Visions of Heaven: The Dome in European Architecture

Book Description

There's an ethereal magic to standing beneath a dome, neck craned, looking up at a vision of the heavens created by some long-ago figure of genius. From the Pantheon to the Hagia Sophia, the power of the dome seems transcendent. Photographer David Stephenson's magnificently kaleidoscopic images of dome interiors capture this evanescent drama, and make Visions of Heaven one of the most spectacularly beautiful books we've ever produced.

Traveling from Italy to Spain, Turkey, England, Germany, and Russia, among other countries, and photographing churches, palaces, mosques, and synagogues from the second to the early twentieth century, Stephenson's work amounts to a veritable typology of the cupola. His images present complex geometrical structures, rich stucco decorations, and elaborate paintings as they have never been seen before. Brilliantly calibrated exposures reveal details and colors that would otherwise remain hidden in these dimly lit spaces.

Visions of Heaven shows more than 120 images, including the Roman Pantheon, the Byzantine churches of Turkey, the great domes of the Renaissance, the decorative cupolas of the Baroque and the Rococo ages, and a nineteenth-century synagogue in Hungary.

Customer Reviews:

Looking Up.......2006-12-06

'Visions of Heaven: The Dome in European Architecture' is one of those apparent coffee table books made to grace the room of art lovers and to initiate conversations about travel and architecture and art among guests. But this splendid book is far more than that (though a magnificent 'coffee table book' it most assuredly is!).

Photographer David Stephenson has traveled throughout Europe from Italy to Spain, Turkey, England, Germany, Russia and beyond, intent on capturing the magnificence of the domes that crown the cathedrals, palaces, mosques, syngogues and other imposing architectural wonders of the world. Technically speaking, photographing these domes is a feat unto itself: much time must have been spent on the floors or these edifices to capture angles of intent that would allow the resultant photograph to not only give the exciting detail of a concave surface but also to allow the available light to make the colors true.

The result is a book of over 120 full color photographs of art that too often goes unnoticed as visitors to these special places fail to strain necks to see the entire masterpiece above their heads. But the aspect of this book that makes it even more successful is the fact that Stephenson acknowledged the need for historical background to supplement appreciation of these domes and to that end Victoria Hammond in her essays and Keith F. Davis in his seductive foreword open discussions not only of the art itself, the creators, the materials, and the history of each dome, but they also address the concept of the dome as a reaching to heaven. The writing works as successfully as the photography and together create a book that is not only beautiful but also grandly informative. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 06

His visual display captures over a hundred images of some of the finest dome construction in the world.......2006-05-22

Dome architecture is something special: and its special qualities and art are captured by photographer David Stephenson in his images of dome interiors VISIONS OF HEAVEN: THE DOME IN EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURE. Stephenson traveled across Europe and even into Turkey and Russia photographing churches, palaces, mosques and synagogues created from the second to the 20th century: his visual display captures over a hundred images of some of the finest dome construction in the world, while an essay by Victoria Hammond tracks and dome and its decoration.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Absolutely Spectacular Photographs.......2006-03-10

Some long ago inventer discovered that if you place carefully shapped rocks just so they will remain in place as an arch, dramatically reducing the amount of stone you need to hold up a bridge, an aquaduct, or the entrance to a castle. It probably wasn't too much later that someone recogniced that a bunch of arches next to each other would yield an arched ceiling to a room. My guess is that it then took a very long time for someone to recognize that if you made a series of arches in a circle you could make a domed room. But as soon as one was built, I suspect that a priest of some kind looked up and immediately saw that a minature version of the sky had been created, and that an artist could transform this sky into a 'Vision of Heaven.'

This book shows what decoration has been applied to the insides of domed buildings from about the second century to the twentieth. It is an absolutely spectacular set of photographs of how artists have brought the heavens down to earth.

GRAND DOMES.......2006-02-24

Honestly I never really considered what a book on images of famous domes would be like, this is definitly a nitch book, but it is spectacular. This images are crisp and because all the photos are taken from the same distance you can really appreciate the differences in the domes..most are just simply breathtaking. It seems every turn of the page, gives you a more spectacular image. Granted some are more ornate than others, but all of the domes have their own character and beauty. Amazing book on an interesting subject, pick it up, you won't be able to put it down.

Domes.(Visions of Heaven: The Dome in European Architecture)(Book review): An article from: Architectural Science Review

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Domes.(Visions of Heaven: The Dome in European Architecture)(Book review): An article from: Architectural Science Review
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000M9CA4I
Release Date: 2006-12-29

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Architectural Science Review, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 841 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Domes.(Visions of Heaven: The Dome in European Architecture)(Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Architectural Science Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 49 Issue: 4 Page: 428(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Visions of Heaven the Dome in European
David Stephenson
Manufacturer: PRINCETON ARCHITECTURAL + PRS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N679UK

Book Description

Illus. with full-color photos. Isaacson introduces art in all its forms: painting, sculpture, folk art, crafts--even cities. He discusses the differences between realism and abstraction, links between tribal art and modern sculpture, use of color by diverse artists, and why everyday objects can be works of art.

Customer Reviews:

What a fabulous overview of the Arts for young people!.......1999-01-25

Isaacson does a wonderful job of tying all sorts of art forms together in this short volume [I read through it in <30min.]. I'll get nit-picky below, but let me say I heartily recommend it: first, for adults looking to understand "art" themselves, and secondly, as an introduction to the process of sharing and beginning to explain the arts to their children.

Now, to the "picking"...I would beg to differ with Isaacson on a few fine points, chief among these being 1) Pyramids belong in a separate chapter! to be called "Useful Things We NOW Consider 'Art'"; 2) don't [unless you must be totally PC] shy away from the term "primitive art", parents, look in a dictionary and share the definition of 'primitive' with your kids...there's a much deeper meaning than the derogatory-superficial meaning it's picked up; 3) in the chapter "Photographs" Isaacson, in an affront to all of us who have ever labored over a piece of ART [made with a camera+darkroom or otherwise] destined to be utilized to ILLUSTRATE something or other, flat out states that photographs which are 'illustrations' are "not works of art" and refers to an adjacent photo of the Taj Mahal.

Oddly, I had just done a double-take on that very same photo! It had struck me, as an RealArtCritic might say, as "exuding such an ethereal quality, such a misty moodiness, unlike the harsh photo-images of the late 90's..." that I at first mistook it for a PAINTING!

All in all, this book would make a great textbook for your very own "Family Art Appreciation" class.

Amazon.com

The Digital Darkroomtakes a conventional darkroom technician's approach to a favorite and powerful image editing tool, Adobe Photoshop. With opening discussions on the nature of film versus digital images, and how they relate to printing, this is an excellent book for photographers entering the digital realm, including new users of Photoshop with an eye for black and white printing.

The book begins with a section on setting up and configuring the computer, as well as calibrating the monitor and Photoshop. There is no CD-ROM with the book, so readers must have their own files for experimenting and learning.

Unlike most computer-centric books, this is an oversize softcover, each page a glossy print with excellent reproduction befitting a book on photography. The quality of the images and the examples is excellent, and the author writes in a clear, concise manner with easy-to-follow short tutorials that include before-and-after images.

There is something special about nudging a sheet of photographic paper in a bath of chemicals and watching the latent image emerge. A romantic notion, but there is no undo command, no history palette, and no adjustment layers. Exploring options in a darkroom is a time- and money-consuming task that often leads to wasted sheets and stained clothes. In The Digital Darkroom, the only thing missing is the smell of the chemicals. --Mike Caputo

Book Description

It's the new system revolutionizing photography. So go digital--for better pictures, more flexibility, and a wide variety of photo possibilities. Even those with only the most minimal darkroom experience will get into the swing intuitively, grasping new and creative possibilities for controlling tone, contrast, and other aspects of black-and-white pictures. Step-by-step, this workshop approach explains how to change from conventional photography to the digital realm, using a wide variety of images that demonstrate both problem-solving techniques and imaginative ideas. * Compare digital and film photography, processing, imaging power, and software. * Set up a complete digital darkroom. * Know all the control systems' command chains--including how to change color photos to black-and-white, adjust images, and much more. Any photographer will feel like a real professional! 160 pages (6 in color), 125 b/w illus., 10 x 10.

Customer Reviews:

For beginners only.......2001-09-07

If you know very few of Photoshop,this is a good book for you.If you are an advanced user,trying to aquire new skills on BW processing,forget it. Most hints you will already know and there are even questionable techniques,(as converting from color to BW by RGB->Grayscale command,and not channel mixer manipulation or other techniques that can minimize noise channels).Did not fullfilled my expectations.

An excellent book but not for beginners.......2001-01-08

I read some of the other reviews, mainly negative but bought this book anyway as it is one of the few books dealing with digital BW photography.

I found this book to be quite instructional. I agree that there is a lack of detailed instructions. However, I believe that training people how to use photoshop was not a goal of Mr. Schaub. One should have a good grasp of how to "fix" and manipulate photos in photoshop before using this book. A good photoshop book or class is in order before this text.

That said, I found the brief but concise directions for each technique very helpful when planning manipulation for my own BW photos. There are many examples shown with precise descriptions of what was done to achieve the noted results. Before and after photos are shown in each instance.

I give this book a big but conditional thumbs up. If your are serious about digital BW photography and have a working knowledge digital photography and photoshop in particular, this book is for you.

I found this book really helpful -- but not for beginers.......2000-05-06

Despite the somewhat lowest common denominator intro, this book is not for Photoshop beginners. It lacks the step by step hand holding which beginners often feel they need (and the other reviewers seem to be looking for -- there are lots of other books on Photoshop to fill that niche). Instead, this book is about looking at your black and white negatives/scans and helping you envision what you can be done with your images. Photoshop gives the black & white printer much more power and control over the image then is available in a wet darkroom but it takes more then a skills tutorial to help you reach that point. I like that The Digital Darkroom suggests what can be done rather then marching you lock step through a fixed set of procedures. Your understanding of Photoshop and the quality of your images will be rewarded by the extra work and thought that this approach requires.

All but worthless.......2000-03-30

I believe the PhotoShop manual does a much better job of explaining B&W process than this book does. This book has few details, vague descriptions, and is certainly not worth buying. In fairness, the last portion of the book gives 2 page tips that some may find useful to try.

Digital Darkroom: Worthless.......2000-02-20

I was completely disappointed in this work. It contains only a general discussion at the very most basic level. It has no techniques, no helpful illustrations, and no description relating the digital process to the chemical process. There was nothing in this book that I could use to improve my scans, to correct contrast, to pull the most out of poor negatives, or to fix problem shots.

Book Description

An enclyclopedic view of doing business with China. Contains the how-to, where-to and who-with information needed to operate internationally.

Book Description

Inside the Pentagon Papers addresses legal and moral issues that resonate today as debates continue over government secrecy and democracy's requisite demand for truthfully informed citizens. In the process, it also shows how a closer study of this signal event can illuminate questions of government responsibility in any era.

When Daniel Ellsberg leaked a secret government study about the Vietnam War to the press in 1971, he set off a chain of events that culminated in one of the most important First Amendment decisions in American legal history. That affair is now part of history, but the story behind the case has much to tell us about government secrecy and the public's right to know.

Commissioned by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, "the Pentagon Papers" were assembled by a team of analysts who investigated every aspect of the war. Ellsberg, a member of the team, was horrified by the government's public lies about the war--discrepancies with reality that were revealed by the report's secret findings. His leak of the report to the New York Times and Washington Post triggered the Nixon administration's heavy-handed attempt to halt publication of their stories, which in turn led to the Supreme Court's ruling that Nixon's actions violated the Constitution's free speech guarantees.

Inside the Pentagon Papers reexamines what happened, why it mattered, and why it still has relevance today. Focusing on the "back story" of the Pentagon Papers and the resulting court cases, it draws upon a wealth of oral history and previously classified documents to show the consequences of leak and litigation both for the Vietnam War and for American history.

Included here for the first time are transcripts of previously secret White House telephone tapes revealing the Nixon administration's repressive strategies, as well as the government's formal charges against the newspapers presented by Solicitor General Erwin Griswold to the Supreme Court. Coeditor John Prados's point-by-point analysis of these charges demonstrates just how weak the government's case was--and how they reflected Nixon's paranoia more than legitimate national security issues.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Parameters, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2005. The length of the article is 1105 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Inside the Pentagon Papers.(book by John Prados and Margaret Pratt Porter)(Book Review)
Author: Thomas W. McShane
Publication: Parameters (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 35 Issue: 2 Page: 168(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Inside the Pentagon Papers.(Book Review) : An article from: Presidential Studies Quarterly

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Inside the Pentagon Papers.(Book Review) : An article from: Presidential Studies Quarterly
Andrew L. Johns
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Presidential Studies Quarterly, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1029 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Inside the Pentagon Papers.(Book Review)
Author: Andrew L. Johns
Publication: Presidential Studies Quarterly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Page: 619(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Inside the Pentagon Papers.(Book review): An article from: The Historian

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Inside the Pentagon Papers.(Book review): An article from: The Historian
Marilyn B. Young
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000M4RB06
Release Date: 2006-12-20

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Historian, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2005. The length of the article is 639 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Inside the Pentagon Papers.(Book review)
Author: Marilyn B. Young
Publication: The Historian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 67 Issue: 4 Page: 765(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Inside the Pentagon Papers.
John Prados
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M4PI60

Book Description

From the first pip of a cygnet to the "swan-song" of old age, "Swans of the World" covers the development and behavior of the world's majestic swans. Woven skillfully into the text is the fascinating cultural lore of the swan worldwide, showing how - in poetry, myth, and art - this ancient, rare, and most aristocratic waterfowl has never ceased to excite the human mind. Handsomely illustrated with over 100 drawings, photographs, charts, and swan distribution maps, this work is engaging enough to entice both the beginning bird enthusiast and seasoned naturalist - to say nothing of the lover of poetry and art that celebrates the wonders of the natural world. This beautiful work has been justifiably praised by the Trumpeter Swan Society for its "depth and grace."

Swans of the World: In Nature, History, Myth & Art.

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Swans of the World: In Nature, History, Myth & Art.
A. LINDSAY PRICE
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQMIFC

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