Masterpieces of Fantasy Art - 45th Ed. (Small Format)

About Masterpieces of Fantasy Art

Fantasy art, that colorful blend of myth, muscle and sexy maidens, took off in 1923 with the launch of Weird Tales magazine, was reinvigorated in the 1960s with The Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian paperbacks (with Frank Frazetta covers), and the late ’60s emergence of fantasy psychedelia. It went big in the ’70s with the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the brilliant French magazine Métal Hurlant, and the first Star Wars film. The number of active artists peaked in that decade, but a new generation of fans discovered the genre through fantasy trading card games in the ’90s, leading to a massive interest in the art form today. Frank Frazetta’s oil paintings—when they infrequently come to market—have sold for more than $5 million in recent years.

This book features original paintings contextualized by preparatory sketches, sculptures, calendars, magazines, and paperback books for an immersive dive into this dynamic, fanciful genre. Insightful bios go beyond Wikipedia to give a more accurate and eye-opening look into the life of each artist. Masterpieces of Fantasy Art will reign as the most exquisite and informative guide to this popular subject for years to come.

About this edition

This small-format book (15.6 x 21.7 cm / 6 x 8.5 inches) is a reissue from TASCHEN's “45th Edition Series.” This collection revisits iconic titles from the publishing house in a more compact and accessible format, without compromising their artistic quality or vision.

The original edition of Masterpieces of Fantasy Art was published in a large format (29 x 39.5 cm / 11.4 x 15.6 inches). You can find it by clicking here.

About Dian Hanson

Born in 1951 in Washington State, Dian Hanson is a senior editor and writer for TASCHEN, with over 50 books to her credit. In addition to ARNOLD, her recent works include The Art of Pin-up, Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, and The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta.

Technical details

• Special Edition
• Small format (15.6 x 21.7 cm / 6 x 8.5 inches) - Large format available right here
• Multilingual book (French, English, German)
• 512 pages
• Hardcover

Practical information

• Carefully packaged and reinforced
• Shipped within 72 hours
• More information on the publisher's website