Fantasy Art Masterpieces

From the Publisher: Myth, Muscle, and Sexy Maidens

This monster-sized tome offers a comprehensive exploration of the dynamic and fanciful genre of fantasy art, featuring the works of over 100 renowned artists. The collection includes iconic names such as Julie Bell, Philippe Druillet, Frank Frazetta, H.R. Giger, The Brothers Hildebrandt, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Moebius, Rowena Morrill, Boris Vallejo, and Michael Whelan, along with their preparatory sketches, sculptures, calendars, magazines, and paperback books.

Fantasy art, a captivating blend of myth, muscle, and alluring maidens, first gained widespread popularity in 1923 with the launch of Weird Tales magazine. The genre was further reinvigorated in the 1960s, fueled by the success of The Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian paperbacks featuring Frank Frazetta's iconic covers, and the emergence of fantasy psychedelia. The 1970s saw a peak in the number of active fantasy artists, as the genre exploded with the rise of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the acclaimed French magazine Métal Hurlant, and the first Star Wars film.

In the decades that followed, a new generation of fans discovered the genre through fantasy trading card games in the '90s, sparking a renewed and enduring interest in the art form. Today, the work of these fantasy masters continues to captivate audiences, with Frank Frazetta's oil paintings fetching record-breaking prices at auction and fans eagerly lining up at Comic-Cons to meet and celebrate the legacies of artists like Boris Vallejo, Rodney Matthews, Greg Hildebrandt, Michael Whelan, and the late legends H.R. Giger, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, and Frazetta himself.

TASCHEN's History of Fantasy Art aims to provide an immersive and comprehensive exploration of this dynamic genre. Featuring original paintings and preparatory sketches, the collection offers an in-depth look into the creative processes and inspirations of the artists, going beyond the surface to provide insightful biographies that delve deeper than the information available on Wikipedia.

Complemented by tipped-in chapter openers, this monster-sized tome is poised to reign as the definitive and most exquisite guide to the captivating world of fantasy art for years to come. Available in English, French, and German editions, this comprehensive volume is a must-have for fans, collectors, and anyone with an appreciation for the masterful and imaginative creations that have defined this genre.

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