The Art Of Looking Up

The Art Of Looking Up

The Art of Looking Up surveys spectacular ceilings around the globe that have been graced by the brushes of great artists including Michelangelo, Marc Chagall and Cy Twombly. From the lotus flowers of the Senso-ji Temple in Japan, to the religious iconography that adorns places of worship from Vienna to Istanbul, all the way to Chihuly's glass flora suspended from the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas - this book takes you on a tour of the extraordinary artworks that demand an alternative viewpoint. Art historian Catherine McCormack guides you through the stories behind the artworks - their conception, execution, and the artists that visualised them. In many cases, these works make bold but controlled political, religious or cultural statements, revealing much about the society and times in which they were created. Divided by these social themes into four sections - Religion, Culture, Power and Politics - and pictured from various viewpoints in glorious colour photography, tour the astounding ceilings of these and more remarkable locations: Vatican Palace, Rome, Italy Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, UK Louvre Museum, Paris, France Dali Theatre-Museum, Figueres, Catalonia Museum of the Revolution, Havana, Cuba Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA Four eight-page foldout sections showcase some of the world's most spectacular ceilings in exquisite detail. First and foremost, this is a visual feast, but also a desirable art book that challenges you to seek out fine art in more unusual places and question the statements they may be making. About the Author Catherine McCormack is a writer and art history lecturer based in London. She regularly teaches at Sotheby?s Institute of Art, Dulwich Picture Gallery and UCL, where she completed her PhD and was a Teaching Fellow. Her writing has been published in The Independent, Architectural Review, Stylist, Glass magazine, LABEL?agazine, and in international academic journals and museum exhibition catalogues. She is also resident art expert at Blacks Club Soho and has appeared on Sky News and BBC Breakfast talking about art. Catherine is also the author of Women in the Picture (Icon Books, 2020).