1 comments about Giambologna.

1. Having attended the Florida State University Study Program "a Firenze" from June to December 1976 and having returned nearly ten times since, Giambologna became one of my favorite Renaissance-Mannerist-Baroque sculptors. This book very well summarizes his life and works. Please enjoy learning more about Giambologna!

5 comments about The Mirror of the Artist: Art of Northern Renaissance, Perspectives Series.

1. Art historian and art history student must hav. The book contains fabulous images and amazing insight into the period in which the images were created.



2. THIS BOOK ARRIVED WITH PERFECT TIMING AND CONDITION!
   I WAS VERY PLEASED!



3. Overall, this is a good introduction to Northern Renaissance art and the cultural mindset that produced it.
   
   Like many works of revisionist history, this book is a bit heavy-handed at times in its effort to prove that Northern art is as worthy of study as Italian Renaissance art. But overall, the contrast between the two different artistic traditions is effective.



4. I've loved the art of this period for years, but had little academic grounding in it. This book lets me return to old favorites with new eyes.

   This, in common with other volumes in the "Perspectives" series, offers high quality (though small) reproductions of important works, up-to-date analysis and discussion of the art and the contexts in which it was created. Harbison's tone is informative, if ocasionally a little too sententious. But it's a very small price to pay, given the overall excellence of his work in this volume. It's obvious that Harbison loves this period, and he transmits his excitement for these works to the reader in concise language that is accessible to a lay audience.

   Of particular interest is the discussion of how the Northern Rennaisance related to and differed from what was going on in Italy at the time. The only major weakness: not enough of a focus on Durer. But it's hard to get sufficient focus on any artist in a book this condensed.

   An excellent book for those familiar with the period, or those wanting to get acquainted with a school of art often unjustly overshadowed by its southern contemporary.




5. Informative, smart and well-written, Craig Harbison's "The Mirror of the Artist" provides an excellent, brief introduction to the sensibility, historical context, and practice of art in the North. From the attitude toward realism, to patronage among the growing class of government bureaucrats, to the market for art or the influence of the Reformation, the book offers an enhanced understanding of artistic interest and social situations in which the paintings were made -- without ever forgetting their aesthetic dimension. The best tribute I can offer is that I immediately went back to Amazon to order Harbison's "Jan Van Eyck: The Play of Realism", a $35 large format paperback. Minor quibble: Although well-illustrated for a paperback this size, with the book just about 6.25" x 9.5", more details should have been illustrated when details were discussed in larger works. (I'm still looking for the barely visible figure of the devil above the cow in the "Portinari Altarpiece".) But this is a rare problem.

No comments about Painting in Renaissance Venice.

No comments about Maya Textiles from Guatemala.

5 comments about Polish Wycinanki Designs (International Design Library).

1. This book is really disappointing because none of the images are in color. I'm not sure how a publisher can create a Black & White book on art that is based on color -- Polish Folk Design is completely based on color. All art books sold on Amazon should clearly mark if the book is Color or B/W.



2. I was also a bit disapponted by this book. It has a beautiful front cover and also quite interesting, although a bit short introduction by Frances Drwal. The introduction talks about the history of Polish paper cuts (wycinanki) and the regional differences. It also explains the most popular types of paper-cuts.
   The patterns inside are interesting although black and white. But the real problem is to find a right design according to the list. The list groups the patterns according to the design type. The pages of the book do not have numbers although the list has the numbers. Moreover, the design numbers according to the list do not match the presented design in any way we will try to count the designs. Some designs are missing from the list, some are listed twice as two different pattern designs - the majority are just misplaced - and it is all quite chaotic since as I mentioned earlier - there is no any numbering at all!
   
   I still think the book is worth to buy but I wish the author and the publisher would number the pages or the design and improve the listing.



3. front cover is in full colour and gives the impression that the wycinanki will be from a variety of regions. Sadly they are all Kurpiowskie (single coloured) and not the multi-coloured layered Lowickie wycinanki as seen on the front cover. Still, a reasonably good buy.



4. This was the first book I bought on paper cutting and I'm so happy I did. The patterns and designs are outstanding!
   If you only own one paper cutting book, please let it be this one! First I traced the patterns,then I cut out 9 different patterns from this book. I'm now enjoying them on my backdoor window. Put your cut-outs in plastic page protecters and tape them up. I used plain, old construction paper for mine and they are beautiful!



5. It was this wonderful book by Frances Drwal that truly brought this art form to life for me. These papercuts, some white on black and some black on white, are wonderfully done.

   I happened across this litle gem just before publishing my novel PUSH NOT THE RIVER and immediately decided I had to use a few in the book. Ms. Drwal was more than willing for me to choose a number of her little masterpieces, thus greatly enhancing a story based on the actual diary of a Polish countess in the 1790s.

   For this tiny investment, you'll reap a treasure of art in these painstakingly and perfectly done wycinanki designs!
   (...)

2 comments about Art for the People: The Rediscovery and Preservation of Progressive and WPA-Era Murals in the Chicago Public Schools, 1904-1943.

1. Book was basically in new condition and was received very soon after ordering. Book provided great info for my research.



2. This is a wonderful book, and the story behind it is even more wonderful. The period of time covered in this book were the glory days for the muralist movement. And huge numbers were painted in the Chicago Public Schools. Over the years, they were neglected; they were covered over; they decayed.
   
   In 1984, Flora Doody went to Lane Tech High School to start a Resource Program for students with disabilities. She saw and loved the murals there, but knew that, with all the other problems in the school, restoration was not a priority. Ten years later, however, she began the Mural Preservation Project at the school. She knew the director of the Chicago Conservation Center and they became involved.
   
   And then they decided to investigate early 20th century murals in other Chicago public schools. They found treasures.
   
   A fascinating book, you will learn the history of murals, American social history, and the story of some very dedicated preservationists and educators.

2 comments about Georgia O'Keeffe: The Poetry of Things.

1. I sent this book as a gift, based on the glowing review on this page. My donee/friend wrote: "What a wonderful surprise and delight the O'Keefe book has brought me today! It is indeed something very special, with elegant color illustrations, plus many photos from various times of her life, and biographical details all through the text. There is a wonderful photo of her (by Ansel Adams) -- she wears a dark sweater, and is sitting, sketching, at the rocky entrance to what may be a cave --- and all of her design ideas seem to be there in the photo: her own interesting form, contrasts of dark and light, austerity yet beautiful rhythms....I had no idea what a pathfinder she was, going her own road by interpreting objects in an entirely personal way. Everything has her magic touch. The color plates are excellent." I have her permission to send these comments to you.



2. This is the companion catalog to the O'Keeffe exhibition at the Phillips gallery in Washington, DC, and is a wonderful volume on O'Keeffe whether or not you were fortunate enough to see this exhibition. What impressed me most about the exhibition (and the book) is how intelligently it was put together. It examines O'Keeffe's development as an artist by tracking both her philosphy and her influences, and some rarely shown works were chosen to represent this in the exhibition (and are reproduced in the book). Of all the books on O'Keeffe that I've read, and of all the exhibitions I've seen of her work, this one by far does the best job of explaining both the artist and her work.

No comments about Word and Image: French Painting of the Ancien Régime (Cambridge Paperback Library).

2 comments about Self Portrait: Man Ray.

1. Man Ray was born Emmanuel Radnitzky in 1890. He changed his name early in his career. Man Ray always considered himself primarily a painter. His photography was just a way of earning money so he could afford to paint. He grew up in New York City and was a regular visitor the "291" and "An American Place" the modern art and photography galleries of Alfred Stieglitz. In fact, he was around Stieglitz enough to sometimes get a "bit" bored with his "long-winded" lecturing about Photography's important place in the Art World. Man Ray did become acquainted with many styles of modern art and photography from Stieglitz and they remained life-long friends.
   It's always been one of my theories that the best place to find out about a person is by reading his own words in that person's autobiography. That theory holds doubly true with the autobiography of Man Ray. I'd read a lot about Man Ray in other biographies and books about Dadaism, Surrealism and the history of photography. But it wasn't until I read this book that I felt like I had any kind of understanding of the man, his work and his thoughts. The very concept of Dadaism had always seemed mysterious to me until Man Ray discussed it in a couple of places in his Self Portrait. He wrote "Dada has accomplished its purpose of mocking the artistic and political futility of the day, offsetting it with irrationality and the destruction of all accepted values. It was as if the Dadaists were proposing to take over the affairs of this world, implying that they could not have made a worse mess than had the accredited leaders."
   "What Dada had accomplished was purely negative; its poems and paintings were illogical, irreverent and irrelevant." "Dada did not die; it was simply transformed" into a new movement "Surrealism, a word taken from the writings of the dead poet Apollinaire... that was composed of all the original members of the Dada group..."
   There were some glaring omissions in this book. While his mistress Kiki was given lots of space and described in a chapter entitled "The True Story of Kiki of Montparnasse," Lee Miller was barely mentioned in the book. Other than a sentence where he mentioned she was one of his darkroom assistants and including her name as the model in a couple of the photographs reproduced in the book, their torrid several year affair wasn't mentioned. It was almost as if Man Ray hadn't forgiven his tall, blond mistress, favorite model, fellow photographer and beautiful American Muse for abandoning him. It was as if writing about their relationship was too painful to share with the public.
   Man Ray spent a lot of time describing in detail some of his experimental films. Since those films fully achieved the Dada goal of being totally illogical, irreverent and irrelevant as well as boring, even his descriptions of his film work seemed "much ado about nothing."
   There were lots of surprises and insights in this autobiography of an ex-patriot American. One of my favorite sections involved the surrender of France to the Nazi. Paris then became an "open city." Man Ray and one of his mistresses had tried to escape but didn't succeed and had to return to Paris. Unlike the generally accepted view of the Nazi as absolute barbarians, Man Ray describes their taking over of Paris and occupied France as a genuine attempt to befriend the newly conquered citizens of French. They seemed mostly busy organizing and reorganizing all levels of French government: something that was probably much needed and long overdue?
   Finally, before the Nazi became absolute enemies of the average French citizen, Man Ray along with most of his artist friends were able to leave the country for the USA.
   He escaped at the same time as his friend Salvador Dali and his wife. Man Ray had it easier because he was an American citizen and the United States was still a neutral nation at the time. When he returned to France after WW II ended he was amazed to discover his home in the country and most of his artwork had survived the war. Picasso and some of his other fellow artists had also survived the occupation safely. While all of Paris had been mined with explosives so that the Germans could destroy the entire city with the push of a button, the German commander of Paris had decided to ignore Hitler's last minute orders to burn the city as the German army retreated from the advancing allies and Paris was spared total destruction. For an American who had been seduced by France, Man Ray was always grateful that Paris was spared by an enlightened German General. Ray eventually moved back to his adopted country and died there. He is buried in his beloved Paris.
   The book is well worth reading. Man Ray was a truly independent thinker as well as a genuine eccentric and contrarian. He always claimed that Photography was not a full-fledged art form but he alternated between his own photography explorations and his true love, painting. As the reader will quickly learn, Man Ray could also write. He was happy when he "had everything again, a woman, a studio, a car."



2. Emanuel Radinsky was an innovative artist mid 20th century who worked mainly as a photographer, the hyper productive Man Ray.
   
   Firmly part of the wacky Surrealist movement, his autobiography nonetheless plays no games and is a fairly straightforward, engrossing read. Nice insights into 20th century art world... Paris as well as New York.
   
   Best aspect of the book are his many accounts of other artists & writers... Duchamp, Matisse, Ezra Pound, Henry Miller. Worst aspect is having to read about the creepy socialite crowd who were his patrons.

5 comments about Japanese Prints (Big Art).

1. I don't really know anything about Japanese artwork or famous artists-I bought this book a couple years ago for the pictures of the Samurai. Because of this, all I can really say is that it is a well laid-out and attractive book full of beautiful Japanese art depicting all kinds of scenes and subjects. It makes a great coffee-table book.



2. Don't get me wrong, the book is well produced, with a lovely dust jacket, and it's inexpensive. However, if you're looking for Hiroshige and Hokusai and the kind of pictures that I in my ignorance associate with that school of art--landscapes, cityscapes and depictions of the natural world--you will be as disappointed as I was.
   
   There are roughly 160 pages of color plates. Great! Except that about 25 of those pages are devoted to the kind of pictures I mention above. The other 150 pagesor so are devoted to depictions of human figures, mainly women as they get dressed and apply makeup. This is an important element of Japanese art, I suppose, but it is one that does not interest me. The cover of the book, which depicts Hokusai's famous tsunami wave in front of Mt Fiji, is misleading in the extreme. Yes that picture is in the book, but as I say, for every such picture there are literally five or six pictures of geisha women combing their hair. Yawn.
   
   I'm no expert in Japanese art; I just happened to see a small exhibit in a local museum, thought it was great, and ordered this book because I wanted to see more. I'm not interested in human figures. If you are, go for it, it's a great book. But if you're hoping for landscapes, koi fish, snowy mountainsides, views of Edo, etc, avoid this book. Or you can look for a copy at the local used bookstore, which is where I'm taking mine this afternoon.



3. This is a really good book on the ukiyo-e art of Japan. The more celebrated of artists are represented, including Hiroshige and his views of Edo (Tokyo), Hokusai's Mt. Fuji work, and Utamaro's geishas. Taschen is always good with its reproductions and the art looks great on the page. There are good essays on the origins and history of the style, along with a glossary to help with unfamiliar terms. This is a very beautiful art form that is represented well in this collection of works.



4. Beautiful reproductions and informative text.
   
   For ten bucks!
   
   A great introduction to the floating world.



5. Taschen's products have always impressed me. The high quality of these art books seems incongruous with their low prices, and most of them are expertly arranged and written. But this overview of the Ukiyo-e phenomenon is especially notable: every one of the exceptional print reproductions featured in this volume is accompanied by an excellent summary of the print's characteristics, as well as the technical, cultural and commercial circumstances in which it was created. This permits the reader to not only marvel at the exquisite, lively beauty of these prints, but to also learn more about the Edo-period culture in which they were first produced and appreciated.
   
   An extensive glossary of technical terms and biographies of every artist whose works are featured here are included; in a pinch, these serve as excellent reference resources. Fahr-Becker's familiarity with Ukiyo-e is exhaustively thorough, almost intimate. If you only have enough space and money to purchase one book concerning the visual arts of the Tokugawa era, this is the one to buy.