Richard Johns Books

For the first time, a joint biography of William Morris and his creative partner and wife, Jane Morris

Presenting new work by American artist Kehinde Wiley, as he explores the European landscape tradition through film and painting

This richly illustrated publication explores the lasting influence of Gainsborough's Blue Boy on British art and culture

'To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, religion, all in one' - how the works of John Ruskin can teach us how to see our own world more clearly

At Riyadh, in 1902, the desert raider Ibn Saud tossed the head of the town governor from a parapet down to his followers below... thus was the kingdom of Saudi Arabia founded. Two-thirds the size of India, it holds a quarter of the world's oil and has six times more overseas assets than the USA. A land of desert unchanged for centuries, with the wealth and power to make the world tremble... The domain of the House of Saud.

There is hardly a statement of power and authority in British history as blunt as the so-called "Armada Portrait." The unforgettable painting depicting Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) commemorates the most famous conflict of her reign--the great sea battle of 1588. It was then that the English fleet successfully defeated the invading Spanish Armada, which had been sent to overthrow Elizabeth. The portrait is arguably the most recognizable depiction of the Tudor queen. Still, it is also a complex, multi-layered representation of the iconography of Elizabeth I, as the "Empresse of the world" and the "Virgin Queen." Each of the three surviving versions of the portrait includes symbolism that illustrates Elizabeth's victory. The painting, as an outstanding historical document, summarizes the hopes and aspirations of the state, and Elizabeth as its head, at a watershed moment of history. In The Armada Portrait, Christine Riding takes the reader on a journey through the painting's history rendered possible thanks to the discoveries made during the most recent conservation work. The illustrated guide to the impressive "Armada Portrait" gives an overview of the context, creation, and significance of the portrait, alongside an evaluation of Elizabeth's legacy. Not leaving any topics untouched, The Armada Portrait reveals how the painting has inspired and informed countless portrayals of Elizabeth I in film, theater, and television.

An exploration of Turner as an artist-traveler, in relation to two important European harbor scenes