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A beautiful, revealing history of the colour Green, from pre-historic times to today. Examines the evolving place of Green in art, clothes, literature, religion, science & everyday life. Michel Pastoureau traces how culture has profoundly changed the perception & meaning of the colour.

Filled with entertaining, enlightening anecdotes, Green shows that the colour has been ambivalent, a symbol of life, serenity, luck & hope. Only in the Romantic period did Green definitively become the colour of nature. Pastoureau explains why the colour was connected with the Roman Emperor Nero, how it became the colour of Islam, why Goethe believed it was the colour of the middle class, why some 19th century scholars speculated that ancient Greeks couldn’t see green, how the colour was denigrated by Kandinsky. Green has a ubiquitous, soothing presence as the symbol of environmental causes & our mission to save the planet. Fascinating.

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Fearless Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai Purja embarked on a seemingly impossible quest to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in 7 months! Whether or not we are a lover of mountains, we will marvel at his tenacity, leadership & passion. No one can fail to be motivated by what he achieved.

Nothing Is Impossible – Netflix

Named Project Possible, Purja broke the previous record of 7 years, alongside his amazing Sherpa team, while also contending with extreme weather, life or death situations. This incredible, ambitious, adventurous, extraordinary story is truly inspirational. Almost, unbelievable. NIMSDAI.COM. “Everything in life is possible armed with belief, a determined approach & a positive mindset”. 

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Email: Partner’s birthday. Loves modern art, flowers. (Finland)

Happy Birthday!

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Email: Cousins birthday. Loves surreal art, architecture & books. (Canada)

Happy Birthday!

A completely new way of looking at & understanding Surrealism. A focus on the worldwide sweep of the movement. Challenges the conventional narratives of Surrealism, tracing it’s impact & legacy from places as diverse as Colombia, Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Romania, Syria, Thailand & Turkey. An inclusive understanding of the fundamentally international character & lasting significance of the revolutionary artistic & philosophical movement. Vibrantly illustrated with over 300 works of art by masters – Dalí, Ernst, Kahlo, Magritte, Miró & many under-represented artists. Expansively pushes beyond the borders of history & geography to provocatively re-draw the map of the Surrealist movement. Investigates how it’s visual languages, ideals, theories & practices were framed in contexts far from it’s Parisian origins. Incredibly creative & inspirational – Surrealism Beyond Borders.

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The idea of “Renaissance” or rebirth, arose in Italy as a way of reviving the art, science & scholarship of the Classical Era. It was powered by a quest to document artistic reality according to newly discovered scientific & mathematical principles. By 15th century, Italy was the recognised European leader in painting, architecture & sculpture. Why was Florence the center of this burgeoning creativity, how did it spread to other Italian cities? Brimming with vivid works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian & other masters, this book showcases the creative achievements from Florence, Rome to Venice. Norbert Wolf explores artistic developments, how the urban way of life allowed for a rich exchange of ideas, how ideas of ‘humanism‘ motivated artists towards the future. Fascinating & full of masterpieces – The Renaissance Cities: Art In Florence, Rome & Venice.

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Email: Dad’s 75th birthday. Loves art, sculptures, books. (Spain)

Happy Birthday!

The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors & Architects is a series of artist biographies written by the 16th-century Italian painter & architect Giorgio Vasari. Perhaps the most famous, most-read work of the older literature of art. Some of the Italian Renaissance’s most influential writing on art. Inspiring stories of creative passion & invention.

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There are few creatures as gorgeous, elegant & elusive as the Black Leopard. In Africa, these magnificent cats are so rare as to be the stuff of legend. Will Burrard-Lucas captures incredibly intimate portraits of this elusive cat. A visually stunning collection. A story of creativity & passion for wild animals. Awe-inspiring images of lions, elephants & black leopard.

Black leopards have a gene mutation resulting in excess melanin & a beautiful black coat. Mostly found in South-East Asia where lush vegetation offers camouflage. In the semiarid shrub lands of Africa, black leopards are extraordinarily rare. Perfect for aspiring photographers, nature & animal lovers, big cat enthusiasts, conservationists & travellers. The Black Leopard. Breathtaking. Nature’s hidden wonders.

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