Hannibal Publishers – serie

An ode to Alberic 'Briek' Schotte, the godfather of all flandriens.The heroes of the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix are tough and determined. The Flemings specialise in riding on bad roads and in bad weather. This set of photos provides an intimate and emotional portrait of these legendary athletes, landscapes and the Flemish culture. Stephan Vanfleteren has been photographing cycling races in Belgium and its surrounding areas for more than 15 years already.With more than 100 images, carefully selected by photographer Stephan Vanfleteren.

This book recounts the fascinating history of Titian's unfinished portrait, A Lady and her Daughter (possibly his mistress Milia and their daughter), which dates from the early 1550s. After Titian's death in 1576, it was repainted in his studio with a more saleable image of Tobias and the Angel. Often presented as Titian's work but in a style which made the attribution suspect, the painting has had a succession of owners. It belonged to Tsar Nicholas I for a short time, and ultimately to the art dealer René Gimpel, who hid it with other artwork in a warehouse in London during World War II, where it miraculously survived the Blitz. It was not until the mid-20th century that an x-ray examination uncovered the beautiful painting underneath, an undisputed work by the great master himself. The painstaking restoration process, begun in 1983, took 20 years. Notable art historians and conservators have contributed essays that offer an in-depth examination of this exceptional and mysterious painting.

This beautifully illustrated book, with numerous essays by an international roster of leading art historians, examines Jacopo Tintoretto's masterpiece Angel Foretelling the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria,painted between 1560 and 1570 for the Church of San Geminiano in Venice. It was displayed in this location for some 250 years until the church was demolished in 1807, and in 1818 the painting was sold into private hands. It was, famously, the centrepiece of the late rock star David Bowie's collection, being one of the first artworks he acquired. He had it for nearly 30 years, and named his record label after the artist (the Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment Company LLC). In 2016 it was purchased at auction by a private collector and donated to the Rubens House in Antwerp, where it is on long-term loan. This book accompanies the display of the painting, back in Venice for the first time in 200 years as part of an exhibition at Palazzo Ducale.

Men in stately black, women with huge ruffs, children with golden rattles, old women with wizened faces, and self-satisfied artists... These are the main players in just about every portrait ever painted in the Southern Netherlands. From the15th tothe 17th centuries, the tract of land that we today call Flanders was the economic, cultural, intellectual and financial heart of Europe. And money flows - with everyone who could afford it investing in a portrait.Today,these cherished status symbols of the past have largely lost their original significance. But beyond their functional and emotional aspects, these portraits turn their subjects into gateways to the past. This book takes masterpieces from the collection of The Phoebus Foundation and outlines the broad context in which they came into being,peeling back levels of meaning like the layers of an onion. Whether captured in an impressive Rubens or Van Dyck, or an intimate portrait bya forgotten artist, the persons portrayed were once flesh and blood, each with their own peculiarities, hidden agendas and ambitions. Some portraits are very personal and hyper-individual. Others are a little dusty, the ladies and gentleman being children of their time. In most cases, however, their dreams and aspirations are surprisingly timeless and soberingly recognisable.The Bold and the Beautifulis an appointment with history: a meeting through portraiture with men and women from bygone centuries. But for those willing to look closely, the border between the present and the past is paper-thin.Published on the occasion of the exhibition Blind Date.Portretten met blikken en blozen, Autumn 2020, in Snijders&Rockoxhuis Antwerp, curated by Dr. Katharina Van Cauteren & Hildegard Van de Velde with a scenography by Walter Van Beirendonck.

Around 1505 Goossen Van der Weyden, Rogier's grandson, painted a monumental altarpiece depicting the variousphases of Saint Dymphna's insane life.This Irish princess, who fled her incestuous father in the sixth century, was beheaded in the Kempen village of Geel. On account of her tragic end and uncompromising chastity, the princess was venerated from that moment on as the patron saint of the mentally ill. From the late Middle Ages, pilgrims flocked to Geel in large numbers to catch a glimpse of Saint Dymphna. They paid homage to the local celebrity in the hope that she would alleviate theirmental problems. To this day, Geel is known for its unique treatment ofthe mentally ill, who are cared for at home by locals.Goossen Van der Weyden's altarpiece came into being at the height of Dymphna's popularity. The masterpiece was intended for the church of Tongerlo Abbey. Today this work is characterised by a remarkable iconography and an eventful history: a panel was lost and the triptych was even sawn into pieces. It ultimately came into the hands of a team of specialists from Belgium and abroad who subjected the altarpiece to a meticulous conservation over a period of three years, a colossal undertaking duringwhich new techniques were used. This gave the conservators unprecedented insight into the mind, and workshop, of an early 16th century painter.This richly illustrated book is the result of years of research and contains essays by Till-Holger Borchert (Musea Brugge), Stephan Kemperdick (Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin),Katharina Van Cauteren (The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp), Lucinda Timmermans (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam), Patrick Allegaert (Dr. Guislain Museum, Ghent) and many others.

Why did Hans Memling paint everything in such minute detail? How did Rubens, in just a few brushstrokes, create special effects that Steven Spielberg would envy? And why was the Southern Netherlands the artistic centre of the world for three centuries?From Memling to Rubens: The Golden Age of Flanderstells the story of Flemish art from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, as you've never read it before. It's a rollercoaster ride through 300 years of cultural history. Leading the charge are breathtaking masterpieces from the collection of The Phoebus Foundation, unknown gemsby the likes of Hans Memling, Quinten Metsys, Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony Van Dyck that plunge you into a world full of folly and sin, fascination and ambition. Along the way you'll bump into dukes and emperors, rich citizens and poor saints, picture galleries like wine cellars, and Antwerp as Hollywood on the Scheldt.This is a stirring tale about the image and its meaning, and the link between culture and society. Above all, it's about us, and about who we are today - as people.Published on the occasion of the exhibition From Memling to Ruben - The Golden Age of Flanders,during Autumn 2020, in the Kadriorg Palace in Tallinn (Estonia).

‘Through this extraordinary selection of photographs and accompanying text,we follow elephants on their journey from Ancient Rome to Coney Island and beyond. Across battlefields and city bridges, in railway cars and circus rings, adored, applauded and at times brutally mistreated, elephants have truly come to town.’ - James Attlee When Elephants Come to Town is a visual celebration of man’s timeless fascination with the world’s largest land animal through the medium of photography. The joy and excitement elephants arouse when they make an appearance in our lives is brought to life through a combination of iconic photographs by, amongst others, Garry Winogrand and unattributed, archival material. Rather than a series of contemporary nature photographs, the book is a collection of exceptional images from around the world of elephants in captivity, dating from Victorian times to the height of circus culture in the mid-20th century, many of them taken by anonymous photographers. Elephants parade through the streets and perform tricks in circuses and shows, their riders ranging from royalty to children, from showgirls to soldiers. In times of war they assist with logistics, shifting heavy loads, ploughing fields and hauling vehicles; in peacetime they add a touch of glamour and exoticism to locations as varied as casinos, hospital courtyards and amusement parks, and are in turn transformed into elephant-shaped buildings, mechanised automatons or balloons. In the essay that accompanies the photographs, acclaimed British author James Attlee describes the broader context of that relationship through the ages. In doing so, he doesn’t shy away from describing the abuse and poor living conditions captive elephants have had to endure; at the same time he evokes the depth of understanding that can exist between man and animal, often in the words of those who have experienced it first-hand. Intensely nostalgic, often poignant and always fascinating, these images capture the complexity of one of the planet’s most enduring inter-species relationships.

It is often said that you can’t take the same walk twice in New York. Its history may be short compared to that of European cities, but it is also a history marked by lightning-fast change. This pictorial journey into the history of New York City starts from the small town that began as New Amsterdam in the 17th century, tracing the unbridled expansion of the 18th century and waves of mass immigration of the 19th and 20th centuries. The authors, both experienced NYC tour guides, explore iconic districts like Times Square, Harlem, Wall Street, Central Park, Ellis Island and the Bronx, bringing the past and people to life through engaging stories and images. An inspired selection of archival photos, prints, vintage maps, stereographs, and ephemera make this publication, with its elegant, silver-edged finish, a fascinating visual homage to the vibrant city that is New York today.

Walter Swennen is a painter, born in Brussels in 1946. Like others of his generation, he approaches and explores the medium in new ways by applying principles from other disciplines. Swennen’s work constantly challenges the viewer. His paintings demand slow and careful inspection. The layers of paint often hide a veritable battlefield of attempts, corrections, words and messages. His Dutch-speaking family suddenly began speaking French when he was five years old, and language games accordingly form an integral part of his art. A painting by Walter Swennen is not just a result, but also a process, which allows us to trace the path taken by the artist to achieve the ultimate ‘visible’ image. A key constant is the pleasure he derives from the battle with the paint. Non-conformist that he is, Swennen paints on anything: from canvas to wood to discarded camping tables, stoves and even washing machines.Walter Swennen’s long and varied career deserves to be recognised by a wide public for its radical nonconformism and the influence that the artist still exerts on young artists today. Swennen is represented by the Brussels Xavier Hufkens Gallery and the Gladstone Gallery in New York, and won the prestigious Ultima award for lifetime services to the visual arts in 2019. His work can be found in numerous museum and gallery collections.This book offers a wonderful overview of his oeuvre and is the catalogue to an international solo exhibition which launches in Kunstmuseum Bonn (June-August 2021) before travelling to Kunstmuseum Den Haag (autumn 2021) and Kunstmuseum Winterthur (spring 2022).Text contributions written by Stephan Berg, Konrad Bitterli and Daniel Koep.Text in English and German.

The Museum Mayer van den Bergh in Antwerp is a house full of art. The museum today is internationally renowned as the home of the famous Dulle Griet (‘Mad Meg’) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. For the locals living in Antwerp, the museum is above all a well-kept secret. At the same time, there is always amazement that so much beauty could be brought together in one place. Who built this collection?The museum is housed in an historic building that recalls two individuals, Henriëtte van den Bergh (1838-1920) and Fritz Mayer van den Bergh (1858-1901). The entire collection was assembled by Fritz, a man with a keen interest in the Medieval Renaissance periods. Following Fritz’s early and unexpected death on 4 May 1901, it was his mother, Henriëtte van den Bergh, who had the museum built to house his art collection. By doing so, she preserved this exceptional collection and at the same time succeeded in keeping alive a memorial to her son. The museum opened its doors in 1904.This book offers an insight into the history of the museum and its founders. It is based on in-depth research carried out in the archive of Museum Mayer van den Bergh, which among other things contains the rich correspondence between Fritz and Henriëtte as well as an extensive photo collection. Over four chapters, the book explores the personalities behind the collection, their social background and networks, their interests and their modus operandi. More than anything else, this is the story of Henriëtte van den Bergh, the founder of the museum, who died 100 years ago. With her visionary projects, she proved herself not only to be a forceful personality, but also someone with a forward-looking organisational talent and an entrepreneur with an exceptional mission – and all in a period when the involvement of women in public life was anything but the norm.

This trilingual book marks the culmination of 10 years of collaboration between the photographer Max Pinckers and the writer Hans Theys, who was given permission to use a personal selection from all of Pinckers’ photographs to create a classic photobook without having to take into account their original context. The publication also contains an essay in which Theys discusses Pinckers’ oeuvre based on thoughts by Susan Sontag.The book is published to accompany a solo exhibition in the Photo Museum of Antwerp from November 2021 until March 2022.Text in English, Dutch and French.

This is the first monograph on contemporary Belgian artist Stefaan De Croock (b.1982), alias Strook. He became well known for his ‘heads’ made of scrap wood. The key theme of his layered collages, sculptures and installations is, in a word, time, and is visible in every piece of the rough, patinated raw material he chooses to compose his works. Most frequently this is wood. “Old, weathered materials have something magical for me. They emanate a certain spontaneity that is impossible to recreate. The colours, the paint, the relief… they form an imprint of everything the material ever experienced. You can truly see time.” - StrookAs part of the Mind the Artist project by Musea Brugge, work by Strook will be on show from 30 October 2021 to 6 March 2022 at various historic locations throughout the city.Text in English and Dutch.

“Ballet inspires me. Human beings have the capacity to express themselves through many art forms, but when it comes to dance – and especially classical modern ballet – I am always amazed by that unbelievably elevated form of expression. It’s so precise and so incredibly skilled; I admire that enormously.” — Photographer and filmmaker Erwin Olaf“The fact that the photographer is looking through the camera lens means they have a different perspective from looking directly at the figure. That is voyeuristic. The camera can do something that the audience member can’t: zooming in for a close-up.” — Choreographer Hans van ManenThe grand master of Dutch dance, Hans van Manen, celebrates his 90th birthday this year. That has given rise to international celebrations by leading ballet companies with the Hans van Manen festival from 8 to 29 June 2022, the exclusive publication Dance in Close-Up and the exhibition of the same name in Galerie Ron Mandos in Amsterdam from 19 June to 17 July 2022.From the 1970s to the 1990s, Hans van Manen was not only one of the world’s leading choreographers, but also an internationally acclaimed photographer. It was during this period that the then very young photographer Erwin Olaf met the famed artist, who immediately took him under his wing and introduced him to the world of the visual arts and studio photography.This book celebrates their 40 years of friendship, with a photo series in which Van Manen directs moments from his choreographic career, recorded with the utmost precision by Erwin Olaf.With text contributions from the authors Nina Siegal and Michael James Gardner.

A unique take on fashion in 2022.In Mirror Mirror – Fashion & the Psyche, MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp and Dr. Guislain Museum examine how fashion, psychology, self-image and identity are connected. The personal experience of the body is the main theme of this unexpected dialogue between visual art and avant-garde fashion. Featuring work by Ed Atkins, Walter Van Beirendonck, Noir Kei Ninomiya, Genieve Figgis, Genesis Belanger, Hussein Chalayan, Comme des Garçons, Joseph Schneller, Ezekiel Messou, Giovanni Battista Podestà, Helga Goetze and Yumiko Kawai, among others.Publication accompanies the exhibition Mirror Mirror – Fashion & the Psyche at MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp and Dr. Guislain Museum, Ghent from 8 October 2022 to 26 February 2023.With textual contributions by curators Yoon Hee Lamot and Elisa De Wyngaert, Mara Johanna Kölmel, Lucy Moyse Ferreira, Monika Ankele and Renate Stauss, who also wrote a text contribution.

For this unique book, photographer Servaas Van Belle scouted every corner of Belgium to find just the right kind of shed, always photographing them in the same perfect lighting conditions. And for Van Belle ‘perfect’ means in a haze of fog.Livestock shelters in meadows and fields are so common in the Belgian landscape and culture that nobody ever pays them any attention. Nonetheless, the countryside offers quite a range of architectural gems. These sheds and barns are the product of man and nature, quietly radiating a poignant if decaying beauty. They come in many shapes and sizes, are constructed from motley materials (often recycled) and exhibit a varied colour palette. Clearly showing the ravages of time, they tell wordless stories that Servaas Van Belle can capture like no other.Features an introduction by Stephan Vanfleteren.Text in English and Dutch.

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) has undergone an 11-year renovation period resulting in a total makeover. The museum as it stands today is in all respects new: there is an entirely new museum volume, the monumental museum building has been restored to its historic magnificence, the exterior has been conserved and the garden newly landscaped.KMSKA – The Finest Museum showcases this enormous renovation and also highlights a second innovation of equally massive scale: the entire operation of the museum has been brought up to date. In this book you can find the answers to questions such as, how did the collection reach its current incarnation? And, how does the KMSKA make its decisions about what to display? How do you appeal to as diverse an audience as possible? How does the museum present itself to the world? What expectations are museums faced with in our 21st century?Discover the vibrant history of this modern and perpetually evolving museum. With images by photographer Karin Borghouts.This publication is issued on the occasion of the reopening of the KMSKA in September 2022.

Werner Mantz (1901-1983) was a prominent architectural and industrial photographer who began his career in the 1920s. His work occupies a unique historical position thanks to his visual language, technical prowess and use of natural light. As one of the most important photographers of the New Building movement, Mantz’s oeuvre bridges the gap between the often-anonymous nature of commissioned photography and the modernist­, artistic avant-garde movements of the interwar years, such as the Bauhaus. In the ­1970s, Mantz was even hailed as the ‘missing link’ in the history of international photography.To date, only thematic selections from Mantz’s wide-ranging oeuvre have been exhibited. This monograph sets the record straight by showcasing, for the very first time, his immense versatility. Werner Mantz – The Perfect Eye contains over 300 predominantly vintage images, ranging from architectural photography, advertising shots and portraits of adults and children, to views of industry and mines, religious subjects, shops, restaurants and interiors, as well as roads, public spaces, landscapes and travel photographs. That Mantz’s oeuvre belongs to the canon of international photography is indisputable.With text contributions by Frits Gierstberg, Stijn Huijts, Huub Smeets, Charlotte Mantz and Clément Mantz.Werner Mantz – The Perfect Eye is the publication accompanying the retrospective exhibition of Werner Mantz at the Bonnefanten in Maastricht from 25 September 2022 to 26 February 2023.

In Instanton, photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn presents a series of images, most of which have never been published previously.Corbijn gained his fame and reputation with his portraits of famous figures including Nick Cave, Tom Waits, The Rolling Stones, Marlene Dumas, Gerhard Richter, Clint Eastwood, Kate Moss and a host of other influential musicians, artists, filmmakers, models and designers. But over the years, Corbijn has also captured a wealth of intriguing images on his mobile phone. Instanton brings together a wide selection of these snapshots from his private life, as well as shots taken whilst travelling, recording ‘the profane and the profound’.

Stunning monograph on the colourful universe of artist Ben Sledsens.Artist Ben Sledsens (b. 1991) combines an in depth knowledge of the visual tradition with his own mythology. With his large-scale canvases, he shows us fragments from his imaginary world, a Utopia in which he himself wants to live. His colours and reinterpretations of the landscape are reminiscent of artists such as Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, Claude Monet, Henri Rousseau and Pieter Bruegel the Elder.Although his landscapes, portraits, and historical and daily scenes have an idyllic appearance, there is also a certain tension and mystery in his scenes. He always builds up his compositions around a moment of climax with an open beginning and end. By reusing motifs, themes, objects and poses, Sledsens creates an intriguing puzzle of references and builds a recognisable, coherent, romantic and utopian oeuvre.This publication bundles Sledsens’ most recent work, from 2018 to the present.With text contributions by Herwig Todts (curator modern art KMSKA, Antwerp) and Stefan Weppelmann (director Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig).Text in English, French, Dutch, and German.

Master photographer and director/filmmaker Anton Corbijn presents in his latest publication a series of striking images focusing on icons and how they are commemorated. IKONEN contains three series: Cemeteries, a.somebody and Lenin, USSR.Cemeteries is an intriguing collection of black-and-white photos of gravestones. In a.somebody, we can see dozens of self-portraits after past legends from the world of music, photographed in Strijen, the village of Corbijn’s birth – outdoors and in his studio. The book also shows previously unpublished series on Lenin’s visual presence in the former USSR from the early 1980s.Publication accompanies the eponymous exhibition, from 30 September 2022 to 26 February 2023 in Landgoed Het Hof in Bergen, The Netherlands.With a preface by Anton Corbijn and a text contribution by art writer Dominic Eichler.

“Dennis Tyfus appears like a punk-blasted sprite bursting from his pantaloons, a charmed creature’s tongue lolloping the golden inspirations both fresh and world-weary amid the gallery of noise freaks and intellectual elites.” – Thurston Moore, Sonic YouthThe practice of Antwerp-based artist Dennis Tyfus (b. 1979) encompasses a wide range of artistic media, including drawings, sculptures, installations, videos, magazines, books, music, vinyl records, tattoos, his own radio show, concerts and performances. In his oeuvre, everything flows into everything else, without a fixed definition, beginning or end. In doing so, he draws heavily on the work of artists such as Dieter Roth, Mike Kelley, Jim Shaw and Wim T. Schippers. By combining elements from his personal psyche with various aspects of high and low culture and approaching them on an equal footing, Tyfus creates a universe in which the personal, the everyday and the uncanny come together. This book brings together a wide selection from his oeuvre.This publication accompanies the exhibition Don't Tell Me Not to Tell You What to Do at de Warande, Turnhout, Belgium from 30 April to 13 August 2023.With text contributions by Helena Kritis, curator at WIELS contemporary art centre in Brussels, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, and artist Steven Warwick.Text in English and Dutch.

“Inès van den Kieboom paints in a remarkably anticyclical manner. Through the calm, unassuming conviction with which she pursues her artistic goals, as well as through her archaic, supratemporal pictorial in­ventions, she shows the present what art really is – and what it has the potential to be.” — Markus StegmannInès van den Kieboom (b. 1930 in Ostend; lives and works in Antwerp) has been painting since the 1960s, yet she only decided to exhibit her paintings in the last two years. Van den Kieboom mainly finds inspiration for her works in her everyday surroundings, but also in art history, popular culture and current affairs. She paints or draws her subjects through the filter of her memories or impressions, which she depicts figuratively, abstracted to their essence. Van den Kieboom’s self-assured, lively and energetic paintings offer new perspectives on the way we observe the world.In collaboration with Tim Van Laere Gallery in Antwerp, where the artist's retrospective runs from 23 March to 20 May 2023.With text contributions by Petra Maclot and Markus Stegmann.Text in English, French and Dutch.

Seventeeth-century Dutch art is famed throughout the world. Yet how ‘Dutch’ are those paintings in actual fact? Did the countless history pieces, landscapes, portraits, still lifes and scenes from everyday life truly originate in cities like Amsterdam, Haarlem, Delft and Leiden? Or might the cradle of these genres actually be located somewhere else?This book presents over 90 masterpieces by Flemish and Dutch artists to show how 17th century Dutch painting could never have flourished the way it did without the foundations laid in 16th century Antwerp. Thoroughly researched, it tells the story of the talented and accomplished artists and merchants who migrated north in search of religious liberty and new commercial opportunities after Antwerp fell to Spanish Catholic troops in 1585.With text contributions by Koenraad Jonckheere, professor of art history at Ghent University and author of the bestseller A New History of Western Art, Micha Leeflang, curator at the Museum Catharijneconvent, and Sven Van Dorst, head of the restoration studio at The Phoebus Foundation, and others.

Intriguing self-portraits, desolate landscapes and vibrant colours: the Dutch-Croatian artist Sanja Marušić (b. 1991) creates new worlds with her images. She travels to the four corners of the globe, but just as easily she uses her own living room as a backdrop. Recurring themes are escapism, the relationship between man and nature, motherhood, and finding the balance in human relationships.Marušić’s artistic practice is guided by her love of experimenting with shapes, colours and layers. Photography is the starting point for each work, but she then uses a variety of analogue and digital techniques, sometimes changing the image in such a way that it seems as if we are looking at a painting. The performances (staged by the artist herself), the creation of a set using handmade props, and the manual post-processing are just as important as the photo itself.The stories she tells through her photography and films touch on her personal life; for example, the series Eutierria (2019) depicts her honeymoon, Before You (2020) documents her pregnancy, and Sasha and Sanja (ongoing) deals with her motherhood.With a text contribution by author Selin Kuşçu.

In what ways did the Jesuits deploy the Baroque visual language of the time to persuade the public of their vision on humankind, religion and society? In this beautifully illustrated book, which includes numerous artworks by Peter Paul Rubens and others, diverse authors rise to the challenge of finding answers to this complex question.The setting is Antwerp in the 17th century. At that time, the city was the Jesuit Order’s headquarters in the Netherlands and a bastion against the Calvinism in the Northern Netherlands Republic. The fine arts were flourishing there like never before. Painters such as Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck produced works for the Jesuits and participated in the Catholic community life organised by the order, with large groups of fellow believers. This publication takes a close look at the Baroque Saint Ignatius Church, now the Saint Charles Borromeo Church on Hendrik Conscienceplein, for which Rubens created magnificent ceiling paintings. The authors also show how more modest forms of art, such as religious folk prints, illustrated lives of the saints, schoolbooks, emblemata books and prayer books, were used to kindle the enthusiasm of as many believers as possible, both in their own country and in distant overseas territories.Baroque Influencers – Jesuits, Rubens and the Arts of Persuasion presents written contributions from researchers affiliated with the Universities of Antwerp, Louvain and Stuttgart and various heritage institutes.

“The wealth of facts and erudition bring magic to Dirk Velghe’s Paris. A place where even tragedy seems less sombre. Anyone who does not already love Paris will fall for it after reading this book. ‘Ich bin ein Pariser’, as Kennedy might have said.” — Herman Van Rompuy, former president of the European Council                       In this book, reality always trumps fiction, truth always trumps myth. Get ready for a personal encounter with police inspectors and filles à la cuisse légère, Impressionists and art thieves, collaborators and résistants, Cubists and anarchists, artists’ models and terrorists, criminals and executioners.In fascinating and often unknown stories, such as ‘The Chanel-Wertheimer Case’, ‘Lenin’s Yellow Jersey’ and ‘Selling the Eiffel Tower’, hundreds of Parisian souls are brought back to life behind the façades, in the passages, and along the avenues and boulevards of the City of Light. In Paris Souls, readers taste the idiosyncratic harvest of someone who, after many seasons in his favourite city, is still enraptured by its fruits. Dirk Velghe recounts facts and stories about the extraordinary people and events that coloured Paris, sometimes with paint, sometimes with blood. Histories as only a true Parisian can tell them. Light-hearted but always deeply reasoned, Velghe gives an entirely new twist to the history of Paris. His no-nonsense prose and narrative flair guarantee compelling reading.

For the past twelve years, Stephan Vanfleteren (b. 1969) has been working intense hours in his daylight studio at home. Atelier is a collection of that work. Vanfleteren is searching for beauty and meaning, both in daylight and under artificial light. Grey stage curtains are everywhere as a constantly repeating background. The photographer embraces well-known personalities and anonymous people. He inspects and captures the grooves in the face of an old fisherman and the hand of Nick Cave on the same terms as he does a beachcombed bottle. He focuses an adoring gaze on his own children coming of age as well as on impassioned artists in their old age. He sees the frozen corpse of a kingfisher and the body of a twisting dancer, and watches as the sunlight slowly shifts across his stage curtain.Vanfleteren connects to the traditions of old and contemporary masters but remains faithful to his characteristic style. His craftsmanship and artistic nature make us both witness and party to the splash of incoming light.With a text contribution by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer.

With its aesthetically powerful interior architecture, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna on Maria-Theresien-Platz is completely unique in terms of architecture and interior design. Showcasing the museum in all its glory, this luxurious volume is the definitive reference to the museum and a sumptuous showcase of the permanent collection. The book creates a fascinating dialogue between the greatest artists and their works from antiquity to the 19th century.This book tells the story of the building and the interior splendour and presents the museums most seminal works, including the Bruegel collection and the outstanding masterpieces by Velázquez, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Rubens, Van Eyck, and many others. An indispensable resource for anyone who loves art history, this is a richly illustrated record of one of the world’s greatest collections of European art.

“Broek’s work’s got attitude.” – ­Marlene Dumas“In combining extremes, Broek homes in on our zeitgeist." – Wilma SütöThe central theme in the oeuvre of Dutch artist Hans Broek (b. 1965) is landscape. He often paints locations where history has left an indelible mark, manifesting his belief that art should jolt you awake. He finds inspiration all around the world: a telegraph pole under a dark, cloudy Spanish sky; modern bungalows on the outskirts of LA; melting ice caps in Greenland; and wind-blown, rainy landscapes on the Atlantic seaboard in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. His series of paintings that depict prisons, dungeons, cell doors, plantations, and seats of colonial power funded by slavery - ‘guilty architecture’ where injustice was witnessed without intervention - serve as moving, silent witnesses to the ugly history of the Dutch slave trade. With contributions by Edo Dijksterhuis, Dominic van den Boogerd, Wilma Sütö and the artist himself. This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition.Text in English and Dutch