SCHIFFER PUBLISHING LTD.: Modern British Sculpture by Guy Portelli. 320 pp.; 9 1/4 x 12 1/4; 780 B/W & Color Illus.; Index of Artists.$89.95 Hardcover. Beginning with a brief history of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, author Guy Portelli follows with a chronological cataloguing of over 85 sculptors, each accompanied by a brief résumé, a short commentary and representative photographs of their work. Handsomely produced. ****

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS: Victor Regnault and the Advance of Photography: The Art of Avoiding Errors by Laurie Dahlberg. 208 pp.; 11 x 9 3/4; 80 Duotones; 20 Halftones; Notes; Selected Bibliography; Index. $75.00 Hardcover. If Regnault's work and contributions were largely overlooked in the past, author Laurie Dahlberg, Associate Professor of Art History and Photography and Chair of the Program of Art History at Bard College, goes a long way towards rectifying the error. A major contribution, Victor Regnault and the Advance of Photography offers a comprehensive overview of Regnault’s groundbreaking work. Lavishly illustrated. *****

THE FRICK COLLECTION/GLI ORI: Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England by Daniel Katz. 341 pp.; 9 7/8 x 12; B/W & Color Illus.; Appendices; Checklist; Bibliography. $75.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition currently at The Frick Collection, NYC, this handsome volume offers the reader an overview of the considerable collection of bronzes held by Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum. Gorgeous reproductions and extensive commentary on individual pieces. *****

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS: The Troubled Republic: Visual Culture and Social Debate in France, 1890-1900 by Richard Thomson. 256 pp.; 8 1/2 x 11; 204 Illus., 54 in Color; Notes; Bibliography; Index. $60.00 Hardcover.  An in-depth study of the social milieu behind a decade of turmoil and change, The Troubled Republic offers insights and information into the art and culture that those years informed and influenced. Comprehensive and scholarly. **** Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius by Nikolaus Pevsner. 192 pp.; 7 1/2 x 10; 150 Illus., 100 in Color; Notes; Bibliography; Index. $40.00 Hardcover. An updated version of a study first published in 1936, Pioneers of Modern Design adds new insights and information to a book that has already been viewed as a standard text on the period. Includes new illustrations and information on the major figures of the time. **** A Drawing Manual by Thomas Eakins (Ed.) Kathleen A. Foster. 100 pp.; 6 3/4 x 8 3/4; 60 B/W Illus.; Selected Bibliography; List of Drawings. $21.95 Hardcover. Published for the first time (after being found in his studio following the death of his widow), A Drawing Manual is here presented in the artist’s own words and illustrations. The introduction by long-time advocator of Eakins’ place in art history, Kathleen A. Foster, and a technical essay by Amy B. Werbel, add further insights into Eakins technique and art. Of interest to both student and professional. *** A Worldly Art: The Dutch Republic 1585-1718 by Mariët Westermann. 208 pp.; 6 1/2 x 9 1/4; 130 Illus., 114 in Color; Timeline; Bibliography; Index. $19.95 Softcover. This newly re-issued copy of A Worldly Art (originally published in 1996) features not only a highly readable and engrossing analysis of the period, but also a profusion of images that celebrate the cream of Dutch Art. Well worth the modest price. ***** The Rise of the Sixties: American and European Art in the Era of Dissent by Thomas J. Crow. 208 pp.; 6 1/2 x 9 1/4; 120 Illus., 80 in Color; Timeline; Bibliography; Index. $19.95 Softcover.  A comprehensive overview of the major trends and artists that characterized and influenced America’s most complex decades. Well written; well researched. ****

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS: Art from the Court of Burgundy: The Patronage of Philip the Bold and John the Fearless, 1364-1419. 368 pp.; 8 1/2 x 11; 440 Illus., 320 in Color; Notes; Genealogical Table; Bibliography. $55.00 Softcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition of the same name organized by the Musée des Beaux-Arts  of Dijon and the Cleveland Museum of Art, this beautiful catalogue is lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched. A scholarly as well as a beautiful book. *****  Shaping the Lotus Sutra: Buddhist Visual Culture in Medieval China by Eugene Y. Wang. 536 pp.; 7 x 10; 160 Illus., 24 in Color; Glossary; Notes; Bibliography; Index. $50.00 Hardcover. As much social history as cultural overview, Shaping the Lotus Sutra is a comprehensive examination of Chinese art and architecture. Scholarly. ***** Botánica Los Angeles: Latino Popular Religious Art in the City of Angels by Patrick Arthur Polk. 140 pp.; 8 x 10; 135 Color Illus.; Map; Notes; Bibliography; Index. $30.00 Softcover. Published in conjunction with the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, Botánica Los Angeles offers up a potpourri of Latino artifacts and “artforms”. Colorfully illustrated and enhanced by a series of essayists. *** Buddhist Art: An Illustrated Introduction by Charles F. Chicarelli. 298 pp.; 5 3/4 x 8 1/4; 155 Color Illus.; Appendices; Glossary; Notes; Bibliography; Map; Index. $25.00 Softcover. Much more than a simple guide, this little volume offers a wealth of information on the imagery of Buddhist art, covering the works from at least a dozen countries. Comprehensive. **** Let’s Walk West: Brad Kahlhamer by Susan Krane. 87 pp.; 8 x 8; 59 Illus., 52 in Color; Biography; Exhibition History; Bibliography; Checklist. $24.95 Softcover. An overview of his life and a sampling of his work, Let’s Walk West is the accompanying catalogue to an exhibition featuring Brad Kahlhamer presently at the Bakalar Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA. ** Infinite Possibilities: Serial Imagery in 20^th Century Drawings by Anja Chávez et al. 136 pp.; 8 1/2 x 12; 266 Color Illus.; Notes; Checklist. $24.95 Softcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition last year at the Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley, MA,  Infinite Possibilities includes several essays on the current phenomenon of “serial drawings.” *  

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS: Creating Their Own Image: The History of African-American Women Artists by Lisa E. Farrington. 368 pp.; 8 1/8 x 11 1/8; B/W & Color Illus.; Notes; Selected Bibliography; Index. $55.00 Hardcover. Lavishly illustrated and fully-documented, Creating Their Own Image offers a comprehensive overview of the contributions made by African-American women artists. Groundbreaking. *****

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA PRESS: The Teapot Book by Steve Woodhead. 224 pp.; 8 1/2 x 11; 611 Illus., 519 in Color; List of Suppliers; Glaze Recipes; Index. $49.95 Hardcover. Author Steve Woodhead — himself a master teapot maker — shares his expertise, insights and enthusiasm along with the work and ideas of some seventy-five other crafters on the joys of making teapots. Beautifully illustrated and amply fleshed out with commentary on technique, design and materials. **** Paper Clay by Rosette Gault. 144 pp.; 6 1/8 x 9 1/4; 166 Illus., 137 in Color; Appendix; List of Suppliers; Bibliography; Index. $26.50 Softcover. Potter Rosette Gault offers an overview and handbook for the creation of “paper clay”, one of the latest developments in the art of ceramics. Excellent reproductions. ****

STERLING PUBLISHING CO., INC.: 500 Brooches: Inspiring Adornments for the Body 360 pp. 500 Cups: Ceramic Explorations of Utility & Grace 408 pp. Lark Books. (Each) Color Illus.; List of Contributing Artists. $35.95 Softcover. Two of the latest additions to “The Artisan Series” distributed by Sterling Publishing, both of these volumes are lavishly illustrated and accompanied by commentary about the work and its creators. Visually compelling. ****

POMEGRANATE COMMUNICATIONS INC.: Edward Hopper’s New York by Avis Berman. 112 pp.; 8 x 9; Over 50 B/W & Color Illus.; Endnotes; Select Bibliography; Index of Works. $30.00 Hardcover. Avis Berman, art historian, essayist, author, and New York resident, gathers some fifty or so paintings of Edward Hopper with motifs centering on the city he both loved and worked in for over 60 years. A nice little addition to the ever-growing list of books on Hopper. ****

RUDER FINN PRESS/CATSKILL PRESS: Joseph Keiffer: Landscapes, Still Lifes, Interiors by Joseph Keiffer and Burt Silverman.  107 pp.; 10 x 9; Color Illus. $19.95 Softcover. Following in the footsteps of the artists of the “Hudson River School”, painter Joseph Kieffer offers his own unique insights and impressions of the now-famous Catskill Mountain Region. Excellent reproductions are accompanied by the artist’s commentary. A very pleasant browse. ****