Overview
No one has captured the affinity between people and horses better than Yann Arthus-Bertrand, revealing how closely the horse's destiny is linked to that of mankind and the ways in which man has fashioned horses in accordance with his needs. This majestic volume shows horses as they really are--lively, high-spirited, mettlesome, animated, prancing, supple, and even ethereal. In situ photographs portray the spirit and the soul of two hundred different horse breeds, from racehorse to workhorse to show horse, from Montana and Russia, central Asia and Argentina, Mongolia and Cameroon, and points ordinary and exotic in between. They range from the purebred Arabians, to the Lippizaner, star of the famous Spanish riding school in Vienna, to the American Appaloosa, to the sleek, patrician thoroughbred.
Accompanying text recounts the rich history of our centuriesold relationship with horses, and the role each breed has played on the world stage.
Synopsis
The most visually stunning book ever produced about horses, in a portable new format.
This sumptuous tribute to the earth's most beautiful animal has been redesigned in a new mini format that is 100 pages longer than the original. Renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand—master of light and shadow, angle and exposure—etches these magnificent creatures and their human partners in photographs shot on location and around the globe, from Montana to Russia, central Asia to Argentina, Mongolia and Cameroon, and points in between. Each moment captured offers a glimpse of the breath of humanity, and man's powerful and moving relationship with the horse. Full of tribal costume, local color, and panoramic scenery—accompanied by the text of equine expert Jean-Louis Gouraud—Horses is a project of unparalleled ambition and scope.
Library Journal
Arthus-Bertrand is an award-winning landscape photographer, but in this volume-a best seller in his native France-he focuses on horses. His approach is unique, in terms of both set design and organization: each animal is photographed outdoors against a tan canvas background, and the resulting photographs are grouped geographically according to regional origins. The accompanying text reflects the culture of those regions, which range from Cameroon to Russia. There are many full-page spreads, and in some photos the camera moves beyond the canvas background to reveal the local scenery. Nearly 15 years in the making, these arresting photographs do not comprise a comprehensive catalog of horse breeds but instead a work of art. As the photographer notes, "This book is not designed and presented like a well-kept stable It is more like a cavalcade, a headlong gallop, a fantasia of horse." Of interest to horse enthusiasts and students of photography.-Deborah Emerson, Rochester Regional Lib. Council, Fairport, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.