{"title":"Karen Serres","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"bruegel-in-black-and-white-book-karen-serres-9781907372940","title":"Bruegel in Black and White","description":"Accompanying a focused display at The Courtauld Gallery that will bring together for the first time Pieter Bruegel the Elder's only three known grisaille paintings - the Courtauld's Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery (which is barred from travel), The Death of the Virgin from Upton House in Warwickshire (National Trust) and Three Soldiers from the Frick Collection in New York - this book will examine the sources, function and reception of these three exquisite masterpieces. The panels will be complemented by prints and contemporary replicas, as well by other independent grisailles in order to shed light on the development of this genre in Northern Europe. Despite his status as the seminal Netherlandish painter of the 16th century, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525-1569) remains an elusive artist: fewer than forty paintings are ascribed to him. Of these, a dozen are cabinet-sized. These small-scale works offer key insights as they often bear a personal significance for the artist and were sometimes given as gifts to friends and patrons. Presenting these works together for the first time is not only an extraordinary and unprecedented opportunity but it will be extremely revealing, considering their unusual nature in both Bruegel's oeuvre and 16th-century art in general. Monochrome painting in shades of grey was a mainstay of Netherlandish art from the early 15th century, most often present on the wings of altarpieces and preparatory sketches for engravings. In contrast, Bruegel's panels constitute one of the earliest and rare examples of independent cabinet pictures in grisaille, created for private contemplation and enjoyment. This seemingly austere type of painting has often been imbued with religious or political significance. On a purely artistic level, it enabled the painter to showcase his skill by limiting his palette. The publication, which includes a technical investigation of the three panels, will provide the opportunity to reassess the practical aspects of the grisaille technique and the many ways in which this effect was achieved. Indeed, Bruegel's three monochromatic paintings display quite different techniques, raising the question of the painter's intent. This is the latest in the series of books accompanying critically acclaimed Courtauld Gallery displays, following on from Collecting Gauguin (2013), Antiquity Unleashed (2013), Richard Serra (2013), A Dialogue with Nature (2014), Bruegel to Freud (2014) and Jonathan Richardson (2015).","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49512572092689,"sku":"GOR008282948","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51098566099217,"sku":"NGR9781907372940","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1907372946.jpg?v=1751218301"},{"product_id":"courtauld-collection-book-karen-serres-9781911300588","title":"The Courtauld Collection","description":"The Courtauld Collection: A Vision for Impressionism accompanies a landmark exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris exploring Samuel Courtauld's role as one of the great collectors of the twentieth century. The catalog and exhibition showcase Courtauld's extraordinary collection, which will be on display in Paris for the first time in over sixty years. One of the finest collections of Impressionism anywhere in the world was assembled by the English industrialist and philanthropist Samuel Courtauld (1876-1947). During the 1920s, Courtauld acquired seminal works by all of the major Impressionists, from Renoir's early masterpiece La Loge to Manet's last great work, A Bar at the Folies-Berg re. His collection grew to include such iconic works as Gauguin's great Tahitian nude Nevermore and one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. Courtauld was particularly devoted to C zanne and put together the largest collection of his work in the United Kingdom, including the epic Montagne Sainte-Victoire with Large Pine and one of the celebrated Card Players. After a decade of collecting, Courtauld gave the majority of these remarkable works to establish The Courtauld Institute of Art and Gallery in London. This will be the first time that Samuel Courtauld's collection has been shown in Paris in over 60 years. The landmark exhibition will bring together masterpieces from The Courtauld Gallery alongside works formerly in Courtauld's collection and now dispersed internationally. It will be a unique opportunity to enjoy some of the greatest modern French paintings of the 19th century and will shed light on Courtauld's pioneering role in shaping public taste for Impressionism in the United Kingdom. The lavishly illustrated catalog presents new research on the personality of Samuel Courtauld as well as his taste, collecting habits and wide-ranging philanthropy. It also explores afresh his network of dealers and places him within the wider context of contemporary collectors of Impressionism throughout Europe and the United States. The exhibition features almost a hundred works, each given its own entry and enhanced with close-up images and comparative illustrations to provide an in-depth exploration of this extraordinary collection.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50438317342993,"sku":"NGR9781911300588","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50540689391889,"sku":"GOR013989542","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/191130058X.jpg?v=1750997205"},{"product_id":"soutines-portraits-book-karen-serres-9781911300212","title":"Soutines Portraits","description":"Accompanying a major exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery that focuses upon one of Chaim Soutine's most important series of portraits - of cooks, waiters and bellboys - this is the first time that this outstanding group of masterpieces has ever been brought together. Chaim Soutine (1893-1943) produced some of the most powerful and expressive portraits of modern times. His ability to capture in paint the character, humanity and emotion of his sitters is the hallmark of Soutine's greatest work. The major exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery, London, focuses upon one of his most important series of portraits; his paintings of cooks, waiters and bellboys who sat for him in Paris and the South of France during the 1920s. These works helped to establish Soutine's reputation as a major avant-garde painter, seen by many as the twentieth century heir to van Gogh. This will be the first time that this outstanding group of masterpieces has ever been brought together and it will be the first exhibition of Soutine's work in London for over thirty years. Soutine arrived in Paris as an  migr  from Russia in 1913 and began a precarious existence as a penniless artist in Montparnasse living among fellow painters, such as Marc Chagall and Amedeo Modigliani. As part of this avant-garde coterie of artists, Soutine developed a highly original style that combined an expressive handling of paint with deep reverence for the Old Masters that he studied in the Louvre. His portraits often appear both timeless and vividly modern. These qualities are exemplified by the series of paintings of cooks, waiters and bellhops that he produced during the 1920s. These lowly and often-overlooked figures from Paris's fashionable hotels and restaurants, including the famous Maxim's, appealed to Soutine's sense that profound emotion and a deep sense of humanity could be found in such humble sitters. The contrast between their working uniforms and the individuality of their faces adds to the emotional charge of these extraordinary portraits. Soutine strived to achieve the most powerful effects of color from the bold whites, reds and blues of their different uniforms. When he started the series, Soutine was living in near-poverty as a struggling artist. These portraits helped to lift him out of these desperate circumstances as they were soon admired by friends and become prized by collectors. Today, they are considered among his greatest achievements. This publication will bring together the most comprehensive group of these portraits. It will be a unique opportunity to experience the power and profound emotion of Soutine's art.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51312842801425,"sku":"GOR010425367","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51312844898577,"sku":"GOR008875799","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1911300210.jpg?v=1751218265"},{"product_id":"seurat-and-the-sea-book-karen-serres-9781913645908","title":"Seurat and the Sea","description":"This catalogue charts the evolution of the radical and distinctive style of French artist Georges Seurat through the recurring motif of the sea  Seurat and the Sea is a scholarly and visually rich catalogue accompanying a landmark exhibition at The Courtauld, London, the first exhibition devoted to Seurat’s seascapes. Georges Seurat (1859–1891), known for pioneering the Neo-Impressionist technique of using small dots of pure colour, developed a luminous and atmospheric style that evolved notably through his repeated engagement with maritime themes.  The book brings together paintings, oil sketches, and drawings produced during five summers spent on France’s northern coast between 1885 and 1890, in towns such as Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin, and Gravelines. These works, featuring seascapes, regattas, and harbour scenes, contrast with Seurat’s better-known Parisian imagery and reflect his desire to escape studio confines and depict the clarity of natural light.  The catalogue highlights how these works deepened Seurat’s exploration of colour and form and played a vital role in expanding his influence. Drawn from global collections, the works reaffirm Seurat’s lasting artistic significance.  Exhibition Schedule:  The Courtauld Gallery, London (13 February–17 May 2026)  Published by Paul Holberton Publishing\/Distributed by Yale University Press","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":52422168740113,"sku":"NGR9781913645908","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53375372525841,"sku":"NIN9781913645908","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53489577722129,"sku":"GOR014944269","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53698679439633,"sku":"NLS9781913645908","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781913645908.jpg?v=1769079974"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-karen-serres.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}