1 comments about Italy by Bike: 105 Tours from the Alps to Sicily (Dolce Vita).

1. Good route descriptions for the touring cyclist. The routes are a bit short and unchallenging for the expereinced cyclist or the cyclist seeking challenging training terrain. This is a good guide, and I have not found anything better. Recommend.

5 comments about John Singer Sargent: The Sensualist.

1. After I graduated from art school, I realized I'd taken that massive library for granted, and that I was going to have to invest in my own art books if I wanted to retain them as a source of inspiration and instruction. Of the fine artists, Sargent was my first target, not just because of his exceptional art, but also because the apparent explosion of interest in his work that has occurred in the last decade or so means that books about him are easy to find. This is the second Sargent book I've purchased, and what I like best about it is the quality and variety of the reproductions: there are oil paintings both famous and obscure, lovely watercolors, and a nice collection of incredible nude figure drawings. While it is hardly a comprehensive view of Sargent's work, this is a great overview for anyone with a passing interest in the artist and a wonderful addition to any enthusiast's collection. Highly recommended.



2. This is my 3rd book on Sargent purchased from Amazon so I might have been expecting something more. It's very well prepared, though I think that no painting should be printed in black and white! I found the few black and white images quite annoying actually. The rest of the book is well presented, but I found the occasional reference and clear bias about Sargent's private life is quite irrelevant for me.



3. 
   Handsome and powerfully built, American painter John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925) epitomized the versatility of the Realist approach. Noted for his luminous portraits of the wealthy and famous on both sides of the Atlantic, he astonished viewers and critics alike with his powers of observation and deft renderings. A visitor to his studio once noted that he had painted his model's scarf with one sweep of his brush.
   
   Trevor Fairbrother has prepared a rich and meticulous analysis of this expatriate painter in "John Singer Sargent," a volume in Abrams' acclaimed Library of American Art Series. In his preface Fairbrother states, "I want this book to reflect the complexity of Sargent's affiliations and practices as an artist. I will try to provide a balanced representation of the man and his art, in the hope of understanding the unusual highs and lows of his reputation." Fairbrother accomplishes these goals admirably.
   
   Born in Florence, educated in Florence and Dresden, influenced by Velasquez, Sargent's career as a portraitist began in Paris. He later settled in London where he maintained a rigorous schedule, adding watercolors and drawings to his expanding oeuvre. His portraits were commissioned by the Rockefeller family, statesmen, authors, and actors, enhancing Sargent's celebrity. It was argued snobbishly "that Sargent was most useful to people with new money or foreign blood who want to buy social recognition."
   
   In a day that paid homage to power and physical beauty, very much as we do today, Sargent knew no peer. With some 100 illustrations and well crafted text, this beautiful volume represents him well.
   
   - Gail Cooke



4. Singer es un pintor a quien debe verse en vivo en los museos; el único inconveniente que encuentro en el libro es su tamaño, esas pinturas se disrutan mucho más en formatos más grandes



5. The reproductions of Mr. Singer's drawings are worth the price alone. A wonderful collection of work which needs to be in the library of all serious artists. The main thought of the text, however, makes an issue of Mr. Sargent's personal life regarding his sexual orientation which as depicted in this book may or may not be accurate. It saddens me when an author speaks in great authority on deeply personal areas of a celebrity when they never met the person and do not know if their theories are accurate.
   
   Other than that, there is a great deal of valuable information in the text which is very interesting in regards to giving insight into the history involving many of Mr. Sargent's paintings. The reproductions are very well done and the tonal studies in the back of the book are master courses on human form, anatomical structure, body movement and emotional impact.
   
   I highly recommend this collection of reproductions and must say the price is insignificant compared to the wealth of art inside. If you sketch his tonal drawings in your own hand, you will learn a great deal and open yourself to a new realm of artistic achievement. Mr. Sargent continues to earn respect for his artistic achievements which very few have attained.

1 comments about Spirit of Folk Art.

1. This book is very detailed and colorful as is folk art. The pictures are very clear. The writing is concise and to the point. I like the book very much. My only problem with it is that I would rather have had it in a hard back edition so that I could display it on the table top near my folk art.

3 comments about Treasures of the Uffizi: Florence : Tiny Folio.

1. Remember its tiny - approx 4"x4" - but very well done.



2. Remember its tiny - approx 4"x4" - but very well done.



3. Though a thin volume for a museum title, I am impressed by the picture quality of this book. The illustrations contain very little moire and are not page-split in the middle in many cases.

5 comments about Museum: Behind the Scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1. This book is mostly a series of condensed and edited interviews with the staff of the Metropolitan. Anyone looking to get the big picture or a great narrative like Calvin Tompkins provided in 'Merchants and Masterpieces' will be disappointed, as I was. All of the interviews provide interesting little nuggets of information, and a few are really fun to read (the best one is with the museum's director, Philippe de Montebello, who seems like a total gent) but all of them could have been trimmed back by about half. This book is mostly padding. And with so many people talking about their jobs without any sense of context, you begin to wonder what the point of this book is. It seems like a memento for people who work at the Met, not a book directed to outside readers. Maybe Danziger was going for the kind of effect that Studs Terkel gets with some of his interview books, like "Working," but Danziger, who is basically voiceless for most of the book, doesn't direct the conversations to big themes the way Terkel can. Basically, you should only read this if you are Met Museum groupie. Otherwise skip it.



2. I must say that I'm surprised by all of the great reviews this book has been given. Its simply ok. The Met is one of my favorite places to visit and reading the description of this book I went into it thinking I would love it. I was sadly mistaken. In fact I couldn't wait to finish reading it.
   
   The author clearly researched his topic well, interviewing countless people in each of the Mets departments but none are presented in an intriguing way. Each person that is profiled is the subject of their own little chapter but the author never goes in depth into the person's job at the Met. Take for instance the fact that we learn that the head custodian is a recovering coke addict but not what goes in to keeping such a massive institution running. We meet curators and learn of their passion for their field or for say baseball but never what goes into their daily job as a curator in the greatest museum in North America.
   
   Really a dissapointment with very little if any redeeming qualities. The book might as well have been about an athlete and ask nothing about their sport or an astronaut and ask them nothing about NASA.



3. This is one of those books that while you are reading you hate to come to the end because it is so well-written and inspiring. Having gone to the Met many times, it was delightful to read about the behind-the scenes happenings. I very much like the fact that the author painted such a broad scope of people whom he interviewed from the plumbers, waitresses, curators, members on the board of directors and the people whose relatives have given millions in acquisitions.
   
   This is a wonderful book and a must-read for anyone who appreciates art.



4. What a rich, generous, amazing book! Perhaps fifty different people from curators through trustees, security people, and cleaning staff show us how they all work together to make one of the greatest museums in the world. From the extremely wealthy trustee to the waitress with aching feet, it shows the human faces behind the priceless art in New York's Metropolitan Museum. We know about the life of Van Gogh; now we can learn about the people who serve the place which keeps his work safe for the world to see. To the author: thank you so much!



5. A recently published book that has a chapter about me and my work as a copyist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Most of that work can be seen at www.raymondsmithart.com. I prefer to think of my work as 'replicas', since 'copy' has a perjorative meaning in the art world.
   
   I am very pleased with the work that Mr. Danzinger has created. An accurate portrait of me as a person. Years later there's not a word that would be different. He also understands and presents the traditional idea of a 'copyist' well. This is an idea that has unfortunately suffered over the years, yet is a valuable way to learn the craft of painting. Perhaps that idea will make a comeback, and writing about it like this in a positive manner will only help.

5 comments about Chihuly.

1. I gave this book to my mom for her birthday. She is a big Chihuly fan and loved the book. It came quickly and in good condition. The pictures are beautiful and the introduction tells all about Chihuly's life and work as an artist.



2. This book is beautiful! I visited the botanical gardens in St. Louis and saw some of Dale Chihuly's work close up. I've never seen anything like it. What an incredible art form this is. This book brings back the same feelings I had while looking at his work in person. The pictures in this book are breathtaking. The great thing about this particular book is that it has pictures of his work located all over the world. Many of the pictures have a location listed and some of them have Mr. Chihuly's comments on the piece and how he felt about creating it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a general book on his work. I have it on my coffee table in the family room and everyone who opens it up, can't put it down. Every turn of the page brings a "WOW" or "Incredible". Truly a `must have' book for your collection.



3. I was introduced to Chihuly through a special on my local PBS station many years ago. I couldn't remember his name, but I always remembered that he was the brilliant man with the unorthodox style. His vision and his artistic talents are immense. This book is absolutely mesmerizing and gorgeous with page after page of color photos. From the "Chihuly Over Venice" project to his designs for the set of the opera "Pelléas et Mélisande" for the Seattle Opera. This book truly is a feast for the eyes and the soul. Chihuly is a master of glass and this book proves it.



4. Among the thousands of art books on the market, Kuspit's exhaustive look at Dale Chihuly's career in glass is a bargain for the Amazon price. Filled with gorgeous color photos of Chihuly's unique work, and intelligently written, this book will grace any art lover's shelf.



5. From the front page to the end this book you will be mesmorized. For those familiar with Maestro Chihuly's work this is a bible, for those that just come to learn about his creations this book is a must have. I feel that Dale Chihuly is one of the most talented artists of this century. His vision and creativity are so outstanding in a world of modern art sometimes too bare and conceptual. The book is an array of picture after picture of Chihuly's work. Splendid details can inspire from a decorator to a fashion designer, every page is a microcosmo of creativity. If I had to travel the universe with just a suitcase full of books, this is absolutly one of them.

5 comments about Toulouse-Lautrec: A Life (Phoenix Giants).

1. Briefly, what Julia Frey manages to do is to bring the soul and genius of Henry Toulous-Lautrec to life. Compounding fact on fact, she slowly reveals the life and times of a complicated son, man, artist and genius, who lived in a major transitional time period as social classes were dissolving and artistic trends and beliefs were being wrenched from their moorings. This 'little man'-who evokes our pathos as well as love-broke down more walls than any army could have, and he did it with style, guts and humor. It's an intense journey which could easily bog down in the details, yet I came away feeling like I knew his soul, could feel his deepest despair and witness his drive, ambition and frustation. What a marvel! His art is illuminated by Frey in a fresh way as she helps explain how he almost single-handedly invented posters-as-art, but also why he was a brilliant painter who created a style that was bold and unique.
   
   What Frey manages to do is to humanize Toulous-Lautrec so that he's not a cartoon character, not the oddity that he's often reduced to. This is a brave man, an honorable man, a complictaed man who came from a complicated family. Bravo for them for sharing these letters, and for Julia Frey for putting the puzzle together afresh with such respectful illumination. It will break your heart but it will lift you higher. And you will feel like you lived in Paris in the late 1800s with the most phenomenal docent...one of the greatest artists of all time, Henry Toulouse-Lautrec!



2. What I loved about this book was how it seemed to capture the spirit of the Montmartre during the "gay nineties". For me it was the next best thing to actually having been there.



3. I must agree with some of the other reviews that have appeared on this book. I got this book with the intention of learning something more about Toulouse Lautrec. I really like all aspects of his work and wanted to find something that would be more true to life than the the movie "Moulin Rouge." Usually in most biographies of artists there is a more than passing interest in the work. I did not find this aspect in this book. Instead the author focuses on rather facile Freudian looks at the paintings themselves. As Freud himself observed, "sometimes a cigar is only a cigar." Elements of composition are subjected to a desire to demonstrate some sort of unified field theory toward Toulouse Lautrec's art. I am still looking for a book that illuminate's Toulouse Lautrec's art and life for this clearly is not it.



4. I was excited with the prospect of reading a well written, well researched biography of one of the great artists. Well I was put off from the first. Referring to Henri's body as tiny, painfully deformed. I thought "Oh boy!" "Here we go again". It made me wonder how many people with disabilities she had ever met and that way of thinking that poor Henri could never find true love because of his size. Hmmm? What about Danny De Vito, Paul Williams, even throw in Truman Capote. All of these men are(were) small of height and ther lives were NOT dictated by the fact of not being six feet tall. Other than that their were no fresh insights, maybe just a tidbit here and there. Also did we really need those wonderful photos of Henri defecating on the beach?



5. I read Frey's work on Lautrec and enjoyed it very much, but then read Henri Perruchot's work, published in 1962, and felt like I was rereading Frey's book. This leads me to believe that Frey used Perruchot's work as an outline and fleshed it out with the originally unpublished letters of Lautrec to his family.

   If you want the definitive work on Lautrec, find an old copy of Henri Perruchot's work, which is more consise. If you can't find a copy, Frey's work is good, but more drawn out in unnecessary details.

   I should comment that the great thing about Frey's book is the reprint of Lautrec's work, which I continually referred to while reading.

No comments about The Law (in Plain English) for Galleries, Second Edition (Law (in Plain English Series).

5 comments about The Houses of McKim, Mead & White.

1. I must confess I enjoyed this book, it may not be the burning bush, but the text was insightful and I thought the photos where nicely laid out. It is amazing to see the breathe of Mckim, Mead, and Whites work, they really where THE Gilded Age architects. Lord knows there where other great architects of the time, like Horace Trumbaur and Carrere and Hastings to name a few, but no firm had a better P.R. machine than this firm, namely Stanford White, it can be debated whether they where the best of the architects of the time, but nobody can debate their preeminence during the Gilded Age. Nice book, I recomended it.



2. This book has some nice photographs but adds nothing to already published scholarship on this topic. The author is not a professional architectural historian; he is a descendant of Stanford White. His text is gushy and uncritical, and makes only scant mention of the social and economic forces that contributed to the rise and decline of these grandiose houses.



3. The point of this review is to correct an error in Steven Goldstein's review of this book. McKim, Mead, & White were not involved in the construction of the Metropolitan Opera, as he states.

   This is a wonderful, ravishing book, although I suppose some readers might be disappointed that the author has limited himself to surviving examples of McKim, Mead, & White's work, with current photographs ... all of them gorgeous. Vintage photographs, where available, would have been a nice addition. For example, it would be interesting, if possible, to compare the Pulitzer mansion in New York as originally built with the current photos ... it has been divided into something like 9 condominiums!




4. Speaking as a practicing architect and longtime admirer of the works of Stanford White, I found this book was nonetheless a revelation. Gorgeously photographed, it shows a broader spectrum of the residential work of this illustrious firm. McKim Mead and White have a well-deserved reputation for grand public buildings (Penn Station, Madison Square Garden to name two that have sadly been demolished) but are less known for these spectacular houses built for the robber barons of the Gilded Age among whom Stanford White circulated. What is suprising is the facility with which they moved from lavish and elegantly detailed city houses to surprisingly unpretentious inviting summer homes on Long Island and elsewhere. If you love Beaux Arts architecture, skip this book at your peril.



5. This book combines rich visual appeal with a serious analysis of the residential work of McKim, Mead & White. The introduction is particularly valuable for its succinct survey of the firm's development and its discussion of the collaboration of the partners.

No comments about Designers Are Wankers.