Para el hombre del siglo xxi, la superstición sigue ocupando un espacio importante en su tiempo, y sigue teniendo un significado. En este libro se analiza todo lo relacionado con las supersticiones mediante los instrumentos del psicoanálisis, la antropología, la sociología y la historia de las religiones. El complejo simbólico, misterioso y fascinante de las supersticiones se examina racionalmente para poder entenderlo mejor, para conocer su historia y poder ser escépticos o supersticiosos pero con conocimiento de causa. También se trata el significado antiguo de gestos cotidianos como días y fechas adversos, animales peligrosos, acciones arriesgadas, lenguaje del cuerpo, manifestaciones …

Cigar-bands have sdorned cigars for more than 150 years. Until World War I they were produced and printed to the hightest quality using the best methods available, with the result that many cigar-bands of the time are genuine works of art. Images depicted on the bands are varied, but specific themes may be distinguished – flowers and foliage, for example, or heraldic ‘charges’, or of course portraits of contemporary rulers and celebrities. This book features nearly 1,800 cigar-bands drawn from the collection of Roger van Reeth, including some of the most beautiful, some of the rarest and some of the …

Ce livre n’est pas un panégyrique surl’homosexualité. C’est une étude scientifique menée par James Smalls, professeur d’histoire de l’art. Spécialiste de l’art du XIXe siècle européen, il s’intéresse particulièrement à la représentation de l’homosexualité dans l’art pictural et la photographie. En effet, cet ouvrage analyse l’acte de création et permet d’appréhender, sans aucune complaisance, l’apport de l’homosexualité dans l’évolution de la perception des émotions. À une époque où les tabous sont tombés, cette démonstration conduit à une relecture et une nouvelle compréhension des chefs-d’œuvre de notre civilisation.

Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) is one of the greatest portrait painters of the 16th century. A keen observer of his era, Holbein became the court painter of Henry VIII and his sundry wives. His talent was established at the early age of 18 when he illustrated Erasmus’manuscript The Praise of Folly. Holbein’s wide range of pursuits included not only painting, drawing, book illustration and designing stained-glass windows, jewellery and luxury objects, but also fanciful trompe l’œil murals and architecture. The breadth of his activities allows one to describe him as a genuine European artist. But his speciality was anamorphosis, …