Later Chinese Painting and Calligraphy: 1800-1950 (Three Volumes, Complete)

NY: Random House. As New in As New dust jacket. 1987. 1st Edition. First Printing. Hard Cover. 0394554639 . First edition. Three volume set. Volume 1: Text, including catalogue entries for 875 works, including specifications, biographies and translations of the calligraphic texts; 397 pages with index, publisher's full turquoise cloth. Volume 2: Painting, 369 pages of color reproductions, publisher's full green cloth. Volume 3: The Calligraphies, 288 pages of color reproductions, publisher's full clay cloth. The volumes are each 14.25 by 10.25 inches, the clamshell box, which is in brown cloth with embossed gilt titles and color illustration, is 15.5 by 11.5 inches. This monumental work is the culmination of more than three decades of study and collecting, and is one of the most important and sumptuous publications of Asian Art. Through more than 850 superb examples from his own collection, the author shows how exposure to Western art led, in painting, to an extraordinary new diversity and vitality, and how archeological discoveries in China fueled a dazzling renaissance in calligraphy. Two of the three volumes reproduce 550 paintings and 325 calligraphies, representing the work of every major artist of the period in full color. The extensive commentaries in the third volume include biographies of each artist. Every calligraphy, inscription, and seal is transliterated into precise English. The breadth and depth of fresh scholarship, the quality of the art, and the luxurious production combine to make this publication one of the monumental achievements in art book publishing.. All three of the volumes and the magnificent clamshell box are in immaculate, pristine condition, in the original packaging with the original price sticker ($875) attached. An extremely large and heavy set - additional shipping will apply. AS NEW/AS NEW (Clamshell box).. Color Reproductions. 4to 11" - 13" tall. xvi; xviii; xxiii, 397; 369; 281 pp .