{"product_id":"art-unpacked","title":"Art Unpacked","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArt historian Wilson (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Hidden Language of Symbols\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) expertly analyzes 50 artworks that “suggest different approaches to the creation process” and illustrate “how varied the making and meaning of art itself can be.” Traversing the Bronze Age to the 21st century, Wilson dissects influences both personal and historical—for example, Rogier van der Weyden’s 15th-century \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Descent from the Cross\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e reveals the artist’s “aim... to achieve new and even greater heights of realism” and reflects the centrality of religion in 15th-century Europe. Elsewhere, Wilson’s fine-grained focus on technique reveals how French artist Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun used “diagonal accents through light and shadow” to keep such works as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSelf-portrait in a Straw Hat\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (1782) from appearing “too static,” while Johannes Vermeer’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWoman Holding a Balance\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (1664) manipulates proportion, compositional harmony, and symbolism to dazzle viewers with its near-photographic realism and communicate a subtle religious message. Juxtaposing the famous with the lesser-known and the Western with the Eastern (Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eStarry Night\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e sits alongside Iranian artist Shirin Neshat’s 1994 photograph \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRebellious Silence\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e), Wilson expertly illuminates technical details without losing sight of art’s visceral pleasures. Enriched by lush color reproductions on every page, it’s an excellent resource for those looking to make the most out of their next trip to the museum. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e(Dec.)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41335071637538,"sku":"9780500025673","price":65.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0052\/0785\/1042\/products\/Copy-of-Book-Template-2688.jpg?v=1703718244","url":"https:\/\/petronella.pro\/products\/art-unpacked","provider":"Petronella's Gallery and Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}