BELLAS ARTES

“Tú ya eres famosa, el que se va a hacer famoso ahora soy yo”, le dijo el fotógrafo Lawrence Schiller mientras hablaban de las fotografías que estaba a punto de hacerle. “No seas tan arrogante”, le respondió burlona Marilyn. “Sustituir a un fotógrafo es fácil”. Esto ocurrió en 1962, y Schiller, que por entonces tenía 25 años, cumplía un encargo para Paris Match. Conocía ya a Marilyn (ambos habían trabado amistad dos años antes, cuando se conocieron durante el rodaje de El multimillonario), pero esto no le sirvió de nada el día en que ella accedió a posar desnuda ante su cámara durante la escena de la piscina en Something’s Got to Give.

One of the most accomplished human beings who ever lived, Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) remains a quintessential Renaissance genius. The perfect companion to the Leonardo Graphic Work edition, this book is a compact catalogue raisonné of all of the artist’s masterful paintings. Drawn from our best-selling XXL edition, the book traces the artist’s life and work across 10 chapters, presenting all known paintings and drawing on his letters, contracts, diary entries, and writings to explore the man behind such groundbreaking artworks. From Virgin of the Rocks to Virgin and Child with St. Anne to the ever-beguiling Mona Lisa, you’ll find some of the finest treasures of the Louvre, Prado, and National Gallery, London here, as well as Leonardo works lost to time, but no less startling in their precision and poise.

In November 1936, publisher Henry R. Luce launched Life as a photo-led weekly news magazine with a clear purpose: “To see life; to see the world; to eyewitness great events.” Before readers’ attention was consumed by television, Life served as their window to the world, and by the late 1940s, it was being viewed by 1 in 3 Americans. Jean Harlow was the first movie star to appear on a Life cover in 1937, and from then until 1972 over 200 covers featured Hollywood-related subjects, illustrating the strength of the bond between Life and the film industry.

Peter Lindbergh photographed DIOR’s most exceptional muses, Marion Cotillard and Charlize Theron among them, and signed campaigns for Lady Dior and J'Adore with his inimitable style. Throughout his career, the photographer was one of the House’s closest collaborators. This final book was an original co-creation that was close to the artist’s heart—and to ours.

A selectively curated overview of the little black dress in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, organized by Vogue contributing editor and fashion force André Leon Talley and published on the occasion of an exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art (Savannah College of Art and Design), André Leon Talley Gallery. Featuring an impeccably selected group of about sixty dresses from many of the most eminent fashion houses, the book is a celebratory tribute to the iconic little black dress and its deeply resonant cultural and social significance in the modern era.

Zen, soothing, mystical, meditative—words cannot do justice to Asia’s most beautiful interiors. Whether it’s a gilded Tibetan monastery, a plantation in Sri Lanka, or a private villa in Thailand, each of the havens featured in this book are remarkable not only in aesthetic, but also in spirit. This showcase features about 40 exceptional locations across Tibet, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Highlights include traditional Burmese stilt houses; the breathtaking Shiv Niwas Palace in India, visited by James Bond in Octopussy; Cambodian temples; a rice barge-turned houseboat in Thailand; the “Blue Mansion”, an magnificient, indigo-painted courtyard house featured in the film Indochine; a breathtaking garden designed by Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa; and many, many more.

Casas balinesas en armonía con la naturaleza Apreciada por los viajeros por su exuberancia, su paisaje tropical y el encanto de sus gentes, la isla de Bali es uno de los lugares más espléndidos de la Tierra. Espiritualidad y naturaleza forman parte integral de la vida cotidiana de los balineses, y uno puede entender fácilmente por qué la arquitectura tradicional de la isla encierra ese aire de paz inspirado en el entorno con el que, en ocasiones, incluso llega a fundirse. En las viviendas balinesas, por ejemplo, las paredes no son obligatorias, hay madera por doquier, dominan los tonos terrosos y abundan las techumbres vegetales. Ya se abran a maravillosos paisajes verdes, a montañas majestuosas o a costas bellísimas, las casas de la isla transmiten sensaciones que invitan al descanso y a la contemplación. Esta selección de viviendas del sudeste asiático incluye imágenes impresionantes y se presenta en un formato compacto que le permitirá llevarse a cualquier parte un trozo del paraíso. Viendo estos espléndidos ejemplos de una forma de vivir sencilla y elegante, uno se pregunta cómo es posible que no sean muchísimos más los que corran a instalarse en Bali.

So rich and unique is traditional Japanese architecture that it’s nearly impossible to improve upon. Yet contemporary Japanese designers and architects keep finding fresh approaches to refurbish and take inspiration from the ways of old. Whether it’s a pristinely preserved traditional house or a sleek modern apartment, the best Japanese homes share a love of cleverly designed spaces and warm materials like wood, brick, and bamboo. From a thatched roof farmhouse occupied by a Zen priest to Tadao Ando’s experimental 4x4 House, from Shigeru Ban’s conceptual Shutter House to a beautiful domestic homage to bamboo, this elegant compendium traverses the multifaceted landscape of Japanese living today. Enriched by 170 brand new, unpublished photographs, this edition takes you on breathtaking journey through the Land of the Rising Sun―complete with a list of addresses, should you wish to undertake this journey to Japan’s most fascinating inns and homes yourself. An insightful glossary of key terms, such as tatami, shoji, and noren, will also help you come to grips with all elements of Japan’s unique aesthetic of Eastern minimalism.

South of the border, rich colors and woven textiles form a unique design aesthetic, crafted by the union of local Aztec and Mayan cultures and Spanish influences. Bold pigments and vivid patterns come together in simple and rustic spaces, resulting in a way of living that is both invigorating and homely; an authentic Mexican style. The dynamic writer and photographer duo Barbara and René Stoeltie have struck gold again―this time with a truly breathtaking look at Mexico’s most remarkable abodes. Traveling far and wide, from Costa Careyes to the Yucatán Peninsula, this photographic journey will surprise, delight, and inspire you. From the home of Constructivist architect Luis Barragán, a restored 16th-century hacienda, to a traditional Mayan thatched-roof dwelling, the contrast of styles within the pages of this book are testament to the country’s vibrantly diverse palette of textures and hues. With many new images, some never published before, prepare to be transported to the heart of lush and eclectic Mexico.