William John Bankes (1786ndash;1855) was a pioneer in the nascent study of the language; history; and civilization of ancient Egypt. At the Abydos Temple he discovered the King List mdash; a wall of cartouches listing Egyptian kings in chronological order mdash; which was vital to the decoding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. At Philae he uncovered a fallen obelisk; which he arranged to be transported back to England. And in modern-day Jordan he was the first European to make sketches and site plans of the ldquo;lostrdquo; city of Petra.Bankesrsquo;s life was rich and full; and his discoveries have proven to be quite valuable and influential. But; living in an era when homosexuality was a capital offense; he was persecuted for being gay and threatened with imprisonment and execution. His decision to travel and pursue his love of art and architecture went against his fatherrsquo;s wishes that he follow in his footsteps and become a politician. Despite such obstacles; Bankesrsquo;s pioneering work on ancient temples and artifacts now enriches the knowledge of modern Egyptologists; and his art collection and decorative talents can be enjoyed by those who visit his home; a National Trust estate mdash; with the obelisk from Philae still raised on the south lawn.Enhanced by many of Bankess drawings and paintings; this engaging story is full of vivid detail about the beginnings of Egyptology; Regency England; and a fascinating individual; and it sets the record straight about Bankess crucial role in setting the stage for the work of later scholars.From the Hardcover edition.
#2649108 in eBooks 2014-08-27 2014-08-27File Name: B00N3CA8AE
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is what I have been waiting for!By Kindle CustomerI have been searching for a book like this. I have tried other books and their work is just so over-stylized that it makes it very difficult to use or accept. I really enjoy your professional approach in introducing rough sketches vs many rendered images. It really adds a fresh understanding of art in general; thus; it is open to different genres and mediums. Amiable; the ideas in this book is open to sculpting; painting or photo editing. The many details of a head or figure can be easily lost in mid process while creating the overall structure in a piece of work. This book helps me highlights certain areas of the face and body - it is easy to forget the important parts of a human Deciding what is to be positive or negative space is often frusterating when shading; here there is quick reference to rejuvenate an ear; eye; nose etc. - in a more interesting perspective. I am looking forward to more works by you on this subject. It is not easy to find anything on this subject where the author identifies and shows the more stunning forms and views of the female figure.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. This book is by far the most superior book on drawing women out on the market to ...By Andrew K.This book is by far the most superior book on drawing women out on the market to date. I actually borrowed this book from the kindle store; but after going through it I had to grab a hard copy. The Dos and Donts in here are super helpful along with the reference photos this book is just a blast to get through. In my opinion this is a far better book than Christopher Harts How to Draw Great-Looking Comic Book Women. The only down side is that; I want more content and that its not sold through prime!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Awesome Book on Drawing WomenBy James AxsomToms book Incredible Comic Book Women is a gem of knowledge in the "how to draw" genre of books. The female figure is perhaps one of the most challenging to draw and render properly but Tom shows you how to draw women with finesse; skill and confidence once you practice his instruction and technique. Tom provides great examples of dos and donts. He covers a womans anatomy with good taste; with purposeful illustrations he himself has drawn and with with good bits of humor throughout the book.If you are a beginner in drawing do not be intimidated with the content in the book because the only way you will become skillful is to practice; practice and keep practicing. Just follow Toms guidelines and instructions with commitment and you will get it. Also if you have not purchased his other book titled; "Incredible Comics" buy that that one too because he covers how to draw us guys.Great book and this one will be a mainstay in my library for all time. I hope Tom comes out with new titles in the near future.
