No comments about Renoir: 16 Art Stickers (Fine Art Stickers).

3 comments about Sketchbook: The Other Artwork of Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell.

1. Although I am not much of a fan of Boris from a compositional & subject posing perspective I am always excited to see the quality of line and technique he has. Once you strip away all the realistic brush and paint you can see Boris is very talented. His style of hatching and the quality of line he has in graphite and ink are super. Riding a line that is loose and tight at the same time is not easy and Boris makes it happen. Nice pieces.



2. I bought this book because I am a new fan of Boris and Julie, primarily interested in their work from an artist's standpoint, and it was more the idea of seeing their human figures in action, rather than looking at fantasy art, that got me to order. But, oh my gosh--I think I see now the attraction of fantasy art! You can feel the human spirit so strongly that it hurts. I think Boris and Julie could draw a piece of Tupperware and have it send chills down your spine.

   With "Sketchbook" don't think "unfinished art." The works on these pages are masterpieces in themselves. You feel as if you are literally watching the drawings come to life. If you have any familiarity at all with Boris and Julie's work, you'll love seeing some of their classics in early concept form. And even if you don't recognize specific works, you will nevertheless feel the passion, the vibrancy, the raw, undiluted emotion that lives in the power of their art.

   Whether or not you like the fantasy genre really isn't the issue with this book. If you do, of course, you're right in your element. But even if you don't, if you have any interest at all in the beauty of the human form, you will love this book. And if you don't appreciate the beauty of the human form, you will if you buy this book. I have a few other books by Boris and Julie, and they are all excellent. But I think this is my favorite so far.




3. I've been a big fan of boris' as long as I can remember. Ever since I picked up his book, "Fantasy Art Techniques" when I was a young boy, I've been hooked. So, when I heard of this book, "Sketchbook", I raced to pick it up. I'm pretty happy with what I've found. Which was a good supply of rough preliminary sketches, finished sketches, finished and painted works and even some life drawing aswell.

   Now, Boris' present style on the other hand, is lacking that certain something. His work seems, to me anyway, a bit too comic booky. Don't get me wrong, some of the peices are very strong, but don't compare to some of his earlier works from the 70's and early 80's. Thankfully, those earlier works can also be found in this book aswell, next to his present day peices, making it a more well rounded catalog of work.

   This is the first time I have had any exposure to Boris' wife, Julie Bell's work. Although not as good, it has a certain style of it's own and I plan on searching out more books by her in order to establish a more fair opinion.

   All in all, it's a good book, worth buying. Even if your not a fan or haven't even heard of Boris Vallejo before, and just like to look at beautiful things, this book is for you.

4 comments about Medieval Panorama.

1. I bought this book based on the recommendations below and was not disappointed! I'm a medieval hobbyist & craftsman who is always looking for design ideas. Typically I avoid the medieval "overview" books, but this book is a mother lode of illustrations, many of which I have not seen before. I brought it to a history club meeting and hardly a person saw it who didn't ask about getting a copy. I do recommend Medieval Panorama wholeheartedly for the person who is looking for pictures of medieval objects, buildings and art across a broad range of medieval topics and areas.



2. This is a veritable banquet of visual medieaeval sources from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the earliest Renaissance. Medieval Panorama has over 800 illustrations (612 in vibrant colour) drawn from archives, libraries and museums across the world (not just Europe) and all well organised into themed chapters.

   There are eight sections in total covering everything from religion, political structure/knighthood/chivalry/ceremony, medieval art, sex/death, the inner world of alchemy, witchcraft, magic, courtly love and romance, to a final chapter on cultures outside mediaeval Europe. There are also succinct biographies of key personalities, from Charlemagne to Wycliffe, with timelines, maps and a stunning bibliography to accompany them.

   The volume is beautifully presented with a glossy, gorgeous jacket and a sturdy green bound cloth underneath. The illustrations are accompanied by a scholarly text written by the accomplished Robert Bartlett. As usual he has truly outdone himself to shine within the field.

   Bartlett is one of the world's most distinguished mediaeval historians, honoured for the scope and depth of his understanding. A better editor couldn't have been found. He weaves together all the tangled strands of mediaeval art, architecture and intellectual world with a seemingly effortless commentary.

   A beautiful, grand project,..., for both scholar, student and those with a general interest. Buy your copy immediately and treasure it for years to come.




3. Wow! If you always wished for a sourse of information on medieval life, if you wished for hundreds upon hundreds of photographs, (most of them in color), Most of the of manuscripts. Then this is the book for you. When you are surprise with the wonder of this book, as you turn page after page, you will be surprised again and again, - behold many medieval maps too. Some Examples of what you will find:Contents:1) Prolohue: What Made the Middle Ages?30 - Introduction34 - Reading the classics36 - Classical revivals38 - Germanic invaders40 - From Constantine to Justinian42 - The politics of conversion44 - The image of......46 - 54 seperate topics2) Salvation of the Soul56 - Introduction60 - The hierarchy of the Church62 - The sevan sacraments 64 - The Eucharist66 - The Fellowship of the ..........68 - 80 = seperate topics3) Earthly Powes92 - Introduction96 - Empire and Papacy98 - Kingship100 - 126 seperate topics4) The Legacy of Medieval Art128 - Introduction132 - Arcitecture: the Romanesque prelude134 - The flowering of Gothic136 - Gothic:the last phase138 - Royal splendour, cival pride140 - Architechs and builders142 - 156 Seperate topics5) Everyday Life158 Introduction162 The world of childhood164 - Women:weakness and strength166 - Sex and sexuality168 - The discipline of marriage170 - The family at home172 - 188 seperate topicsThere is so much information, this is a mst for anyone interested in the researching the Middle Ages.The hardcover is excellently made and is worth the price.



4. Illustrations galore from different archives, museums, libraries around the world make this book a visual encyclopedia. I love this book for its exacting and rigorous research, direct descriptions, and brimming with nice features that readers like me greatly enjoyed, like cross references, maps and more maps, biographical sketches of leading historical personalities and time lines.

   This volume delves deeply into the medieval mind, explaining developments in astronomy, medicine, the natural sciences, alchemy, magic, witchcraft, literature and theatre. For example, in medieval art, it surveys the unfolding of the Gothic style as well as in architecture. There are profiles of the important builders, architects and sculptors and examines the role of the medieval artist and craftsman.

   It also examines the more controversial role and power of the papacy, what happened to Moorish Spain and why the Church ordered the Crusades and explores the issues and puzzles and then arriving at a proper conclusion in the fate of outsiders like Jews, blacks and other minorities in an overwhelmingly Christian environment. A section on castles and fortresses that dominated medieval warfare was most interesting and leads to discussions on heraldry and recreational life in the courts of the nobility.

   Edited by the distinguished medieval scholar Robert Bartlett, reading this book is like walking thru a museum exhibit, a work which would be especially useful to students of the period, travellers and readers alike who enjoy a good historical blueprint of this fascinating period.

5 comments about Max Ernst: A Retrospective (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications).

1. Max Ernst was always one of those painters who resided on the periphery of my consciousness, who I never bothered to fully investigate. Probably because I put him, mistakenly, in the same category as Magritte, a painter who I know was important in the annals of art history but didn't reach me on a visceral level. As I am interested in art and artists in general I had the "Max Ernst" DVD on my Netflix list and one Sunday afternoon, having nothing better to do, I decided to watch it. I immediately fell in love with his paintings and was fascinated by his life. I searched Amazon and this book seemed to contain the best representation of his work. I was a little disconcerted with some of the reviews regarding the quality of the images. But as another reviewer stated, images in a book will never match the original art. As I have not, unfortunately, seen too many any of his paintings up close and personal this is not a problem for me. I find the quality to be quite adequate. Since acquiring the book it has become bedtime reading for me and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The first half of the book is an overview of his life and work, the second half is the catalog of the exhibit.



2. The reproductions in this book are every bit as good as those in a similarly-priced volume from Thames & Hudson (isbn 978-0500976586) in terms of color fidelity, and far superior terms of selection and size. Additionally, reproductions are much better than in cheaper volumes from Taschen (978-3822813881) and Phaidon (978-0714828664). Maybe the reproductions in the monumental Oeuvre Katalog are superior, but at $2500 most of us will never aspire to own a copy.
   
   Don't let other reviewer's gripes about color fidelity dissuade you from owning this marvelous volume.



3. This book is the most comprehensive collection of Max Ernst work. Having read the other reviews, I was concerned the print quality would be less than stellar. I find the print quality and color reproduction to be fine. No art book ever captures the full impact of the actual art, and color correction is one of the more problematic aspects of printing. MOMA and the Yale University did a good job with this book. This is a good collection of work and I wouldn't hesitate buying it again.



4. I just saw the retrospective a couple of weeks ago as well and agree with the other reviewers: the exhibition is great, but the quality of the plates in the catalog is miserable.



5. Having just seen the exhibit today (June 6 2005), and having perused copies of the book available at the exhibit, I concur that the color reproduction negates the highly informative text of this book.

No comments about Issues of Authenticity in Chinese Painting.

No comments about The Prado Museum.

No comments about Santorini: A Guide to the Island and its Archaeological Treasures.

No comments about It's Not Only Rock & Roll baby!.

No comments about Managing World Heritage Sites.

2 comments about Arte Povera (Themes and Movements).

1. The most appealing book on the subject I ever read. Very fine reproductions, excellent comments, splendid background information. A must for everyone who's interested in modern art history!



2. In my opinion Arte Povera was the most interesting art movement in the 20th century. This book includes many art movements, explanations, artists involved, plenty of pictures and it is held together in a great quality book. I recomend this book to anyone right or left brained.