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Compiled by RAYMOND J. STEINER
ART TIMES December 2006

 

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS: Nineteenth-Century Art in the Norton Simon Museum by Richard R. Brettell & Stephen Eisenman. 496 pp.; 10 ¼ x 11 ¾; 466 Illus., 226 in Color; Artists’ Letters; Bibliography; Index. $95.00 Hardcover. The Collectible Moment: Catalogue of Photographs in the Norton Simon Museum (Ed.) Gloria Williams Sander. 341 pp.; 10 x 11 7/8; B/W & Color Illus.; Catalogue of the Collection; Selected Bibliography; Index. $65.00 hardcover. The first catalogue, a sumptuously produced and lavishly illustrated volume, meticulously catalogues the 138 artworks that make up the impressive collection of 19th-Century art in the holdings of the Norton Simon Museum of Art. Each entry is accompanied by a critical essay, provenance information, and history of exhibition, as well as additional information on conservation and bibliographic notes. Scholarly and comprehensive, this impressive undertaking firmly places the collection of Norton Simon in the cultural context of his time. The second, The Collectible Moment, catalogues the photographs of the same institution. As with the first, a host of scholars add critical commentary to the over 500 images included. Combined, the two make an impressive presentation. *****
Expressions of Innocence and Eloquence: Selections from the Jane Katcher Collection of Americana
(Ed.) Jane Katcher. et al. 428 pp.; 11 x 11 ¼; 510 Color Illus.; Indices. $75.00 Hardcover. Over 200 artifacts and artworks reproduced in Expressions of Innocence and Eloquence trace the progress of folk and decorative arts as they made the journey across the Atlantic to the New World.  This impressive volume with its excellent reproductions catalogues the extensive collection of Kartcher’s “Americana.” Scholarly and definitive. ***** 
The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820
by Joseph J. Rishel with Suzanne Stratton-Pruitt. 568 pp.; 10 x 12; 476 Illus., 431 in Color; Chronology; Biographies of Artists; Sources Cited. $75.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to a traveling exhibition currently at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (thru Dec 31) and which will then travel to the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City (Feb 3—May 6, ’07) and the Los Angles County Museum of Art (Jun 10-Sep 3, ’07), The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820 represents the combined efforts of a host of scholars who have put together this comprehensive cultural and artistic history that covers the years from the discovery of America by Columbus to the end of the colonial era. Comprehensively exhaustive, this will stand as the definitive study of the art and period for some time to come. Lavishly illustrated. *****
Barcelona and Modernity: Picasso, Gaudi, Miró, Dalí
by William H. Robinson, et al. 524 pp.; 9 x 12; 600 Color Illus.; Appendices. $65.00 Hardcover. Some thirty-four renowned scholars contribute to the massive undertaking of the study of the Catalonian Modern Art Movement, bringing their expertise between the covers of this impressive book, Barcelona and Modernity. Published as the accompanying catalogue for an exhibition currently on view at The Cleveland Museum of Art (thru Jan 7, ’07) which will travel to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC (Mar 7-Jun 3, ’07), this will undoubtedly serve as a major contribution to our knowledge of Catalonian art for many years to come. *****
Mexico and Modern Printmaking: A Revolution in the Graphic Arts
by John Ittmann, et al. 289 pp.; 9 x 12; 106 Illus., 91 in Color; 186 Duotones; Checklist of Prints; Notes; Index of Names. $65.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with a traveling exhibition of the same name currently on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and closing at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, TX in October 0f 2007 (with two venues in-between), this catalogue traces the graphic arts movement in Mexico during the first half of the 20th Century. Lavishly illustrated and copiously documented, Mexico and Modern Printmaking shall be the standard text on the subject for some time to come. Scholarly and comprehensive. *****
Glitter and Doom: German Portraits from the 1920s
by Sabine Rewald, et al. 304 pp.; 9 x 11 3/8; 230 Illus., 135 in Color; Chronology; Selected Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition of the same name at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, (thru Feb 19, ’07), Glitter and Doom captures an era of German art between the two “world” wars, WWI and WWII. Lavishly produced and illustrated, the book both compels and repels the viewer, the art of the times — styled “Verism” and derived from its more common label Neue Sachlicheit (new objectivity) — certainly not very pleasing to those who value old traditions of “beauty” in art. Taken as a whole — and aside from purely artistic considerations of innovation and ‘modernism’ — one can perhaps sympathize with the Third Reich’s desire to forcibly negate this view of their nation. Comprehensive and informative. *****
Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall: An Artist’s Country Estate
by Alice Cooney, et al. 276 pp.; 9 x 12; 350 Illus., 235 in Color; Chronology; Works Cited; Works in the Exhibition; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition currently at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, (thru May 20, ’07), An Artist’s Country Estate traces the sad tale of the rise and fall of Tiffany’s grand design for a showplace of his own art and collections of Native America, Islamic, and Asian art. Fully illustrated with “before and after” photographs of Laurelton Hall, illustrations of Tiffany’s work, and reproductions of his extensive collections, all make for a visually beautiful volume. ***** The Modern West: American Landscapes 1890-1950 by Emily Ballew Neff. 315 pp.; 10 1/8 x 12 ¼; 219 Illus., 136 in Color; Notes; Checklist of Exhibition; Select Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition currently at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (thru Jan 28. ’07) and which will travel to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Mar 4-Jun 3, ’07), The Modern West offers up a combination of art, history, culture, geography, and ethnology as it is depicted through the distinctive landscape of western America. An impressive image-enhanced journey into our country’s growth. *****
Velázquez
by Dawson W. Carr, et al. 256 pp.; 9 ½ x 11 ¾; 160 Color Illus.; Family Trees; Chronology; Bibliography; Index. $60.00 Hardcover. Velázquez by Leah Kharibian. 48 pp.; 8 5/8 x 9; 35 Color Illus.; Chronology. $12.95 Softcover. These two books accompany an exhibition at the National Gallery, London (thru Jan 21, ’07), the first a more comprehensive overview of Velázquez’s work, the second concentrating on 15 of his works that traces his development from his earliest still lifes to his series of royal portraits. Both are beautifully illustrated, both replete with information about the artist’s work, his life, and his continuing influence on Western art. *****
Alex Katz Paints Ada
by Robert Storr, et al. 128 pp.; 9 ¾ x 11 ¼; 72 Illus., 66 in Color; Checklist; Selected Bibliography; Index. $39.95 Hardcover. Whether or not we concur with Storr’s observation that Katz’s “decorous modernism” is close to “Puvis de Chavannes crossed with Hollywood”, there is no doubt as to his persistence. Exclusively devoted to his paintings of his wife — ‘Ada’ — this catalogue accompanies a current exhibition at The Jewish Museum in New York City (thru Mar 18, ’07). The chapter by James Schuyler, “Alex Paints a Picture (1962)” gives some insight into the artist’s work, which, to my eye (and judging by the accompanying photograph which depicts the pose he was painting), leaves a great deal to be desired insofar as his style is concerned — but then, that’s my taste and of little moment to his many fans. ***
Van Gogh’s Sheaves of Wheat
by Dorothy Kosinski, et al. 120 pp.; 9 x 12; 109 Color Illus.; Artist Biographies; Checklist; Selected Bibliography. $34.95 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition of the same name at the Dallas Museum of Art, Van Gogh’s Sheaves of Wheat concentrates on that artist’s persistent “wheat theme” throughout his work. Includes images of the work of many of his contemporaries as well as that of his own. ****
Cézanne in Britain
by Anne Robbins. 96 pp.; 9 x 11; 100 Illus., 80 in Color; Chronology; Works by Cézanne in British public Collections; Exhibition in Britain. $30.00 Softcover. As its title indicates, this volume focuses on Cézanne’s impact and influence on Britain’s modernists. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the National Gallery, London on the occasion of the centenary of the artist’s death, a wealth of information is crammed into this modest-sized book. ****
Alpine Views: Alexandre Calame and the Swiss Landscape
by Alberto de Andrés. 88 pp.; 9 ½ x 10; 45 Color Illus.; Plates; Checklist of Exhibition. $19.95 Softcover. Published to accompany an exhibition presently on view at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA, Alpine Views presents a selection of Calame’s oil sketches — many published here in color for the first time — from his travels throughout the Swiss Mountains. Having recently returned from a sketching trip to the Alps myself, the arrival of this book presented me with a special delight. A visual treat for the armchair traveler! ****

 

PRESTEL: Picasso’s Collection of African and Oceanic Art: Masters of Metamorphosis by Peter Stepan. 136 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; 266 Illus., 136 in Color; Index. $85.00 Hardcover. If you’ve ever wondered where the inspiration for Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon came from, wonder no longer — Peter Stepan’s comprehensive overview of Picasso’s private collection of African and Oceanic art in Masters of Metamorphosis will more than enlighten you. Excellent reproductions and informative text. ****
New German Painting
by Christoph Tannert & Graham Bader. 240 pp.; 9 5/8 x 11 ¼; 190 Illus., 160 in Color; Appendices. $60.00 Hardcover. For the first time, the wide range of recent work from the New Leipzig School, burgeoning since the collapse of the Communist regime, is here chronicled in New German Painting. Lavishly illustrated and comprehensively covered. ***
Georgia O’Keeffe/John Loengard: Paintings and Photographs
(Ed.) Lothar Schirmer. 80 pp.; 9 3/4 x 12; 48 Illus., 26 in Color; Biographies. $29.95 Hardcover. Visually arresting, this book covers a 3-day sojourn of Life Magazine photographer John Loengard at Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch, during which he chronicled her private life. Painting and Photographs adds another dimension to the ever-growing O’Keeffe lore. *****
Gustav Klimt: Landscapes
by Stephan Koja. 228 pp.; 7 ¾ x 9 ½; 284 Illus., 214 in Color; Biography and List of Landscape Paintings; Maps; Selected Bibliography; Index of Plates. $19.95 Softcover. Rodin: Eros and Creativity (Ed.) Rainer Crone. 192 pp.; 7 ¾ x 9 ½; 212 Illus., 32 in Color; Plates; Select Bibliography; Authors. $19.95 Softcover. Reprints of earlier editions, these new flexi-cover edition includes all of the features of their somewhat larger predecessors with the addition of an easier-handling format. Landscapes covers all of Klimt’s landscapes, with commentary on trips and locations where they were painted (or derived from). Eros and Creativity includes a wide range of Rodin’s erotic imagery with essays by leading scholars. Both volumes feature beautiful reproductions. ****

 

INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS: Domenico Tiepolo: A New Testament by Adelheid M. Gealt and George Knox. 888 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; 640 Illus., 339 in Color; List of Subjects Illustrated and Subjects Omitted; List of Exhibitions; Bibliography; General Index; Biblical and Apocryphal Reference Index. $75.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition currently at The Frick Collection, NYC, (thru Jan 7, ’07), A New Testament is a stunning new study of Tiepolo’s drawings, a combination of artistic, biblical, and Venetian culture that amplifies what is already a virtuosic display of inspired draftsmanship by this Venetian master. Exhaustively complete, this scholarly study is destined to become a treasured addition to the library of the most discriminating book/art collector. Includes full-color reproductions of some 313 drawings of biblical subjects from the New Testament. Hugely impressive! *****

 

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA PRESS: Romare Bearden: The Caribbean Dimension by Sally Price & Richard Price. 192 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; 184 Illus, 79 in Color; Source Notes; References Cited. $49.95 Hardcover. With enough color to impress the most fervent of fauvists, The Caribbean Dimension features the pictorial flamboyance of Romare Bearden’s impressive Caribbean oeuvre. A delightful visual voyage! *****

 

QUANTUCK LANE PRESS: Paterson II: Photographs by George Tice Introduction by A.D. Coleman. 128 pp.; 9 7/8 x 8 7/8; 99 B/W Photographs. $49.95 Hardcover. Focused on the environs of one city — Paterson, New Jersey — Paterson II offers up a compelling array of images of city- and landscapes by photographer George Tice, protégé and printer for the equally legendary Edward Steichen. A visual treat and a great gift for that budding photographer. ****

 

POMEGRANATE: The Art of Robert Bateman Introduction by Roger Tory Peterson, Text by Ramsay Derry. 180 pp.; 11 ½ x 11; Over 130 B/W & Color Illus.; Plates and Commentaries; Sketchbooks; Appendix. $45.00 Hardcover. Whether you are an art or a nature lover, The Art of Robert Bateman ought to be on a prominent shelf of your library. Handsomely produced and beautifully illustrated, this book is as charming as it is instructive. A wonderful gift! ***** David C. Driskell: Artist and Scholar by Julie L. McGee. 216 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; B/W & Color Illus.; Selected Bibliography; Chronology; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. However history eventually evaluates the work of David C. Driskell, it is a sure bet that his work as scholar and lecturer on his black heritage and culture will endure. This is the first comprehensive monograph published on his life and work. ***

 

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY: The Intimate Eye: The Drawings of Burton Silverman by Herman Du Toit w/Introduction by Burton Silverman. Approx. 55 pp.; 11 3/8 x 14; 48 Illus. $45.00 Hardcover.  Handsomely bound and elegantly over-sized, The Intimate Eye offers up a gallery of Silverman’s portrait studies. Silverman, the consummate humanist, rarely disappoints — truly a collector’s item of some of his most “intimate” takes on the ever-compelling human visage. *****

 

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART/TATE PUBLISHING: Constable’s Great Landscapes: The Six-Foot Paintings (Ed.) Anne Lyles. 219 pp.; 11 1/8 x 9 5/8; Color Illus.; Notes; Bibliography; Appendix; List of Exhibited Works; Index. $40.00 Softcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition of the same name currently on view at the National Gallery of Art, Washington (thru Dec 31), The Six-Foot Paintings serves as ample testament to the artistry of this great painter. Detailed close-ups, extensive commentary, and insights into his sketching techniques, all combine to offer the reader a comprehensive overview into the life and work of John Constable. *****

 

UNIVERSITY PRESS OF NEW ENGLAND: Nineteenth-Century Painting and Traveling in the White Mountains (Ed.) Donna-Belle Garvin. 120 pp.; 9 x 12; 110 Illus., 50 in Color; Notes; Recommended Further Reading. $39.95 Hardcover. As much an art book as it is a traveler’s guidebook, Nineteenth-Century Painting and Traveling in the White Mountains is the accompanying catalogue to an exhibition currently on view at the Museum of New Hampshire History (thru May 6, ’07). Wonderful reproductions and a wealth of information about this picturesque region for the armchair traveler. ****

 

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS: Destination Art by Amy Dempsey. 272 pp.; 9 ¼ x 10; 406 Color Illus.; Practical Information; Indices; List of Illustrations. $39.95 Hardcover. A practical and informative guide to over 200 art sites around the world, Destination Art is a lavishly illustrated tour of places that if you cannot see then you ought to be aware of. A great gift for that armchair traveler. *****
Yosemite: Art of an American Icon
(Ed.) Amy Scott. 232 pp.; 10 x 11 ½; 200 Illus., 130 in Color; Index. $34.95 Softcover. With its vintage photos and reproduced art, Yosemite is a visual treat, offering up a wealth of images of one of America’s famous tourist meccas. Published as an accompanying catalogue for a two-part exhibition at the Autry National Center in LA (Part I thru Jan 21, ’07; Part II thru Apr 22, ’07), the visual tour spans some three hundred years. ****

 

W.W. NORTON & Co. INC.: Portrait: A Life of Thomas Eakins by William S. McFeely. 256 pp.; 9 3/8 x 9 ¾; B/W & Color Illus.; Notes on Sources; Notes; Index. $26.95 Hardcover. The latest addition to the recent re-discovery of Thomas Eakins, Portrait offers a sensitive new look at the painter, his influence, his legacy, and his life. ****

 

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS: A Romance with the Landscape: Realism to Impressionism by Janie M. Welker & Linda Stratford. 80 pp.; 8 ½ x 10 ½; 41 Color Illus.; Checklist of Exhibition; Index of Illustrations. $25.00 Softcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition that closed this month at the University of Kentucky Art Museum, A Romance with the Landscape is a delightful little potpourri of landscape painting by such masters as Julien Dupré, Jean-François Millet, Nicolas Poussin, Charles-François Daubigny, Paul Huet, Eugène Boudin, Paul Gauguin, Théodore Rousseau, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and others. Informative as well as visually beautiful. ****

 

PHAIDON PRESS, INC.: The Story of Art: Pocket Edition by E.H. Gombrich. 1064 pp.; 7 3/8 x 4 3/8; 408 Illus., 335 in Color; Notes; Detailed Illustrations List; Index and Glossary. $19.95 Softcover. Re-designed and re-formatted, this pocket-sized edition of The Story of Art contains all of the excellent features of the original hardbound edition (1950) but now has the added attraction of easy transportation and use. A classic stand-by for over half a century, this is a book that ought to be on the shelves of all artlovers. *****

 

RULY PRESS: Art Law Conversations: A Surprisingly Readable Guide for Visual Artists by Elizabeth T. Russell. 127 pp.; 6 x 9; B/W Illus.; Appendix; Glossary; Index. $16.95 Softcover. Everything you wanted to know — or didn’t even think of — about art and law can be found on this latest guide to being creative within the complex legal system that often confounds us. Compact, informative, handy. ****

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