Mauries Patrick Livres

When Jean Cocteau first met Picasso during the First World War, he was so eager to impress that he arrived at the brilliant young Spaniard's studio dressed as a harlequin. This anecdote says a great deal about Cocteau, one of the century's great modernists. Picasso went on to incorporate the harlequin into some of his greatest cubist paintings, an example of Cocteau's silent mediation in so many of the decisive moments within 20th-century modernism. Cocteau's own assumption of the role of the harlequin also says much about his own dazzling, but often ambiguous character, an image of the artist captured in Patrick Mauries' short illustrated biography, Jean Cocteau . Mauries' book is a fine reflection of Cocteau's own artistic career--a slight, beautiful, poetic book, made up of a short allusive biographical essay, supplemented by illustrations of Cocteau, his friends, his lovers, and his art. Mauries' biography offers very little not already covered in Francis Steegmuller's classic work, Cocteau: A Biography , and tends to drift into speculation on Cocteau's relationship with his father and his slavery to fashion, while lacking a stronger sense of chronology and his development as an artist. However, the book is saved by a wonderfully idiosyncratic collection of illustrations, which emphasise the highly personal nature of Mauries' study. Photographs of Cocteau sculpting with pipe-cleaners, and Jean Marais erotically clad in strips of cloth artfully knotted by Coco Chanel for the performance of Oedipe Roi , offer a strangely poignant reflection of the artist's own career: elegant, enchanting, intense and erotic, yet strangely frustrating, and often produced with the hope of media exposure never far away. Mauries' book may not be the most comprehensive introduction to Cocteau, but it offers aficionados a telling perspective on one of the greats of French modernism. -- Jerry Brotton

Le sol inondé, à certaines périodes de l'année, d'un café vénitien, sous les Procuraties ; le service de porcelaine blanc et orangé du café Greco à Rome ; les murs de miroirs et de mogano, acajou sombre et poli, du Baratti à Turin... C'est à la fascination pour ces endroits immatériels, transitoires par essence, que ce petit livre veut donner corps. Le sol inondé, à certaines périodes de l'année, d'un café vénitien, sous les Procuraties ; le service de porcelaine blanc et orangé du café Greco à Rome ; les murs de miroirs et de mogano, acajou sombre et poli, du Baratti à Turin... C'est à la fascination pour ces endroits immatériels, transitoires par essence, que ce petit livre veut donner corps. En brassant, sans fausse pudeur, réminiscences, descriptions, anecdotes, bavardages - sinon médisances - sur des rites perdus, des boissons merveilleuses, des muphtis d'Arabie, des amoureux lunatiques et des excentriques de toutes sortes, parmi lesquels le regretté Tabacchino, chien, amateur de café, dont l'émouvant éloge funèbre, qu'on lira ici, fut justement prononcé dans le lieu qu'il hanta, l'air gourmand, le regard vide, une vie durant.

"Maurie`s' tour of strange objects is entertaining and fascinating." --Antiques And The Arts Weekly

Erik Desmazieres is acknowledged as a contemporary master of the art of etching. This book locates Desmazieres and his work in the long tradition of artist-printmakers, surveys the world of 17th-century antiquarianism and its intriguing cast of characters; and examines today's reawakened interest in cabinets of rarities and curiosities.

The first visually led exploration of androgyny--from representations in antiquity to its current prevalence in the fashion world and beyond

“Glorious . . . almost as good as owning one of the things themselves.”― The World of Interiors Piero Fornasetti lived and worked in Milan from 1935 until his death in 1988. During this long career he established an enduring reputation as a designer with a style that was distinctly his own―a style based on illusion, architectural perspectives, and a host of personal leitmotifs, such as the sun, playing cards, fish, and flowers, from which he spun seemingly endless variations.Fornasetti applied his decorative vocabulary to an astonishing array of objects―hats, vests, pipes, ashtrays, chairs, plates, cabinets, pianos, ocean liners―and transformed them by the application of unexpected images.Today his work seems more contemporary and is more popular than ever. Designers and collectors celebrate his use of allusion, unsettling images, and striking juxtaposition to create unique, whimsical objects. Fornasetti’s masterpieces continue to shock, delight, and inspire. 116 color and 484 black-and-white photographs and illustrations

"Yves Saint Laurent Accessories" is a unique tribute to the iconic designer's couture accessories, showcasing his exquisite jewellery, hats, shoes, and handbags from 1962 to 2002. The book features stunning photography and rare materials from The Yves Saint Laurent Foundation, offering an intimate look at the designer's creative process and fashion history.

Karl Lagerfeld’s world-famous cat dispenses essential advice on lifestyle, diet, fashion, beauty, and international travel for the uber-fashionable feline. Choupette—the constant feline companion of designer Karl Lagerfeld, creative director at Chanel—is a celebrity pet like no other. She has it all, from her own iPad to private jet service. She eats from Goyard silver seated next to Karl at the table, has been immortalized in Tokidoki figurines with the Kaiser, and has inspired his couture collections. "I never thought that I would fall in love like this with a cat," Mr. Lagerfeld said in a CNN interview. Choupette delivers words of wisdom to her 37,000+ Twitter devotees, but here, for the first time, she shares her complete lifestyle guide. Humorously themed chapters cover diet, beauty, healthcare, fashion tips, secret loves and pet hates for the pampered cat, along with observations and advice from Madame Horn (her vet), and Madame Françoise (her lady’s maid). Photographs taken by Karl himself include his Sacred Cat of Burma on fashion shoots with Laetitia Casta and Linda Evangelista. The book is completed with drawings, poetry, and photographs of literary cat-lovers including Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Saul Steinberg, Dorothy Parker, and Edward Gorey. This season’s most talked-about cat book is the perfect chic gift for cat lovers, the fashion-conscious, and style-aware readers.

From Louis Vuitton's Second French Empire pageantry to the brand's Far East launch; from the classic LV travel chest to Nicolas Ghesquières's trunk-inspired collection; and from the house's emblematic monogram, to recent creations merging it with daring designs from contemporary artists, this volume tells the story of Louis Vuitton, the fashion house that embodies the spirit of travel and quintessentially French elegance the world over. Explore the people, the places, and the clients at the heart of the Louis Vuitton story--the kings and princesses, intrepid explorers and prima donnas, fantastic creations, objects, and accessories--which imbue Louis Vuitton with the spirit of travel. Discover the evolutions in technology and design that have proved essential to the success of this extraordinary brand. The work offers a journey into the Louis Vuitton universe, the brand's rich history, and its passionate defense of quality craftsmanship, art, and artists. With insight from the Vuitton archives, this work reveals the constantly evolving design inspiration that is central to the brand, walking the line between classic style and modernity.