No comments about Portraits of the Presidents Revised Edition: The National Portrait Gallery.

1 comments about Through a Faery Stone: The Secret World of Faerie.

1. I bought this book for my daughter who loves Faery's and poetry I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. The binding is very nice, the page edge's are gilt, the poems are lovely and the art is beautiful. Each painting and poem is connected through words and art. This book will please anyone who loves Faery's or poetry.

No comments about Gustav Klimt: The Beethoven Frieze and the Controversy over the Freedom of Art.

1 comments about Charles Krafft's Villa Delirium.

1. Last Gasp is for real. I'm buyin Krafft china for the inlaws if I ever get married

1 comments about Creative landscape painting.

1. 152 pp, 8 ½" x 11", 24 pages of color and 50 b/w illustrations. This is an "idea book" of 74 specific, inventive, off-beat approaches to painting landscapes. Each idea is illustrated by examples from leading realistic and abstract artists.

1 comments about Sumi-E Just for You: Traditional One Brush Ink Painting.

1. I found this book very helpful. I have a number of books on sumi-e, and I found that this book shows how to do the sumi-e brush strokes more specifically and clearly than other books I've read. It describes the materials you need, and shows how to use the sumi ink and brush to paint a variety of different subjects. I recommend it!

5 comments about Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography.

1. Do not be intimidated by this book's length. I am not an art buff, but have become interested in Hopper and plan to attend the upcoming exhibition of his work at the National Gallery of Art in DC this Fall.
   I approached this book with trepidation, but found myself drawn into it. I read it compulsively to the finish. There is tremendous detail presented in a simple austere style. It tries to make Hopper's life speak for itself. Thus, the book is a work of art about it's subject--a Hopper.
   My only caveat is that you must also have a separate copy of Hopper's works (or at least many of them) to consult. Surprisingly and I think mistakenly, the book does not include copes of the many of the paintings. However, if you are familiar with his work, this is no impediment.



2. Gail Levin's book -Edward Hopper: an Intimate Biography- is about the life of a famous artist, Edward Hopper, as well as that of an obscure artist, Josephine Hopper (the former Josephine Nivison). Mrs. Hopper's detailed diaries, kept up faithfully for decades, are a major source of information for Levin's book. Since this necessarily puts the perspective of the book heavily on Jo's side of the story, no one should consider this one-stop shopping for finding out what made Edward Hopper tick. The Hoppers were a two completely opposite personalities who both complemented and aggravated each other. What I most like about Levin's book is that probably no one else has ever been in Jo Hopper's corner before Levin. Jo usually comes off as the stereotypical shrewish wife who dominated her poor henpecked husband. What a different picture is presented in this book! Instead, their marriage was much more complex, and the love/hate dynamics never seem to have leveled off during the many years they were together. Their story defies my own stereotypcial notion that as people grow old, their emotions level off and they are like two old bookends. Not with these two! I also enjoyed finding out that Edward Hopper was a Bette Davis fan, that he liked Jo to wear her hair down, that Jo's idea of cooking was opening up cans, and that Hopper had to haul buckets of coal up from the basement to feed the coal stove that heated their studio/living quarters. Much of these intimate details are provided courtesy of Jo's diaries, which served as an outlet and a refuge from her stolid husband. Perhaps best of all is the theatricality and eroticism suggested by Jo's descriptions of how they worked together as she posed for many of his paintings. In one of Edward Hopper's last paintings, Two Comedians, he portrays two shy actors taking a little bow: a loving tribute to their long and histrionic collaboration together, in life and in art.



3. Gail Levin's biography is a thorough review of Edward Hopper's life and work, spanning his early childhood, his struggles as an artist paying the bills by illustrating for magazines, his success, and his consistently remarkable artistic output. The surprise for me came from the revelation that his wife Jo, usually a marginal and minor figure, was a remarkable woman and an artist herself. Although one is tempted to wonder how her career would have gone if she hadn't married Hopper, Levin avoids sensationalistic speculation and, aside from occasional comments, sticks strictly to the facts.



4. While the book was interesting it was also redundant of some of Ms. Levin's other works. Unfortunately, I believe she got at least one fact messed up, which, of course is curious, and, makes one wonder if anyone is doing any editing out there. At 45 bucks a pop, you'd think someone would be doing some fact checking. I believe I'm correct in pointing out that Christian Hopper was Edward Hopper's grandfather, not great-grandfather as she so states. His father was Garrett Henry Hopper. His father was Christian Hopper. Christian Hopper married Charity Blauvelt, and together they had Garrett Henry Hopper, who, together with Elizabeth Smith Hopper, had Edward Hopper. I thought some of the events like Jo's trying to get the car out of the garage were a riot, not to mention hearing about her cat, Arthur. Unfortunately, Arthur disappears about midway. Leaves you wondering if she named him after Chester A. Arthur, Arthur Godfrey, etc. He had an odd sense of humor, but he was Dutch and you know how they are. Not too abnormal, tho. Your typical stingy, grumpy man who hasn't a clue about women. Other than that, it was a good read.



5. Gail Levin, the curator of Hopper's works at the Whitney Museum in New York City, had the exclusive privilege of Josephine (Mrs.) Hopper's journals that extend from the 1920s to the 1960s. Jo was an artist herself and her frustrations are paralled with Edward's successes. Maybe too much of the book is about poor Mrs. Hopper and her unsuportive Husband, but Levin crafts the history so well that I didn't hold it against her. Each of the major oil paintings are covered from a making-of perspective which I found illuminating. I picked the book up originally just to glance through it, but I ultimately read the whole thing.

No comments about Fasanella's city;: The painting of Ralph Fasanella with the story of his life and art,.

4 comments about Van Gogh: The Passionate Eye (Discoveries Series).

1. This is a spectacular acquisition depicting the works of Van Gogh-born in Groot Zundert, Netherlands on March 30, 1853. He came from humble beginnings. His father was a neighborhood preacher.
   
   On January 11, 1862 at age 9, he drew a classic rendition of a
   bridge. It was done so well that people couldn't fathom how a
   9 year old could draw with such careful attention to details.
   An old man with his head in hands was created in 1882.
   The famous "Noon Rest" was drawn in 1890. Many famous works are
   depicted in this volume. They are either penciled in black/white
   or in full oil color.
   
   The work is well worth the price for serious students of art,
   world history, the Netherlands and the history of the 19th
   century.



2. Beautiful illustrations and layout are the main features of this book. Van Gogh's biography makes up most of the text for this book. His paintings, sketches, and various photographs are inset within the text where appropiate; masterpieces such as 'Starry Night Over the Rhone' and 'Wheat Fields Under Clouded Skies' are given entire pages.

   Some of Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo are given a section of the appendix, along with a section detailing the man's legacy today. The book itself is smaller than normal - easy to pack away for trips. If your passion is Van Gogh, then Van Gogh: The Passionate Eye is for you.




3. This is a very charming small book full of beautiful full color reproductions of Vincent's work. The organization is first rate -- there are references in this edition I never saw in others three times the price, such as a reproduction of the actual newspaper articles telling the story of Vincent's infamous ear slicing episode as well as the article announcing his suicide. Packed with relevant text ... I recommend this bargain priced treasure!



4. The publishers at New Horizons have managed quite a feat. They have shrunk volumes of information and Van Gogh ouvres into a paperback book you can tuck into your bag or briefcase. It's small size is deceptive, as it is still a rich and lavish escape into the world of Van Gogh.

   The book is chiefly biographical in nature, is in COLOR throughout, and includes a tremendous number of VV's works.

   The illustrations are thoughtfully layed out and juxtapose nicely with the text as they follow VV's painting career and tortured life.

   An added treat is the inclusion of a section that contains letters written to his brother Theo, several black and white photos of the actual places he lived and worked, as well as an extensive list of further reading.

   I highly recommend all the titles in this series. I hope this makes parting with your $10 bucks a little easier! :^)

2 comments about Impressionists in Winter: Effets de Neige.

1. Add this gem to your art book collection. As a screen printer, I have been increasingly seduced by the "winter palette". This wonderful volume compiles the best of the Impressionists as they, too, came to appreciate and explore the unique light, the effects of the weather, the shapes of hibernating nature, the muted hues, and the brooding melancholy of Effets de Neige.



2. i saw this show in san francisco, and, as an artist, i was moved to silent reverie. the works are astonishing! whoever asssembled them deserves the thanks of anyone who has known the cold, stark beauty of winter and kept its memory in their souls. the artists who captured these moments in time are unmatched in contemporary painting. simply, i thank god for their lives and work. as one who still believes in the power of beauty upon the human spirit, i walked away from this show elevated and in awe. most particularly, i was enveloped by the works of gustave caillebotte --- so little known in america; so wondrous in the realization of his vision and his time. this show is serene. and this book comes close to reflecting its essence.