5 comments about Italian Frescoes: The Baroque Era, 1600-1800.

1. I am absolutely thrilled. I can't imagine anyone who likes Baroque art being dissatisfied. The Da Cortona plates 47 and 48 are pure Baroque magic and would alone justify my buying this book, to say nothing of the wonderful Tiepolos, Domenichinos, and many others. It is a bargain to get this much great art in one book, and I will probably pony up for the others in the series.



2. well photographed, scholarly in its approach and text, and just plain beautiful. this book makes me weak at the knees.



3. The fifth and, please don't let it be true, last, volume in the Abbeville series on Italian Frescoes is, much like the previous four, a stunningly beautiful book.. A book of this quality, both in content and production, is extremely rare today. The photography is brilliant as usual and the writing once again wonderfully informative without lapsing into jargon like so many current books dealing with art.
   
   As pointed out by a previous reviewer, many of these incredible works of art are not available to the general public. However, some are and those only help to point out how well the writer and photographers of this book have captured them. Only standing yourself in San Ignacio on the marble slab at which all the perspective on the great ceiling is directed can top the presentation of Pozzo's masterpiece as it appears here. If you have always wanted to visit Italy to marvel at some of these great works, but have been unable to, this is as close as you get to being there without buying a plane ticket.
   
   Perhaps I view the book in a bit less analytical manner than some previous reviewers, but I find it as rich, beautiful and interesting as the volumes on the early and high renaissance, mannerism, and the world of Giotto that preceeded it. Steffi Roettgen, the photographers, and the publisher have done a magnificent job again here. And Abbeville, as said before, please don't let this be the final volume on the great frescoe cycles. Today, and probably even moreso in the future, these books will be the only way that many art lovers will be able to see these examples of some of our most brilliant artistic heritage. These books should be in every library in the country.
   
   Italian Frescoes: The Baroque Era, as well as the other four Abbeville books in this series, are worth every penny of the price and more.



4. 1) Read the review from the gentlemen from the UK, he has valid points that I will try to counterbalance....all points are valid.
   
   2) The Abbeville Press series on Italian fresoces is about the only series like this in the publishing world. 85% percent of the fresoes would not be open to the public or if they were, there would be not photography allowed. The quality of this series has been execellent, from a reproduction perspective.
   
   3) It is meant to be an overview of Baroque painting for frescoes and I would argue that most of these places you wont get to see, or document.
   
   4) Steffi and the Abbeville crew had responded very well to a previous review I did, in that all of the places I requested were included in this book...I am grateful and there are not enough stars in the universe I could use to indicate that appreciation as far as a rating goes.
   
   
   5) Does the book have enough closes ups???.....that would have added another 400 pages....so yes we would all agree there can never be enough close up shots,....but that doesnt mean what there is here is not good.
   
   6) The artists are hacks???.....there are many books on the main highest quality painters....Tiepolo, Veronese etc....I like to see what other people did so "hack" is a relative term...but I get the Brits point,but this is coverage of a lot of Italy..from that period..that is the point.
   
   7) Agreed--that there are a lot of long shots...that is a personal preference choice you would need to make...I am ok with long shots and close ups...they both have a place....I would not condemn a book for long shots but if you buy it that is something you should be aware of, so his point is well taken if that is of critical value to you...I would still buy the book because there is nothing else that even comes in second.
   
   8) The color reproduction and quality is execellent...and very good information...I think it also brings to light Italian cities as a cross section of activity and that is more the point of the book...I would never have thought to make it a point to go to Milan, Genoa, or Turin for fresco hunting and now I will..."hacks or not"...but I still love Tiepolo as well...there is a time when the best prime rib is great and then there is a time when even a simple hamburger is enjoyable...the great and the hacks all contributed something...and on one will ever do this size and scale again so factor that in...THESE ARE HISTORY!!!...never to be redone.
   
   9) If you are in the Veronese, Tintoretto, Tiepolo mindset this is not even close to a catalogue of their fresco work, I am ok with that, there are other specific books just about them.
   
   10) I am very saddened that this is the last book in the series from Abbeville, I would have bought one of these every four months until I die, there just are not that many fresoe books out there. I am sure there are plenty of fresoces left...so yes Steffi...do an encore..and make it as good as this one was.
   
   11) With the execption of maybe Konemann, no other publisher in the Art world packs this much large size high quality color into 400 pages so you should factor that in...there is enormous bang for the buck even without close ups or mainstream artists..Abbeville doesnt skimp on the color ink and doesnt tie up a lot of pages with talking head lectures and then only small pictures like so many other publishers do.
   
   12) As an investment these books will triple in value in a short period, and more than that over time....there just are not many people doing this...like there are people doing Michangelo books.
   
   I think when you put things in perspective this book delivers, I think that Abbeville should keep going and make this a four part series, like the first four fresco books, if budget and interest prevail, part of the reason some of the Baroque heavies were minimized was because there is a lot here, they thought it was the last volume so they crammed a lot in.
   
   I cannot say enough great things about this series and I really dont want it to end..."hacks and all"...perhaps another book on Venetian frescoes would help our friend in England...there are a lot of areas to cover in just the Doges palace alone.
   
   I am not as critcal, I liked this series, I am so appreciative that Abbeville took this on, I was in a lot of these places and was frustrated that I could not get in place to take a picture, picture taking was forbidden, or the place simply did not allow public visitation at all....the reason I am repeating myself on this key point is you have to factor that in when you get these books.....some of these places and things you will never see.....and some you will be annoyed that you traveled that far for nothing...go into the Pitti Palace and tell them you are a Pietro DaCortona fan,(Oh Pietro , you hack...yeah right!!) have traveled 8000 miles, invested $2000 dollars in a 12. megapixel camera with special zoom lenses, and then live with the fact that the Italian guard will get angry with you and tell you to buy the cheap little cruddy ink book in the museum store for $35 Euro...with horrible small pictures and you might get the point and value
   of these books....or go to see the Caracci cycle in the Farnese palace and then realize you cant because it is now a French embassy.
   
   Steffi and Abbeville ...thank you for a great series...if there is anything anyone can do to convince you to keep going I would like to see that happen....I have wanted fresoe books like this all of my life, I appreciate the effort and time and risk it took to publish these.



5. The fifth and final book in Abbeville Press's Italian Frescoes series, "The Baroque Era, 1600-1800" does not disappoint. The grandeur and majesty of Baroque-era frescoes, which grace buildings from churches to palaces, are pleasing to the eye. The diagrams make it easy to understand how the fresco cycles are placed together around a room. The text is also very informative, and it has inspired me with a list of must-see places for my next visit to Italy! Overall, a beautiful book.

2 comments about Painting a World of Enchantment (Decorative Painting).

1. So imaginative, so colorful without going overboard and being kitchy.It is a truly enchanted book, I just couldn't wait to pick up my brush and paint frogprinces and grinning vegetables.
   I ususally paint murals, serious ones, so this was such an unexpected delight.It is different,even beginners could do it,it doesn't require the usual drawing skills, if You doodle, You can do it!Bobbie's creatures are loveable,easy to paint yet rewarding,and You can just come up with new ones once You are done with the book.I found myself designing more and more.
   It's inspiring,good for the soul,a fun little challenge,enjoy!



2. Among the bulging racks of decorative painting books this one shines brightly. Florals and cottages are lovely, but boring compared to Bobbie Takashima's whimsical fantasy designs. Insects, animals, and vegetables all come to life under her brush, making magic and creating smiles. No one else compares, much less dares.
   
   This is a fat, satisfying softcover brimming with color images, and detailed step-by-step instructions. The photos are sharp and clear, allowing an intimate view of tiny details within the paintings. She generously includes patterns, as well as a reference area that covers techniques used, and provides names and photos of the actual shades of her preferred brand of acrylic paint. Tips are scattered among the excellent instructions for each design like bonus jewels of information.
   
   Ms. Takashima is a skilled teacher, even in print; a beginner could attempt most of these ten gorgeous projects. Recommended especially to those seeking something more stimulating and beautiful than a one-stroke rose. Worth every cent!

2 comments about Paul Horiuchi: East and West (Samuel and Althea Stroum Book).

1. Book came on time as ordered; no problem. The even better news is that it confirmed that a painting I bought at an auction 20 years ago, really is a signed Horiuchi watercolor!



2. A captivating account of Paul Horiuchi's life and art. This gifted and devoted talent was a shining star in the golden era of Northwest modern art, merging Oriental and Occidental components to create rich and unique forms. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the art of America's Pacific Northwest.

1 comments about Light in Pastel (Step-by-Step Leisure Arts).

1. The step by step instructions were very good, but there were not enough 'how to do' steps for too many photos. An instruction book should be just that I believe and showing lovely pictures of paintings does not help an amateur.

No comments about The Book of Schuiten.

1 comments about Eva Zeisel.

1. The book was more informative of Eva's life and persectives on art than another I purchased at greater by twice the price! The photos were excellent and the pieces chosen for representation were all my favorites! The biography can't be passed over, for it is what has developed her into the admirable woman life and hardship has made her. I bought it to give to a close friend who is a potter, but now it's mine to keep! Janet

2 comments about Gerhard Richter: Editions 1965-2004 (Hatje Cantz).

1. This book is a good compilation of Richter's work. However, the reprintg of these images are incredibly small. The writing is good but the actual images are almost postage stamp size. For the price, this book is not recommended unless you a die-hard Richter fan.



2. A recent survey reported in the N. Y. Times on the most popular modern artists based on museum exhibitions, website hits, and other criteria placed Gerhard Richter third, closely behind Picasso and Warhol. So here is a catalogue raisonne documenting the art of this leading, popular contemporary artist over the past three decades. It is as much an art book on Richter as a work of complete documentation for reference. Most catalogues are similar to book bibliographies: They simply list all an artist's works over a period time with relevant notes. Often they picture some works, usually in black-and-white, sometimes with a few in color. But this comprehensive reference on Richter has more than 200 color photographs of his art works, nearly all of these one per page. The relevant annotations including measurements, medium, and background run alongside each of the pictured works. Additionally--again, unlike most catalogue raisonnes--this book has three essays by art experts on Richter's aesthetics and the various mediums he works in and techniques he uses. Richter's position as a popular and also influential contemporary artist is based on his imaginative and revealing treatment of images. This is a basic reference/art book for any private or public book collection on modern art.

No comments about Sheet Metal Work (Workshop Pratice Series #8) (Workshop Pratice Series #8) (Workshop Pratice Series #8).

5 comments about Happy Trails.

1. Happy Trails begins with Opus deciding to get an illegal back-alley liposuction of his nose, and ends with him saying "Good-bye" to all of the familiar faces and places of Bloom County on the way to the sequel "Outland". On the pages that intervene Berkeley Breathed gets in some hilarious and dead-on pokes at religious fanatics, Donald Trump, Swimsuit Editions, and phone solicitors.

   Not quite as coherent a collection as the previous books as Breathed tries to get in his "last shots" before retiring Bloom County forever, this book is still hilarious and interesting, and a must-have for those looking to complete their BC collection.




2. This book was very sad.For those who have read Bloom County before it is a must read.And the ones who haven't,still,it is a must read.The ending to this magnificent comic strip was done in excelent taste.You can feel the sorrow as it is over,never to be done again.The charcters are great,which makes it so sad.It truely is a gift on what he did in this last book.I cried,I laughed,I jumped on dandylions.



3. It is a testament to the talents of Berke Breathed that well over ten years after he suspended "Bloom County," it is still sorely missed by its legions of fans, myself included. Once described as "Doonesbury with animals," "Bloom County" took on a life of its own, and what a life it was. "Happy Trails" consists of strips from the County's last year, and all the familiar characters are here--Opus, Bill, Steve Dallas, Cutter John, Milo, and Hodgepodge--as well as a couple of new characters who would star in Breathed's follow-up strip "Outland." Breathed's observations are dead on, and the strips will often have you thinking--once you get enough oxygen back to your brain after laughing so hard. With the possible exception of "Dilbert," no comic today has the fan loyalty that "Bloom County" did--and now that Charles Schultz is no longer with us, I doubt any will again.



4. I stopped reading the comics regulerly when Bloom County stopped. I didn't find the comics funny anymore. This work, which shows some of his earliest strips are funny, and if you understand the poltical references because you were alive then, which I was, it makes this all the more funny.



5. As one progresses through this book, as well as the other outstanding volumes in the Bloom County "Anthology," you remember the quirky concepts, ideals, and opinions of your childhood. You didn't understand much of the strip growing up, as I did, but in retrospect it offers a frank, comical, unyielding, and nostalgic trip through our lives. True Bloom county fans will share my utter sorrow when the last few pages bring an end to an amazing book. I hope Breathed has some more projects in the future.

2 comments about More Quick & Easy Scrapbook Pages (Memory Makers).

1. Another great book for a beginner scrapbooker. It has everything you need to know. Great buy!



2. Being that I am relatively new to scrapbooking, this book is a good place to start. I had also purchased the earlier book (Quick & Easy Scrapbook Pages), and both books are good sources for page layouts. I tend to find that anything that's written by Memory Makers is a sure winner.