" Né à Berlin en 1891, John Heartfield grandit en Allemagne à l'époque où apparaissent les grands mouvements modernes - expressionnisme, cubisme, futurisme - dont l'empreinte est reconnaissable dans les photomontages qui le rendront célèbre. Violemment critique à l'égard de la République de Weimar qui voit grandir son talent, son œuvre est interdite en Allemagne pendant tout le Troisième Reich hitlérien. A Londres, où il passe toute la période de la guerre comme exilé anti-fasciste, il reste une figure marginale, même après son retour en Allemagne de l'Est en 1950. Ce n'est qu'à partir des années soixante-dix que sa reconnaissance devient générale en Europe, sinon dans le monde. "

"Born in Berlin in 1891, John Heartfield grew up in Germany during the formative years of the main modern movements: Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, each of which contributed recognisably to the photomontages for which he would become famous. Sharply critical of the Weimar Republic in which he flourished, in Germany his work was banned for the duration of Hitler's Third Reich. In London, where he lived as an anti-Fascist exile throughout the Second World War, he remained an outsider till after his return to East Germany in 1950, It is only since the 1970s that he has become a European, if not a world figure."--Cover

A study of the extent to which the Holocaust - as a major historical event - influenced Western art. Pt. I (pp. 3-127), "Depiction, " discusses many artists and their works. Pt. II (pp. 131-366), "Interpretation, " analyzes primary Holocaust symbols, biblical imagery, "the crucified Jew, " myths, abstraction, and Jewish identity. Pp. 367-509 contain notes to the above chapters, and pp. 511-546 give an extensive selected bibliography. The plates contain reproductions of 560 paintings and drawings.

This chronological study traces the evolution of graphic form, from Antiquity through the Middle Ages and up through the age of technology. Each period is explained in detail, from Classical craftsmanship to the changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution and the modern-day potential of the digital world. As computers now play an integral role in academic and professional environments, virtually everyone makes font choices on a regular basis, rendering typography more relevant than ever before. This thorough, scholarly, and visually-appealing volume combines the history of the letter form--from the invention of printing to the relationship between graphics and totalitarian regimes--with intricate analysis of graphic design and typography, all supported by 850 images with extensive notes and a bibliography. This is an indispensable handbook for understanding our daily visual environment, and essential reading for all graphic arts professionals.