2 comments about Hudson River School Visions: The Landscapes of Sanford R. Gifford.

1. One of the American masters of landscape painting in the nineteenth century was Sanford Robinson Gifford, and though he was highly celebrated in his lifetime, his name appears now only occasionally when the topic of the Hudson River School of art is discussed. This excellent monograph, which accompanied an exhibition of his work in 2003 - 2004, serves to restore the reputation of one of our less widely known artists who captured Americana on canvas and was an important leader of the Hudson River School of painting.
   
   More than seventy reproductions of Gifford's paintings and drawings grace the pages of this book - scenes of the Adirondacks and Catskills, luminous river scenes filled with the transparency of fog and light. But the book also serves as an historical document with photographs and information about Gifford and his travels abroad with the obvious influence of JMW Turner. His perception and use of ambient light so distinct to the Hudson River Valley are both discussed and illustrated.
   
   This is a fine monograph of an important artist: it is also a superb study in art history of one of the most eloquent schools of painting in American history. Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05



2. 150 pages of the book are devoted to the works on display at the exhibition (I saw it at the Amon Carter). Since most of the works belong to private collectors, once the exhibition finishes at the National Gallery in Washington, this book will be the only place you will be able to look at the body of Gifford's work. The plates are excellent. If you like other Hudson River School painters, you will want this book.

1 comments about Chandeliers.

1. 
   This book is a feast for the eyes and a pleasure to leaf through casually. Abundant colorful images whet the reader's decorating appetite while presenting examples of a number of styles of chandeliers.
   
   Were this the book's intended purpose it would be highly recommended. The authors, however, purport to provide an authoritative guide, and here Chandeliers falls short. Missing almost entirely is a discussion of historical designs, antiques, and the styling of formal and grand chandeliers. The authors' clear preference for the whimsical and casual decorative idiom skews the content of this lovely book and ultimately limits its usefulness.

No comments about Kramers Ergot 4 (Kramers Ergot).

1 comments about Milk Teeth.

1. I have been a fan of Julie Morstad's art for a few years now and was excited to see that she finally has a book! Milk Teeth includes most of the works posted on her website (www.juliemorstad.com). I would have preferred a larger format and glossy pages for richer color but the size and colors of the book in no way detract from the art. If you like Morstad's art I would also recommend Amy Cutler by Amy Cutler--similarly delightful.

1 comments about Street Art: The Spray Files.

1. While this book may seem to say that Street Art is a viable artistic movement, it does so with little conviction. The book has little to say, it is too general in it's scope and his little understanding of it's own milieu. The text that accompanies the art work is sparse and does little to describe how the art is used and what informs the art work.
   
   While there are instances of spectacular art work, they are certainly the minority. I was almost never impressed with the artwork on display and felt that the work represented did not show the strengths of the artists. I have seen some amazing graff artists in my day and was underwhelmed by the representative works on display here.
   
   If you are looking for books on Street Art there are much better ones out there.

No comments about Cotman in the North: Watercolours of Durham and Yorkshire.

No comments about One Day in Japan With Hokusai (Adventures in Art and Architecture).

1 comments about The Wallace Collection (Art).

1. The photos in this book are excellent but it would have been nice to see a few more shots of whole rooms (as opposed to just individual objects) to see how the collection is actually arranged. The only such photo is of the Front State Room but the Wallace Collection website has a nice virtual tour with photos of many other rooms.

No comments about Look! Body Language in Art.

1 comments about Edward Hopper: Portraits Of America (Pegasus).

1. This book is quite easy to read while sometimes it's not easy to enjoy the pleasure of an art work. Edward Hopper, an icon of the realistic painter of the U.S.. Solitude, isolation and alienation are common emergence in many Hopper's work. It's like reading a novel of metaphor leaving "readers" a huge space to imagine the context of the painting. The book provides a lot of clues for us to step into the "Literatural world" of Hopper.