{"title":"Ralph Skea","description":"\u003cp\u003eRalph Skea’s works invite readers to explore the rich world of Impressionism with thoughtful insights and vivid descriptions. His books delve into iconic subjects such as Vincent van Gogh’s portraits and landscapes, offering a fresh perspective on the artist’s life and creative process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRooted in \u003cem\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/em\u003e, Skea’s writing balances scholarly appreciation with accessible storytelling, making his collections well-suited for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of artistic movements and masterpieces.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"impressionism-by-ralph-skea-9780500294369","title":"Impressionism","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is often forgotten just how provocative Impressionist canvases seemed when they were first exhibited in 1874. The advocates of the new style rejected the established principles of art prevalent at that time in France.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eImpressionism\u003c\/em\u003e traces Impressionism's origins to its spread to America and Australia. Ralph Skea shows how Impressionist artists transformed everyday subject matter. Daringly using colour and rapid brushstrokes, the Impressionists worked out of doors, creating paintings that captured the transient effects of light and feeling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eImpressionism's initial shock factor gradually gave way to widespread acceptance, but only now can we appreciate how profound its influence has been on modern art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47362631827692,"sku":"9780500294369","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2764553482366.jpg?v=1772898669"},{"product_id":"vincents-trees-by-ralph-skea-9780500239049","title":"Vincent's Trees","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVan Gogh felt a profound empathy with nature and considered the spiritual essence of trees to be comparable with that of human figures. \u003cem\u003eVincent's Trees\u003c\/em\u003e traces Van Gogh as a painter of trees—from his home province of North Brabant in Holland, through Paris to Provence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRalph Skea's elegant prose accompanies Van Gogh's vibrant works, which range from pencil and ink sketches to watercolours and oils. Stylistic experiments include Pointillism and compositions inspired by Japanese prints, moving towards the expressive, painterly depictions of his later work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book includes quotations from Van Gogh's letters, which convey the depth of his feeling for the landscape and the force with which it affected him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47363326968044,"sku":"9780500239049","price":36.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780500239049.jpg?v=1772920564"},{"product_id":"vincents-portraits-by-ralph-skea-9780500519660","title":"Vincent's Portraits","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite his posthumous fame as a painter of flowers, still-lifes, gardens, landscapes, and city scenes, during his lifetime Vincent van Gogh believed that his portraits constituted his most important works. Although as an artist he was 'touched by so many different things', he was nevertheless committed to the art of portraiture—a quality that distinguished him from his contemporaries. Van Gogh was passionate in his avoidance of bland, photographic resemblances, in the hope of capturing the essential character of his models by means of expressive colour and brushwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShowcasing a dramatic set of portraits created during Van Gogh's ten-year career, \u003cem\u003eVincent's Portraits\u003c\/em\u003e reflects the strong visual impact with which the artist captured the diversity of contemporary life. In his many portraits, we can discern the artist's desire to record expressively a number of themes, from the plight of the agricultural workers in his native Brabant and the destitution of prostitutes and their children in urban Europe, to the lives of his cosmopolitan acquaintances in Paris, including café owners and art dealers. It was here that he began his remarkable sequence of self-portraits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith reference to Van Gogh's extensive correspondence, Skea elaborates how the artist perceived his chosen subjects as would a writer, and how he felt that his portraits should somehow evoke what he considered to be the spiritual underpinning of human existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47428427022572,"sku":"9780500519660","price":31.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780500519660.jpg?v=1774496761"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/ralph-skea.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}