 Pages
A fully illustrated review of the contemporary artwork of Edward and Nancy Kienholz, which clarifies its importance in American art history and illuminates its critique of American society and culture.

eBook
The thief who stole my heart : the material life of sacred bronzes from Chola India, 855-1280
Dehejia, Vidya
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 339 Pages
The first book to put the sacred and sensuous bronze statues from India's Chola dynasty in social contextFrom the ninth through the thirteenth century, the Chola dynasty of southern India produced thousands of statues of Hindu deities, whose physical perfection was meant to reflect spiritual beauty and divine transcendence.
During festivals, these bronze sculptures-including Shiva, referred to in a saintly vision as "the thief who stole my heart"-were adorned with jewels and flowers and paraded through towns as active participants in Chola worship.
In this richly illustrated book, leading art historian Vidya Dehejia introduces the bronzes within the full context of Chola history, culture, and religion.
In doing so, she brings the bronzes and Chola society to life before our very eyes.Dehejia presents the bronzes as material objects that interacted in meaningful ways with the people and practices of their era.
Describing the role of the statues in everyday activities, she reveals not only the importance of the bronzes for the empire, but also little-known facets of Chola life.
She considers the source of the copper and jewels used for the deities, proposing that the need for such resources may have influenced the Chola empire's political engagement with Sri Lanka.
She also investigates the role of women patrons in bronze commissions and discusses the vast public records, many appearing here in translation for the first time, inscribed on temple walls.From the Cholas' religious customs to their agriculture, politics, and even food, The Thief Who Stole My Heart offers an expansive and complete immersion in a community still accessible to us through its exquisite sacred art.Published in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCPlease note: All images in this ebook are presented in black and white and have been reduced in size.
Dehejia, Vidya
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 339 Pages
The first book to put the sacred and sensuous bronze statues from India's Chola dynasty in social contextFrom the ninth through the thirteenth century, the Chola dynasty of southern India produced thousands of statues of Hindu deities, whose physical perfection was meant to reflect spiritual beauty and divine transcendence.
During festivals, these bronze sculptures-including Shiva, referred to in a saintly vision as "the thief who stole my heart"-were adorned with jewels and flowers and paraded through towns as active participants in Chola worship.
In this richly illustrated book, leading art historian Vidya Dehejia introduces the bronzes within the full context of Chola history, culture, and religion.
In doing so, she brings the bronzes and Chola society to life before our very eyes.Dehejia presents the bronzes as material objects that interacted in meaningful ways with the people and practices of their era.
Describing the role of the statues in everyday activities, she reveals not only the importance of the bronzes for the empire, but also little-known facets of Chola life.
She considers the source of the copper and jewels used for the deities, proposing that the need for such resources may have influenced the Chola empire's political engagement with Sri Lanka.
She also investigates the role of women patrons in bronze commissions and discusses the vast public records, many appearing here in translation for the first time, inscribed on temple walls.From the Cholas' religious customs to their agriculture, politics, and even food, The Thief Who Stole My Heart offers an expansive and complete immersion in a community still accessible to us through its exquisite sacred art.Published in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCPlease note: All images in this ebook are presented in black and white and have been reduced in size.

eBook
Read, Herbert
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 412 Pages
A stunning visual history of sculpture from prehistory through modernity This book presents an aesthetic of sculptural art, which has too often submitted to the rule of architecture and painting. Herbert Read emphasizes the essential and autonomous nature of sculpture—“Form in its full spatial completeness,” in the words of British sculptor Henry Moore. The Art of Sculpture provides historical support and theoretical rigor to this conception. Along the way, this incisive and wide-ranging book takes readers on a breathtaking tour of great works of sculpture from prehistoric times to the modern era. Please note: All images in this ebook are presented in black and white and have been reduced in size.

eBook
Read, Herbert
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 412 Pages
A stunning visual history of sculpture from prehistory through modernity This book presents an aesthetic of sculptural art, which has too often submitted to the rule of architecture and painting. Herbert Read emphasizes the essential and autonomous nature of sculpture—“Form in its full spatial completeness,” in the words of British sculptor Henry Moore. The Art of Sculpture provides historical support and theoretical rigor to this conception. Along the way, this incisive and wide-ranging book takes readers on a breathtaking tour of great works of sculpture from prehistoric times to the modern era. Please note: All images in this ebook are presented in black and white and have been reduced in size.

eBook
Gold, silver and bronze: metal sculpture of the Roman baroque
Montagu, Jennifer
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 282 Pages
An in-depth look at the exquisite metal sculpture of the Roman baroque Roman baroque sculpture is usually thought of in terms of large-scale statues in marble and bronze, tombs, or portrait busts. Smaller bronze statuettes are often overlooked, and the extensive production of sculptural silver—much of which is now lost but can be studied from drawings—is frequently omitted from the histories of art. In this book, Jennifer Montagu enriches our understanding of the sculpture of the period by investigating the bronzes that adorn the great tabernacles of Roman churches; gilded silver, both secular and ecclesiastical; elaborately embossed display dishes; and the production of medals. Concentrating on selected pieces by such master sculptors as Bernini and leading metal-workers such as Giovanni Giardini, Montagu examines the often tortuous relationship between patrons and artists and elucidates the relationship between those who provided the drawings or models and the craftsmen who executed the finished sculptures.
Montagu, Jennifer
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 282 Pages
An in-depth look at the exquisite metal sculpture of the Roman baroque Roman baroque sculpture is usually thought of in terms of large-scale statues in marble and bronze, tombs, or portrait busts. Smaller bronze statuettes are often overlooked, and the extensive production of sculptural silver—much of which is now lost but can be studied from drawings—is frequently omitted from the histories of art. In this book, Jennifer Montagu enriches our understanding of the sculpture of the period by investigating the bronzes that adorn the great tabernacles of Roman churches; gilded silver, both secular and ecclesiastical; elaborately embossed display dishes; and the production of medals. Concentrating on selected pieces by such master sculptors as Bernini and leading metal-workers such as Giovanni Giardini, Montagu examines the often tortuous relationship between patrons and artists and elucidates the relationship between those who provided the drawings or models and the craftsmen who executed the finished sculptures.

eBook
Gabo, Naum
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 226 Pages
Constructivist and sculptor Naum Gabo’s personal account of his development as an artist A leading exponent of the modern art movement known as Constructivism, Russian-born Naum Gabo was one of the most important sculptors of the twentieth century—an artist, designer, and theorist whose work changed the course of modern art. Of Divers Arts is Gabo’s beautifully written personal account of his development and growing into consciousness as an artist and his constant search for new techniques of communication. Throughout, he reflects on the relationship between art and science and reveals the many important influences on his work, especially the natural world, Russian religious and folk art, and the work of the artist Mikhail Vrubel. The result is a remarkable autobiographical account of a major modern artist.

eBook
Gabo, Naum
Princeton University Press
, 2023
; English
; 226 Pages
Constructivist and sculptor Naum Gabo’s personal account of his development as an artist A leading exponent of the modern art movement known as Constructivism, Russian-born Naum Gabo was one of the most important sculptors of the twentieth century—an artist, designer, and theorist whose work changed the course of modern art. Of Divers Arts is Gabo’s beautifully written personal account of his development and growing into consciousness as an artist and his constant search for new techniques of communication. Throughout, he reflects on the relationship between art and science and reveals the many important influences on his work, especially the natural world, Russian religious and folk art, and the work of the artist Mikhail Vrubel. The result is a remarkable autobiographical account of a major modern artist.

eBook
Fluid bodies : methods for casting new esthetics
Zallmann, Rupert; Institute of Architecture at the University of Applied Arts Vienna
Birkhäuser
, 2022
; English
; 193 Pages
From casting to sculpture Cast materials become solid, yet they originate as fluid materials that can take on any imaginable form. This simple yet radical paradigm allows for the exploration of volumetric formations through process-oriented casting and experimentation with alternative ways of manufacturing, presenting, and shaping casting molds. Working with hardening bodies fundamentally challenges the notion of formal rigidity; conventional formwork models are reconsidered, and a new aesthetic emerges. Fluid Bodies presents a variety of objects created using alternative casting methods. The book documents experimental artistic research and showcases innovative and surprising sculptures in concrete and plaster. Alternative ways of manufacturing, presenting, and shaping casting molds Concrete and plaster sculptures, parametric designs, and the further development of conventional formwork models and casting processes With numerous large-format photographs
Zallmann, Rupert; Institute of Architecture at the University of Applied Arts Vienna
Birkhäuser
, 2022
; English
; 193 Pages
From casting to sculpture Cast materials become solid, yet they originate as fluid materials that can take on any imaginable form. This simple yet radical paradigm allows for the exploration of volumetric formations through process-oriented casting and experimentation with alternative ways of manufacturing, presenting, and shaping casting molds. Working with hardening bodies fundamentally challenges the notion of formal rigidity; conventional formwork models are reconsidered, and a new aesthetic emerges. Fluid Bodies presents a variety of objects created using alternative casting methods. The book documents experimental artistic research and showcases innovative and surprising sculptures in concrete and plaster. Alternative ways of manufacturing, presenting, and shaping casting molds Concrete and plaster sculptures, parametric designs, and the further development of conventional formwork models and casting processes With numerous large-format photographs

eBook
Modern Sculpture: Artists in Their Own Words
Dreishpoon, Douglas
University of California Press
, 2022
; English
; 436 Pages
"Artists of any ilk can be extremely opinionated when it comes to what they do, how they do it, and what it might mean. Sculptors are no exception. Modern Sculpture: Artists in Their Own Words presents a selection of manifestos, documents, statements, articles, and interviews from more than ninety subjects, including an ample selection of contemporary sculptors. With this book, editor Douglas Dreishpoon defers to sculptors, whose varied points of view illuminate the medium's perpetual transformation-from object to action, concept to phenomenon-over the course of two centuries. Each chapter progresses in chronological sequence to highlight the dominant stylistic, philosophical, and thematic threads that unite each kindred group. The result is a distinctive, artist-centric history and survey of sculpture that showcases the expansive dimensions and malleability of the medium"-- Provided by publisher
Dreishpoon, Douglas
University of California Press
, 2022
; English
; 436 Pages
"Artists of any ilk can be extremely opinionated when it comes to what they do, how they do it, and what it might mean. Sculptors are no exception. Modern Sculpture: Artists in Their Own Words presents a selection of manifestos, documents, statements, articles, and interviews from more than ninety subjects, including an ample selection of contemporary sculptors. With this book, editor Douglas Dreishpoon defers to sculptors, whose varied points of view illuminate the medium's perpetual transformation-from object to action, concept to phenomenon-over the course of two centuries. Each chapter progresses in chronological sequence to highlight the dominant stylistic, philosophical, and thematic threads that unite each kindred group. The result is a distinctive, artist-centric history and survey of sculpture that showcases the expansive dimensions and malleability of the medium"-- Provided by publisher









