Brian Sewell Knihy

Originally published: London: Quartet Books Limited, 2015.

Published to enormous critical acclaim and commercial success between 2011 and 2012, these classic memoirs from the late great and incendiary art critic Brian Sewell will be reissued in a single volume in response to their continuing popularity.

Weary of what he called the tyranny of western art, the author first visited Turkey in 1975. But Turkey surprised him and he delighted in the unexpected wealth of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic cultures there, returning three of four times a year until 1990. This book presents a portrait of Turkey and its artistic heritage.

The book offers a blend of analysis and personal narrative, chronicling Richard Harrison's intellectual and aesthetic growth through a series of compelling life experiences. It delves into the often alarming aspects of his journey, providing insights into his development as a thinker and artist.

This is the second volume of Brian Sewell's scandalous and haunting memoir. The first instalment ended in 1967 - after exploring Sewell's childhood, adolescence and early adulthood - this next chapter charts his path to becoming, as the 'Spectator' noted, 'Surely the funniest art critic of our time'.

Sleeping with Dogs is the record of one man's passionate affection for the dog, rooted in his early childhood and lasting undiminished into his dotage. These were for the most part dogs discarded and left to fate - tied to the railings of Kensington Gardens, found with a broken leg in the wilds of Turkey, adopted from an animal rescue home, passed on by the vet - but there was also a whippet of noble pedigree and three generations of a family of crossbreeds in which the whippet strain was strong. They were not pets, but indulged friends and companions, with all of whom he shared his bed, and who richly rewarded him with loyalty and affection. This is not a sentimental or determinedly anthropomorphic book - the dogs remain steadfastly dogs. It is observant and records the canine society of dog and dog as much as the relationship of man and dog. It is, at the same time, a deeply touching account of the lives and very different characters of seventeen dogs over eighty years or so, ranging from Jack Russell to Alsatian through half-boxer, half-pointer and half-Karabas, to purest indecipherable mongrel.

All over England on 27 March 1903, it was a dark and stormy night. Rain was pelting down in Manchester, the city on which it falls more often than any other, and Mr Frederick Henry Royce (who hated to be called Fred) was muttering dark oaths between clenched teeth...

A collection of erudite and typically contrarian essays from the late great art critic. Writing for the Evening Standard, but ever unwilling to tow the line, Brian gives uncompromising, witty and cultured opinions on the hot topics of his day, many of which are startlingly relevant now.

Romain de Tirtoff (1892-1990), who changed his name to Erté (?R? and ?T? in French) when he left his native St Petersburg for Paris in 1912, became one of the most sought-after artists of the twentieth century. His illustrations for Harper?s Bazaar and Vogue remain classics of the genre, while his work as stage, costume and fashion designer in Europe and America combined an eye for fashion and elegance with a sense of theatricality. In the early days Erté worked closely with the couturier Paul Poiret, before producing numerous designs for the revues and shows that were so popular at the time, as well as for film with his work for MGM. Mata Hari, Lillian Gish, Anna Pavlova and George Balanchine were just some of those whose costumes were designed by Erté. 0Just over a hundred years after the twenty-year-old Erté left St Petersburg, his work returned to the city of his birth, with an exhibition at the Hermitage. This book is a record of that unique event, charting Erté?s extraordinary career and confirming him as a true genius of Art Deco. With text by the son of Erté?s long-term collectors, Michael Estorick, and Hermitage curator Mikhail Dedinkin. 00Exhibition: Grosvenor Gallery, London, UK (15.11.- 15.12.2017).

Die bezaubernde Geschichte eines Mannes, der alles stehen und liegen lässt, um eine junge Eselin zu retten. Auf einer Reise in Pakistan sieht Mr B, ein britischer Gentleman, eine kleine Eselin: Ihr Rücken ist vollbepackt, ihre dünnen Beine zittern unter der schweren Last. Kurzerhand springt Mr B aus dem Wagen, fest entschlossen, sich um das Tier zu kümmern und es mit nach Hause zu nehmen. Das einzige Problem: Sein Zuhause liegt in London und ein Esel kann nicht im Flugzeug reisen. Also begeben sich Mr B und Pawlowa, wie er die Eselin von nun an nennt, auf eine lange Reise durch den Nahen Osten bis nach Europa – zu Fuß ... Ein wunderbares Geschenkbuch über Freundschaft und die farbenprächtige Vielfalt der Welt – für alle Reisenden und Fernwehleidenden, für alle Liebhaber von Eseln, von englischen Gentlemen und Geschichten, die man sein Leben lang mit sich trägt – so elegant, augenzwinkernd und charmant geschrieben, wie es nur die Briten können.