Description

Par (auteur) Hanson Dian

Short /annotation:
This tome has it all, with works by over 100 fantasy artists. Julie Bell, Philippe Druillet, Frank Frazetta, H.R. Giger, The Brothers Hildebrandt, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Moebius, Rowena Morrill, Boris Vallejo, and Michael Whelan are here, along with first sketches and other materials for a deep dive into this dynamic genre.

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Fantasy art, that colorful blend of myth, muscle and sexy maidens, took off in 1923 with the launch of Weird Tales magazine, was reinvigorated in the 1960s with The Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian paperbacks with Frank Frazetta covers, and the late ’60s emergence of fantasy psychedelia. It went big in the ’70s with the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the brilliant French magazine Métal Hurlant, and the first Star Wars film.

The number of active artists peaked in that decade, but a new generation of fans discovered the genre through fantasy trading card games in the ’90s, leading to a massive interest in the art form today. Frank Frazetta’s oil paintings—when they infrequently come to market—have sold for more than $13 million in recent years. Fans line up at Comic-Cons to meet Julie Bell, Boris Vallejo, Rodney Matthews andMichael Whelan, and memorialize dead icons HR Giger, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Greg Hildebrandt, and Frazetta. Imagine how eagerly they’ll welcome TASCHEN’s Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, including all the artists listed above and more.

This tome features original paintings, contextualized by preparatory sketches, sculptures, calendars, magazines, and paperback books for an immersive dive into this dynamic, fanciful genre. Insightful bios go beyond Wikipedia to give a more accurate and eye-opening look into the life of each artist. In short, a collection that will reign as the most exquisite and informative guide to this popular subject for years to come.

Review quote:
“A book at least as epic as its subject.”

Review quote:
“It was likely the first art you really enjoyed, discovered on a comic book, paperback, or record cover. You could almost feel the blood vessels expanding in your brain… absorbing the rich colors, the alien landscape, the idealized human figures.”

Biographical note:
Dian Hanson is a senior editor and writer for TASCHEN, with over 50 books to her credit. In addition to ARNOLD, her recent works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta. Read here how it all began.