Photographing the Ultimate Art Form

With its heady mixture of music, drama, scenic architecture, lighting, and costume design, opera has often been referred to as the ultimate art form and to celebrate this ultimate art form only an ultimate art book will do.


In the generously over-sized In Grand Style: The Glory of the Metropolitan Opera, photographer and artist Nancy Ellison beautifully captures the visual impact of twenty lavish productions on the stage of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. From the temples of ancient Egypt to the streets of nineteenth century Paris the artists of the Met have been creating these magical worlds on the stage for over 120 years.


The nearly three-foot wingspan of the book allows for sweeping images such as this breathtaking scene of Imperial China as envisioned by Franco Zeffirelli for his lavish 1987 production of Turandot. The fact that such a deep volume might prove difficult to fit in your average bookcase only proves the point that a work of art like this should be left out and about where everyone can inspired by its fantastic imagery.

The Work of Photographer Slim Aarons

Everyone likes flipping through a pretty “coffee table book”, and with their lavish swimming pool cover shots two of our summertime favorites have to be Once Upon A Time and A Place in the Sun featuring the work of photographer Slim Aarons.


As portrait photographer for Town and Country, Holiday, and Life magazines, Slim once described his career as “photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places”. From WWII until the 80’s he traveled the world photographing the rich and famous in their natural habitat. From high society and royalty to titans of industry and Hollywood celebrities the pages of these books are filled with the one glorious image after another.


Our books are seen here with a simple bouquet of daisies, the perfect summertime flower, arranged in an antique French Country china creamer. The swirling striations of the antique Venetian glass bowl beautifully match the soft sherbet hues on the books spines. Now all we're missing is the newest book, which appropriately enough is simply titled Poolside with Slim Aarons.

Photos and styling by Knickerbocker.