The Throne of the Great Mogul in Dresden
The Throne of the Great Mogul in Dresden

Author: Dror Wahrman

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2023-04-25

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 0300271832

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A masterful deciphering of an extraordinary art object, illuminating some of the biggest questions of the eighteenth century The Throne of the Great Mogul (1701–8) is a unique work of European decorative art: an intricate miniature of the court of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb depicted during the emperor’s birthday celebrations. It was created by the jeweler Johann Melchior Dinglinger in Dresden and purchased by the Saxon prince Augustus the Strong for an enormous sum. Constructed like a theatrical set made of gold, silver, thousands of gemstones, and amazing enamel work, it consists of 164 pieces that together tell a detailed story. Why did Dinglinger invest so much time and effort in making this piece? Why did Augustus, in the midst of a political and financial crisis, purchase it? And why did the jeweler secrete in it messages wholly unrelated to the prince or to the Great Mogul? In answering these questions, Dror Wahrman, while shifting scales from microhistory to global history, opens a window onto major historical themes of the period: the nature of European absolutism, the princely politics of the Holy Roman Empire, the changing meaning of art in the West, the surprising emergence of a cross-continental lexicon of rulership shared across the Eastern Hemisphere, and the enactment in jewels and gold of quirky contemporary theories about the global history of religion.

Art of the Royal Court
Art of the Royal Court

Author: Wolfram Koeppe

Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 430

ISBN-13: 1588392880

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"In the royal and princely courts of Europe, artworks made of multicolored semiprecious stones were passionately coveted objects. Known as pietre dure, or hardstones, this type of artistic expression includes?paintings in stone,? which were composed of intricately cut separate pieces that were made into magnificent tabetops, cabinets, and wall decorations. Other works included vessels and ornaments carved with virtuosic skill from a single piece of rare and brilliant lapis lazuli, chalcedony, jasper, or similarly prized substance; exquisite objects such as boxes, clocks, and jewelry; and portraits of nobles sculpted in variously colored stones. Derived from ancient Roman decorative stonework, the art of pietre dure was developed in Renaissance Florence, where the manufacture of such objects was enthusiastically sponsored by Medici princes. Ideally suited for ostentatious display, the works sent an unmistakable message of wealth and political might that was understood in centers of power everywhere. From Italy the medium spread across Europeto Prague, Madrid, Naples, Paris, and later Saint Petersburg. Precious and fragile, pietre dure objects are rarely brought together in large numbers. This richly illustrated catalogue contains more than 150 masterworks from across Europe, dating from five centuries, including almost every artistic use of semiprecious stone during this time as well as some of the finest examples of the medium. Eight essays by European and American experts discuss the individualized development of pietre dure in every European region, the latest developments in scholarship, the interrelationships between art and dynastic politics and between cultures, and a variety of techniques used to produce these luxurious masterworks."--Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

The Rough Guide to Germany
The Rough Guide to Germany

Author: Christian Williams

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2012-07-05

Total Pages: 1261

ISBN-13: 1409359263

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Now available in ePub format. The Rough Guide to Germany is the ultimate travel guide to this dynamic country. Full-color photography illustrates Germany's stylish cities and beautiful landscapes, its meandering rivers and picture-perfect castles. Detailed accounts of every attraction provide all the information you need to explore the country's exceptional museums, iconic architecture, and its many rural escapes, from the soaring Bavarian Alps and dense woodlands of the Black Forest to the beautiful beaches and islands of the North Sea, or the idyllic Rhineland vineyards where you can sample some of the country's many world-class wines. The Rough Guide to Germany includes practical advice to ensures that, no matter what your budget, you'll find the perfect boutique hotel, convivial hostel, authentic cellar restaurant, stylish gourmet haunt, design-conscious shop, cutting-edge arts venue, or hip bar and club-all marked on the book's many color maps. The Rough Guide to Germany includes well-researched historical and cultural background to help you understand and appreciate this complex country and, above all, make the most of your time.

The Pathetick Musician
The Pathetick Musician

Author: Bruce Haynes

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-03-08

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 0199373760

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What is rhetorical music? In The Pathetick Musician, Bruce Haynes and Geoffrey Burgess illustrate the vital place of rhetoric and eloquent expression in the creation and performance of Baroque music. Through engaging explorations of the cantatas of J.S. Bach, the authors explode the conventional notion of historical authenticity in music, proposing adventurous new directions to reinvigorate the performance of early music in the modern setting. Along the way, Haynes and Burgess investigate intersections between music and oratory, dance, gesture, poetry, painting and sculpture, and offer insights into figural elaboration, articulation, nuance and temporality. Aimed primarily at performers of Baroque music, the book situates the study of performance practice in a broader cultural context, and as much as an invaluable resource for advanced study, it contains a wealth of information that pertains directly to anyone working in the field of early music. Based on a draft sketched by celebrated Baroque oboist and early music scholar Bruce Haynes before his death in 2011, The Pathetick Musician is the fruit of the combined wisdom of two musicians renowned equally for their contributions as performers and scholars. Drawing on an impressive array of Classical treatises on oratory, musical autographs and performance accounts, it is an essential companion to Haynes' controversial The End of Early Music. Geoffrey Burgess has taken up the broader claims of Haynes' philosophy to create a practical, accessible text that will be stimulating for all musicians interested in the rediscovery of early music. With copious musical examples, contemporaneous works of art, and a companion website with supplementary audio recordings, The Pathetick Musician is an invaluable resource for all interested in exploring new expressive possibilities in the performance and study of Baroque music.

Bradt City Guide Dresden
Bradt City Guide Dresden

Author: Tim Burford

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 9781841622132

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A compact guide to help travelers discover an alternative and attractive European city, home of fabulous architecture and wonderful art treasures.

Making Marvels
Making Marvels

Author: Wolfram Koeppe

Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Published: 2019-11-25

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 1588396770

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Featuring more than 150 treasures from several of the world’s most prestigious collections, Making Marvels explores the vital intersection of art, technology, and political power at the courts of early modern Europe. It was there, from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, that a remarkable outpouring of creativity and learning gave rise to exquisite objects that were at once beautiful works of art and technological wonders. By amassing vast, glittering collections of these ingeniously crafted objects, princes flaunted their wealth and competed for mastery over the known world. More than mere status symbols, however, many of these marvels ushered in significant advancements that have had a lasting influence on astronomy, engineering, and even international politics. Incisive texts by leading scholars situate these works within the rich, complex symbolism of life at court, where science and splendor were pursued with equal vigor and together contributed to a culture of magnificence.

Enlightened Animals in Eighteenth-Century Art
Enlightened Animals in Eighteenth-Century Art

Author: Sarah Cohen

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-02-11

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1350203602

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How do our senses help us to understand the world? This question, which preoccupied Enlightenment thinkers, also emerged as a key theme in depictions of animals in eighteenth-century art. This book examines the ways in which painters such as Chardin, as well as sculptors, porcelain modelers, and other decorative designers portrayed animals as sensing subjects who physically confirmed the value of material experience. The sensual style known today as the Rococo encouraged the proliferation of animals as exemplars of empirical inquiry, ranging from the popular subject of the monkey artist to the alchemical wonders of the life-sized porcelain animals created for the Saxon court. Examining writings on sensory knowledge by La Mettrie, Condillac, Diderot and other philosophers side by side with depictions of the animal in art, Cohen argues that artists promoted the animal as a sensory subject while also validating the material basis of their own professional practice.