5 comments about Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles (Eminent Lives).

1. We purchased "Caravaggio: Painter of miracles" in preparation for a tour to ITALY dedicated to the works of Caravaggio that we found in Rome, Naples and Florence. It was an excellent preparation.
   Excellent sketch of Caravaggio's life, and overview of his opus. The author's clear and aggressive prose fits Caravaggio to a T. The text was easily read and exciting in it's coverage of things Caravaggio.
   I recommend the book to any person interested in Caravaggio and I intend to pursue other works by the author Francine Prose.



2. Francine Prose's "Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles" is part of a series of short biographies called "Eminent Lives" in which famous authors write about great historical figures. The aim of the series is not be produce scholarly or definitive works; instead it is to offer the reader a gateway into the works and importance of the subject to inspire further exploration and thought.
   
   Francine Prose is best-known as a novelist. She offers in this book an elegant short guide to the great Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573 -- 1610). Caravaggio's story is one of the most romantic and tantalizing in art. He moved to Rome as a young man of 21 and established his reputation as a painter of importance, turning early in his career to paintings of religious themes. But Caravaggio's life was tumultuous, violent, and brutal. He was never without his dagger, even when he slept. He brawled and fought and consorted with the low life of Rome, and was forced to flee the city after killing a man in a dispute that involved a bet over a game of tennis. In exile, Caravaggio continued to live violently, to flee from place to place, and to paint masterpieces. Prose captures the tension between Caravaggio's tortured life and his artistry. She writes:
   
   "The life of Caravaggio is the closes thing we have to the myth of the sinner-saint, the street tough, the martyr, the killer, the genius -- the myth that, in these jaded and secular times, we are almost ashamed to admit that we still long for, and need. .. Each time we see his paintings, we are reminded of why we still care so profoundly about this artist who continues to speak to us in his urgent, intimate language, audible centuries after the voices of his more civilized, presentable colleagues have fallen silent". (p. 13)
   
   Prose did not get me very far into Caravaggio's life. She is much more successful in describing the paintings, which she does in good detail for a short book. The book includes 11 color plates of some of Caravaggio's masterpieces, from the beginning to the end of his career. Prose has helpful things to say in helping the reader to understand these works and the circumstances of their creation -- she helps the nonspecialist learn to look at and respond to a painting. I found her especially good in discussing Caravaggio's paintings of the "Calling of Saint Matthew" -- where she eloquently shows the artist depicting a conversion experience -- and its companion work, "The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew." Prose also discusses well many paintings that are not reproduced in the book. In order to get the most from these discussions, the reader will need to find these paintings in another source -- this book has as its goal, after all, encouraging further exploration of Caravaggio.
   
   Prose finds Caravaggio's greatness lies in his honesty, directness, and naturalism. She stresses how is works communicate directly with the viewer. Prose also emphasizes how Caravaggio used common people and places and the tough street life with which he was familiar in his paintings, including the use of rough laborers, common dwellings, gypsies, and prostitutes. Caravaggio's work combined elements of violence and low life with deep spirituality as he explored the mysteries of faith, conversion experiences,loneliness, and martyrdom. Caravaggio's brilliance as a painter, and the highly modern tension his work suggests between the spiritual and the mundane, are reasons why many people will continue to be fascinated by his work.
   
   Prose's book doesn't capture fully the reasons why Caravaggio's work continues to live and to move people. But her book will encourage reflection upon and further exploration of the work of this great and troubled artist.
   
   Robin Friedman



3. Francine Prose writes well and with a light ironic touch but this slim volume adds little to what we already know about Caravaggio. At a little over 100 pages and with only a handful of color illustrations the book amounts to little more than an extended essay of Ms. Prose's reactions to Caravaggio's major works. There are very many better books showing the paintings and Prose doesn't go into the camera obscura technique that Caravaggio undoubtedly used, giving his paintings an almost photo-realistic representation of his subjects.
   
   That Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was a brawler with a passion for picking fights worthy of "Fight Club" who combined erratic behavior with some sublime paintings is hardly an insight. A much better treatment of the life and psychology of the artist appears in Peter Robb's 1998 "M: The Man who Became Caravaggio" which curiously is unreferenced by Prose.
   
   Although Prose notes that Caravaggio broke away from the stylized poses and unearthly lighting of the mannerists, I don't think she clearly explains his genius.



4. This was a good book because it made me curious about Caravaggio. I subsequently bought another book that was a much more thorough biography of Caravaggio.



5. A great little book that covers what is known about a true bad boy of art, a tormented genius that challenged the accepted art of his time and changed the direction of painting, not something lightly done in those times. For this he was applauded, sought out, paid very well; he respond with bad judgment and madness. This book hits all the highlights and story points a non-art professional would want with being bogged down in too much 'art philosophy' that books on artists sometime drop into making it hard for an amateur to wade through. This is an excellent intro to Caravaggio. You should read this and then follow it up with The Lost Painting: A Quest For A Caravaggio Masterpiece, the amazing and true story of how one of Caravaggio's lost paintings was found in the 1990s.

1 comments about My Painting is Done, Now What Do I Do?.

1. ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL BOOK IS .... IT'S ALL THERE!!~
   I WILL BE HELPING MY BROTHER, THE ARTIST, WITH HIS EXPOSURE, MARKETING AND BUSINESS SIDE OF THIS VENTURE! I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET AND ALL OF THE PERTINENT INFORMATION IS HERE! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

2 comments about Color Management for Logos: A Comprehensive Guide for Graphic Designers.

1. J. Drew was my professor. He taught me at VCU- QATAR. He is more than a tutor. He taught me how to appreciate colors. "Colors sell a product" Some of my work is included in his book. The book has a huge collection of logos and identities from different region, different projects... etc I liked the arrangement of the works inside the book and how each logo has a brief explanation of the project. Thanks a lot to John Drew.



2. This book is Great! If you are a Graphic Designer and like to do logo design YOU SHOULD OWN THIS BOOK.

2 comments about Investigating Modern Art.

1. The book does exactly what it is supposed to do--present focused and simplified theoretical discussions of major issues in modernism. People whose reading already includes advanced art historical theory might be disappointed, but they shouldn't be reading on this level anyway. A good intro survey text.



2. A truly dreadful book which trots out the most dismal clichés about art in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It has nothing new to say.

1 comments about Egon Schiele: 1890-1918: Desire and Decay (Taschen 25th Anniversary Series).

1. This is another welcome addition to Taschen's 25th Anniversary Series of large, hardcover collections. You get excellent reproductions of many of Egon Schiele's finest work along with Wolfgang Georg Fischer's expert commentary.
   
   Besides the works themselves, I found the most valuable part of the book to be the historical and biographical information. Fischer gives the necessary perspective with which to view Schiele's sometimes difficult work without being excessively wordy or academic. I love academic writing as much as anyone, but I think the intended audience here is not going to want to wade through pages of theoretical discourse.
   
   In addition to the paintings, there are some photographs of Schiele, his family, and his colleagues. After looking at his numerous self-portraits and (especially) the paintings of his wife, it's fascinating to see photographs of them in a casual context.
   
   Schiele's style may not appeal to everyone, but this book is an excellent place to begin your appreciation, especially at Taschen's extremely low price. When you look at all the $3-12k limited edition books they release, it's nice that they remember that poor college students enjoy great art books too!

No comments about Water-Works: The Architecture and Engineering of the New York City Water Supply.

1 comments about Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2 (Marvel Essentials).

1. Okay, so granted the info here is nearly 20 yrs. out of date, but it still is the paragon to which any and all comic book guides should strive to emulate. When Marvel undertook the Delux Handbook series they went didn't hold anything back. The history of even the most obscure characters is delved into with great detail, and the specs on all armor, wepons, etc... is beyond fantastic. Also, the section of each entry relating to the various powers or applications of weapons and armor and such are given great consideration; the authors do their best to give a logical and scientific explaination to each and every one of these subjects, as well as to how said individual got their powers or skills.
   
   I can't say it enough, NO bit of info was deemed too mundane or irrelevant to leave untouched... and the scope of the material covered goes above and beyond the major players of the Marvel Universe. Granted, not EVERY SINGLE last person, place or thing is covered, but they went as far as possible to do so, and no other source book for any single form of writing in the genre has ever been as grand in scope and detail; the more recent Marvel Encyclopedias, although fun and more up-to-date are nothing like the Delux Handbook series, and only the volumes focusing on the Fantastic Four and Spiderman even come close to this land-mark achievement. Also, the wealth of artwork presented here is stunning, though not all of it is the best, the people who put this together did a great job of covering the entries at their best representations over the years.
   
   In this, the 2nd volume (of three, though there is one that came before, the non-delux, and one that is due out that served as a late-1980s update) the latter half of all things marvel from "M" (Magus) to "W" (Wolverine) are covered.
   
   If you happen to have any of the "prestige format" reprints of the series, it might still be worth it to you to pick up these volumes, as those books, which were reprints of the orig. series but collecting 2 issues per volume and on better quality paper, left out several entries per issue that are found in these "Essential" reprints.
   
   There is little to nothing to say that is bad about this series, but I will give a few "constructive warnings" to those interested in buying the series.
   
   1. The reprints, like all those in the "Essential" reprint line of Marvel Comics, are not in color and are in black and white. Personally, I prefer the black and white over the color versions, as it gives it the nostalgic feel that to me makes it all the better.
   
   2. The appendix to the series directs the reader, many, MANY times to appendix entries that will never show, namely any and all refering to any characters, objects or teams simply do not show up, ever, in the appendix of any of the issues. It is possible this was remedied in the late-'80s update, but I never got those when they first came out so I can't say for sure. However, the appendix of alien races, seen in the 3rd volume of the Essential reprints, does not dissappoint.
   
   3. As I said before, this series came out nearly 20 years ago, so if you are looking just for up-to-date info, this series is not for you (and due to the short-commings of the more recent Marvel Encyclopedia hard-backs you pretty much will have to rely on the internet for USEFUL current info., and on-line, its all free!)
   
   
   All in all, I highly reccomend this volume and the 1st and 2nd to any and all Marvel fans. I randomly picked up and issue of this series in the '90s, and its what truly sold me on Marvel Comics when I first started out. Even then the series was about 10 yrs out of date but it was a big help in getting into Marvel regardless.

5 comments about How To Draw Manga Volume 4: Dressing Your Characters in Casual Wear (How to Draw Manga).

1. It's ok for learning how to draw the folds in characters clothes, but you will only benefit from drawing girl characters. This book is 99% based on women characters, which is ok, but, I think one would benefit more if they had more men in it. I'm not to crazy about the character designs, but I do like that you get to see how the clothing would fit if you were sitting or standing a specific way. The book consists mainly of underwear and sleep wear, which is fine if you want to draw something like that in your manga. All in all, If you are looking for a book that gives you a run down of both sex's in their clothes, then I do not recommend this book. If you are ok with the book being mainly women, then this is a good book for practicing on your folds in clothing.



2. First let me state that this book is primarily for intermediates and up. This book is definately not for those of you looking to be pulled by the hand (nor for that matter are most of the How To Draw Manga books). They expect you to be observant and learn from the visuals given so even beginners can pick up this book and learn the basic THEORIES of folds as it only briefly touches on drawing the folds.
   
   If you're looking for a wide variety of clothes, this also isn't for you; however, it does explain the different lengths and shapes that clothes can take and you can merely crop the pants to make shorts and the same for skirts.
   
   If you can draw clothes (or you plan on getting the HTDM: Costume Encyclopedia set) and can apply the theories of this book to them, then this is definately for you. With all poses and clothes you can expect to see multiple views to show the differences in folds between different perspectives.
   
   Be warned though, if you aren't looking to see underwear, with the majority being females', don't complain when you buy this book.
   
   All in all this is a great book that will definately aid in your progression as a manga artist.



3. Most people are complaining that the book is about drawing girls in underwear. (Granted, what book isn't?) But it's also good for seeing how a movement changes the entire model. There are many good angles that most people don't think to draw. Like all tools, it's in how you use it.



4. this book would defidently help with poses if you want to know what people look like in different poses i suggest you get this book. it also has alot of undergarments and underwear. but this book is very helpfull



5. ...you're looking to depict your characters primarily in one set of pants, a skirt, one loose shirt and a leather jacket...and only if they're female. I bought this book thinking it had more information on how to draw clothing in general (folds, drapes, wrinkles) but the book only very lightly touches on that subject for about two pages in the beginning of the book. It's predominantly a "pose file" and there are other much better pose file books you can find.
   A lot of the "How to Draw Manga" books seem to assume you're already an artist of some skill and training, so this book is definitely not for beginners. If you're the type that can learn by sight alone, by all means, give it a try. Otehrwise I'd suggest going with a more basic instructional.

1 comments about Eleanor Antin: Historical Takes.

1. I saw this show at the SDMA here in San Diego. I was amazed by this woman's art. It makes me want to try to weasel a class with her when I go back to study for my MFA. I love her contrast between Ancient Roman excesses and those of Southern California. Being a Roman reconstructionist, I loved how the backdrops seemed like they were taken in Italy or Greece, making me feel like I could also do this in my work.
   
   I first was drawn to this show and buying this book (which I did after I saw the exhibit) by a postcard of her "Judgment of Paris" photo. I loved the way she put Minerva, Venus and Juno (or for you Greek lovers out there Athena, Aphrodite and Hera) into modern roles of pro-army type riot girl, on screen vamp (with winged Eros at her side) and 50's housewife (though I think Juno thinks of herself more as a queen with handmaidens, so maybe a parody of the Queen Mother would have worked too). Once I saw this in person, I noticed she had a dark and light Helen of Troy, the blonde one was featured on my postcard and that these too Helens were featured conjointly and alone in a lot of her other works to do with the mythology of Troy and the Trojan War.
   
   Then there was the tributes of Bacchus and his festivals, I loved the one with the woman on a goat and another person carrying a deer, that was plastic, upside down. Some of these were used to convey places like La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe as places of excess, which I find informative and also, funny and true.
   
   She also has a video of her painting some of the people who were used as human statues and dressing them, plus taking photos of them and those techniques. She didn't go into the processes after the photography, which I wanted to see, like how she got the color so deep. Her work looks like neo-romantic art.
   
   Along with photos of this exhibit (please buy the book if you can't get to San Diego), is her King series, which I like and her ballerina persona, it reminded a lot of what Rasputina does but Antin did it when Melora Creager was in her faux-Victorian diapers.
   
   The quality of this book is good too, the photos are printed really well. And I get to read a lot about the artist than I got to at the exhibit.

3 comments about Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians (Dictionaries of Civilizations).

1. A really excellent book, a good "dictionary" which is the compendium of all recent knowledge about Mesopotamian civilizations.
   D. E. Evangelidis - Author



2. This edition offers a well printed and well illustrated review (with a substantial bibliography) of the three great (yes!) civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia. Of special interest for Bible studies are the many reproductions of Assyrian and late Babylonian reliefs, statues, and paintings--some of them eerily redolant of contemporary Middle Eastern types ( a reminder of the shameful falsifications promulgated by Hollywood's biblical forays). Well translated from the Italian text with good color and full legend for each illustration (tho, alas, attribution for the superb Sumerian statue adorning the cover is tucked away in the text). Humbling in its reminder of the great achievements of these ancient civilizations (while Europe was doing what?...) that have so profoundly influenced Western culture, beliefs, science (flood stories and dear ol' Gilgamesh; astronomy; divisions by 60 of minutes, seconds, etc., etc.). The reader should bring a rudimentary knowledge of the time sequence of these civilizations. Father Abraham's splendid Ur of the Chaldeans receives a nicely illustrated discussion. A basic and valuable text, a labor of love and scholarship. By the way, a poignant entry describes the National Museum of Irag, in Baghdad, as "the leading museum in the Near East. Before it was damaged and sacked...."



3. This book is an introduction to ancient Mesopotamia with heavy emphasis on the art of the region. It is aimed for the armchair archaeologist and is not written for a professional in the field.
   
   The book contains a variety of short (one or two page) topics with one or more relevent photographs on each page. The topics are to the point and give the reader the most important facts in a clear and highly readable manner. The photographs are well captioned, in fact most of the photos have several captions with a line extending from the caption to a specific detail in the picture that is being explained.
   
   For example, the entry for Hammurabi is three pages long and has three color photos. One of the pictures has five captions which point out specific details about the crown, hair and beard styles and the finding of the statue in the picture. The text for this entry is one page long and tells the reader when Hammurabi ruled, what his major accomplishments were and what major ancient texts survive from his reign. Other entries in the book include brief biographies of other important kings, information about the major gods, and discussions about the legal system, religious festivals, jewelry, and art.
   
   The photos in this book are in full color and are of high quality. There is also a collection of useful maps in the rear of the book and floor plans of the major buildings mentioned in the text.
   
   My only complaint about the book is the fact that the binding does not allow the book to be opened flat. However, this book is still a very good survey of ancient Mesopotamia and is very reasoably priced.