2 comments about Painting and Sculpture in Europe, 1880-1940 : 6th Edition.

1. Initially written in 1966, this survey of 19th and 20th century modern art is defintely showing its age. Despite five revisions between 1971 and 1993, most of the references to critical scholarship date from the 1950s and 1960s. I do not imagine this book will be revised again. The author maintains a rather tradition and connoisseur-bound view of the periods under consideration that sometimes lacks engagement and vibrancy. It is as if the revolution in art criticism during the 60s/70s/80s never happened.
   
   I don't know the reason for why the period 1880 to 1940 was chosen as the years bracketing this survey, but the result of choosing the 1880 date is that two of the major figures in French Modernism (Courbet and Manet) are conspicuously absent. The author has also chosen to focus on individual artists, sometimes at the expense of more fully covering art movements and social context within which they emerged.
   
   Images are decently chosen, though small and primarily black and white. Focus of the text is on established European artists with barely a mention of artists in North America.
   
   Readers might consider the following Open University texts covering similar ground to Hamilton but in a more engaging manner:
   
   Modernity and Modernism : French Painting in the Nineteenth Century, by Francis Frascina, et al.
   Primitivism, Cubism, Abstraction : The Early Twentieth Century, by Gill Perry, et al.
   Realism, Rationalism, Surrealism : Art Between the Wars, by David Batchelor, et al.



2. If one reads this book in hopes of getting a fairly complete overview of art of the early Twentieth Century, they will not be disappointed. However, if one is looking for something more in depth, with various examples of an artists oevure, then perhaps they should keep looking. One of this book's greatest virtues as an overview is that it does not assume a great deal of knowledge of art on the part of the reader and is relatively engaging. However, images are few and far between and not always of the best quality, which I find to be an integral part of an art historical publication.

1 comments about Palestinian Art.

1. 
   This book is an excellent study of Palestinian art and its history. Art work of Ismail Shammout, Sliman Mansour, Kamal Boullata are extensively described with the relevant context to the times and loss of Palestine inhabitants.
   
   One comes across not only paintings but also other forms of expression - 'mud on wood'(page 84).
   
   One of the paintings 'Whereto?' on page 49 shows the effect of influence of 'absence of a character (part of defined standard of family)' by exclusion from the figure-ground of a painting but not from a higher space of our understanding. While paintings are assumed to be more real by blending into the atmosphere i.e extending onto the walls that they are placed. This one creates a great seperation. It is to such art that you get introduced to in this book.
   Mona Hatoum's work is described , most of which is daily home objects turned useless in a very prickly way, the source of it being her sense of alienation from home.
   The same themes are explored in works of Khalil Rabah and Asad Azi.

5 comments about The Make Believe World of Maxfield Parrish and Sue Lewin.

1. I was so tempted to give one star and probably would have if the author didn't stop when she did.
   
   The book has nothing of importance to say, no insights and only the author's opinions with very little to back it up.
   
   If tempted to purchase a book about the art of Parrish, avoid this one as it will disappoint.
   
   Perhaps the photo of the author in a sleeveless black frock and elbow length gloves was warning enough of the calibre of this insipid book.
   
   It is so bad, I wouldn't lend it or give it away. No one deserves to be punished by it.



2. I love the artwork and the story behind the art! This book was super interesting to me. Sue Lewin was a beautiful model and whether or not she really was Maxfield's lover really doesn't matter to me, although I really do believe that she was! Too bad that they never made it official.



3. Sue Lewin was the model for a huge number of Parrish's lovely, romantic paintings. She sat for the innumerable photographs that he used for his paintings, she tended his children, she lived with him for decades in his `studio' (a fair-sized house by any standard). He often painted her with a wedding band on her finger. He just never married her.
   
   Another woman, Lydia, was his wife. For many years, she lived in the other house on the property, almost a mansion. This peculiar split life, wife and mistress on the same estate, just a few yards a way from each other, was a permanent feature of the Parrish household.
   
   It seems to have started innocently enough, when Lewin was hired as nanny and maid to the Parrish household. Parrish had great financial success during his life, enough to build the two grand houses at `The Oaks.' Over time, Lewin became more involved with his art, posing and making costumes, cooking for him and fending off threats to his privacy. At the same time, Parrish became cordially estranged from his wife. There was a curtain of silence around the arrangements, but that is the story told in this remarkable book.
   
   It is clear that Lewin had enormous importance in Parrish's work, far more than hard evidence may ever tell. If you like Parrish's work - and it's easy to like - this brief book will give real insight into the art, the man who made it, and the woman who inspired it. The only disappointment in this book is that it doesn't show more of Parrish's famous illustration.
   
   //wiredweird



4. Any book containing attractive reproductions of Maxfield Parrish's work is bound to be visually stunning. But the text is loaded with partially informed speculation about the relationship between Parrish and Sue Lewin, his favorite model. The author is an art dealer, not a historian, and her lack of analytical training is a serious problem. Maybe Lewin was Parrish's lover. But where's the concrete evidence? Everything that the author presents to support her contentions is either hearsay or capable of more than one interpretion. The fact that they shared a house for several decades is a VERY persuasive fact, but Gilbert damages her credibility -- and her case -- by tossing in too much pointless guessing.



5. Being an admirer of Parrish's work since childhood, I had always wondered how he worked since his paintings had a sort of surreal realism to them. I was surprised to find that he utilized photographs instead of live models and that Sue Lewin was the model for the majority of his most famous works. The art is not only beautiful in the book, but the photos are just as incredible as the paintings themselves. A must have book for anyone who has admired Maxfield Parrish's work.

1 comments about Color (Creative Painting Series).

1. I have looked at three books in this series: Form, Space and Color. The exercises sound interesting, but the demonstration pictures are very rough and not very inspiring.

3 comments about Petty: The Classic Pin-Up Art of George Petty.

1. This book was chock full of great stuff. Such a beautiful comprehensive look at an amazing Illustrative talent. Especially the fold-out poster what a bonus! This one's a must-have for any serious Pin-Up lover.



2. Besides containing hundreds of photos of some of Petty's best works for Esquire and Old Gold this book also contains the story of the artist, George Petty. From the beginning of his art career to his run arounds with the stuffed shirts at Esquire. The author masterfully paints a picture of a man that created one of America's most endearing icons. This book also contains a brief but very interesting story about the author searching out, finding, and actually meeting his hero a few short years before his death. Excellent read and masterfully designed.



3. I'm a big fan of the classical pin-up. George Petty's work is the epitome of pin-up art. His girls always seem to talk to you, to tease you. I was lucky enough to purchase this book and I feel my money was well spent. This book also tells the story of Petty's birth, childhood, and eventual rise to fame in the pages of Esquire, True and several other popular magazines of this era. It also tells how he became enthralled in the war effort and how his "girls" became the dreams and fantasies of many a G.I. during WWII, and especially one of his pieces recreated on the nose of the famous "Memphis Belle". This book is for the aspiring pin-up artist (like myself) too as well as the pin-up enthusiast. Do check it out!!

5 comments about Acrylic school (Learn as You Go).

1. Received in excellent condition. A very good book for someone like me who knows nothing about acrylics and wants to paint. Thanks.



2. As a novice acrylic painter, I found this book to be the best beginners guidebook. After reviewing many, many books on acrylic painting, this is the only book that had it all. Chapter 3 provides the fundamentals on color basics. Understanding how to mix colors is a principle foundation that many other books failed to address. The rest of the book delves into various painting techniques that are simple to follow and understand. I would've given it 5 stars if the book came spiral bound, making it easier to use while painting. Wonderful book to have in my acrylics reference library.



3. This book was decent - not great. The examples, in my opinion, were boring and tend to be the abstract kind. There were VERY few step-by-step instructions on how to do those paintings, and the caption underneath a picture would talk about 2 steps while the picture shows only 1 of those steps. So, as you can see, I found this book to be a bit frustrating. I gave it another 1/2 star just because it showed me how to paint an ocean scene.



4. I thought this book was very good, especially for the beginner. It went through palette, color mixing, grounds, additives, and content. For the more experienced painter, I thought it made a good reference and refresher. It also had several artists who contributed their examples. This book is well illustrated with reference photos and more.



5. I received this and several other books for Christmas from a professional artist who wanted me to share her passion for acrylic painting. This book is by far the best for a beginner such as myself. Most of the books my friend sent me were almost entirely devoted to technique, but this book also went into great detail about brushes, paints, canvas, paper, colors, etc. The author dedicates two pages to each topic, all of which are very well laid out and well organized (the pages even have color coded boxes in the top corner to help you find exactly what you are looking for). There are countless pictures that illustrate the effects of various techniques using different colors and mediums, which allows the beginning artist to skip over much of the initial experimentation usually involved when starting a new craft. There is no doubt that this is a book for beginners, but I think it is an ideal place to start. Secondly, despite its novice approach, the author covers nearly all of the techniques discussed in books that are considered to be far more advanced. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about starting to paint with acrylics. Enjoy.

No comments about Art School: A Complete Painter's Course.

5 comments about Caravaggio: Colour Library.

1. I've seen nicer books coming in at several hundred dollars but for the ~$5 you really can't beat this one Plenty of beautiful full color plates this makes an excellent student edition and a reference book for home. If you're purchasing for an all out art reference library you should look into a different edition.



2. Someone made a reference in 1999 that this is an 80 page book. It is 127 pages and filled with quality color plates. The paper's a bit thin, but certainly adequate, as is the text. I have just finished reading 'The Lost Painting', and wanted to peruse some of the works discussed in the book (a fascinating read and/or listen with the audio book). Another reviewer noted this is as a wonderful book to begin a collection. The publisher, Phaidon, really puts out some fine materials. I own three of their publications now, one being '50 Self-Portraits' and another on Tadema. If you have an inclination to dwell awhile on the stunning legacy of Caravaggio, this should more than do the job.



3. This is a nice overview of the work of Caravaggio.. and the price is very good - I saw a similar collection (though it was hardcover) for nearly $100 - I am satisfied with this general overview for much cheaper. I think the colors are pretty good - and the artwork is, of course, timeless!



4. I have recently returned from the met and observed the great colour used by Caravaggio and was inspired to by the book. This contains a great of information and has great paintings on my favourite artist--Caravaggio. God bless



5. This book contains many beautiful full page photos of the works of Caravaggio. Each painting is accompanied with a brief explanation. References and comparisons are made to other famous works by great artistic masters. A great book to begin your art book collection!

No comments about A Treatise on Painting (Great Minds Series).

4 comments about Van Gogh and Gauguin: The Search for Sacred Art.

1. I collect art books and am particularly fond of Vincent Van Gogh, the fabulous Dutch artist of the 19th Century, who is probably the most popular of all artists--EVER (certainly my favorite!!). I have taken several art history courses with Van Gogh as subject, seen all the "Van Gogh" films, etc. I own many books about Van Gogh including a few I picked up in the Netherlands. What could anyone else possibly say about him that I have not already heard? The answer as it turns out is plenty. I had not yet read Debora Silverman's VAN GOGH AND GAUGUIN: THE SEARCH FOR SACRED ART.

   Silverman has taken a different tact in writing about the artists Van Gogh and Gauguin--who will linked together through eternity if for no other reason than the episode in Arles with Van Gogh's "earlobe" (not ear). Like many, I have wondered just why these two men behaved so antagonistically towards each other. I have heard about personality conflicts, differing life styles, and mental illness, but somehow these reasons have never resonated with me. The explanation for the Gauguin-Van Gogh conflict according to Silverman was owing to nothing less than their conflicting interpretations of the meaning of life.

   Gauguin was raised Roman Catholic and attended a Catholic boys school where he was taught the theology of bearing one's cross and dying to the material world to attain the transcendent good--paradise. Van Gogh came from a humanistic Dutch Reformed background in an era when this church was focused on the need for a consolatary religion in the face of EVOLUTION. Their conflict seems to have been a feud of a particular kind as both men attempted to understand the eternal truths, grapple with the new reality of science, and abandon their relgious upbringings.

   While Gauguin's paintings reflect the transcendent as "otherworldly" and point the way for later abstract symbolists such as Picasso, Van Gogh's works are tied to the sacred presence of the eternal in the natural world. In painting after painting, Gauguin flattens the canvas, uses paint sparingly and depicts scenes of misery and suffering, sin and redemption. On the other hand, Van Gogh focuses on the sacred nature of work and rural life--threshing, weaving, milking, and rocking the baby by the fireplace. Where Gauguin creates angels strugging with men and flying cows, Van Gogh paints wheat fields and grape vineyards filled with sowers, thrashers, and harvesters. Where Gauguin sees classical elements such as the three muses and a Greek temple and admires Delacroix, Van Gogh sees bridges, sailboats, looms, and walls, and adores Millet.

   During their short time together in Arles, Gauguin sought to influence Van Gogh--to have him paint from memory, flatten surfaces, and introduce overt religious symbolism into his work. Van Gogh did partially adapt some of Gauguin's techniques such as cloisonism (black outlines separating flat patches of color), but while Gauguin continued to tackle the sinful ways of man (and apparently sin quite heavily when he wasn't working) Van Gogh adapted Zenlike techniques reminiscent of Hiroshege and other Japanese artists who saw no boundary between the divine and natural worlds.

   Silverman writes beautifully (I read every word..this is a powerful book) and there are hundreds of drop-dead beautiful facsimilies of the works of Gauguin and Van Gogh. I think Silverman favors Van Gogh, and I do too so I was not disappointed (though she covers Gauguin quite well). She spends a great deal of time on style and technique, which I also liked very much. She is not merely pointing out technical differences, however, she is showing how their respective techniques were tied to their philosophical outlooks. Several "sets" of paintings by both men are discussed in detail--Van Gogh's Langlois bridge paintings (all nine are reproduced) and the Berceuse paintings (she who rocks the cradle); as well as Gauguin's repeated use elements such as the women of Brittany, cows, angels, and "the dead."

   This is a wonderful book and if you love Van Gogh and want to better understand his painterly ways, you must have it. It will enrich your life.




2. Although a non-scholar, I have a keen interest in art history and thus was delighted to receive a copy of this book as a holiday gift from my daughter. The subtitle indicates Silverman's thematic objective: To examine "the search for sacred art." She provides her reader with a brilliantly written narrative during which she shares a wealth of information about Van Gogh and Gauguin, of course, in combination with hundreds of illustrations (many in full-color) which are skillfully correlated with the text. Here is how the material is organized:

   Part One: Toward Collaboration [two "Self-Portraits"]

   Part Two: Peasant Subjects and Sacred Forms [eg Van Gogh's "Sower" and Gauguin's "Vision After the Sermon"]

   Part Three: Catholic Idealism and Dutch Reformed Realism

   Part Four: Collaboration in Arles

   Part Five: Theologies of Art After Arles

   Part Six: Modernist Catechism and Sacred Realism

   Silverman carefully identifies and then eloquently explores all manner of comparisons and contrasts between the lives and art of Van Gogh and Gauguin within an historical, theological, and anthropological context. Hers is a magnificent achievement.




3. a work of genius and a pleasure to read. this book is essential for any museumgoer and the general reader with any interest in either artist. revealing the mutual respect and support between two very different men, with outstanding illustrations and insightful prose. i cannot remember any art history book so erudite and approachable.



4. "Christ alone -- of all the philosophers, Magi, etc. -- has affirmed, as a principal certainty, eternal life, the infinity of time, the nothingness of death, the necessity and the raison d'etre of serenity and devotion. He lived serenely, as a greater artist than all other artists, despising marble and clay as well as color, working in living flesh. That is to say, this matchless artist, hardly to be conceived of by the obtuse instrument of our modern, nervous, stupefied brains, made neither statues nor pictures nor books; he loudly proclaimed that he made... living men, immortals. This is serious, especially because it is the truth." Vincent van Gogh wrote these words in a long letter to Emile Bernard, his close friend and painter. He wrote them in Arles, where was working particularly hard, at the end of June 1888. The greatest artistic achievements where still before him, as well as unexpected illness and pity death. Debora Silverman exhibits to us another great event of Vincent's life: short and vehement artistic friendship with Paul Gaugain, that inspired Vincent much and may be even more costed. They knew and write each other for some years. They spent together same weeks in Arles working and fiercely discussing many artistic topics. Unexpectedly, in a while of serious depression Vincent decided to punish his comrade. With dark intentions in the mind he even picked up a razor. But his own illness won. Next day Gaugin found him laying unconscious, all in blood, with one ear cut. Silverman asks how possible was this strange and strangely fruitful friendship. She explores complicated cultural and religious background of both the painters. "I was intrigued -- writes in the Introduction -- by how Gauguin may have assimilated from his seminary training certain mental habits and attitudes toward the visual that were profoundly discordant with those I had identified in van Gogh's formative period in his Dutch theological culture, and I suspected that these distinctive mentalities had implications for the form and content of their work". There have been no similar studies up now. Religious life of Vincent van Gogh have been explored only very recently by Tsukasha Kodera (Vincent van Gogh. Christianity versus nature), Katheleen Power Erickson (At Eternity's Gate), Cliff Edwards (Van Gogh and God) and others, but never in relation to the southern France Catholicism, in atmosphere of which Vincent spent his recent years. Catholic background of Gaugin himself is even less known. Their mutual cultural and religious interferences, and their own personal achievements of this field finally received an abundant and complete description grace to Silverman research.