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Compiled by RAYMOND J. STEINER
ART TIMES March 2007

 

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS: Sickert: Paintings and Drawings by Wendy Baron. 544 pp.; 10 ¼ x 12 ½; 1000 Illus., 200 in Color; Bibliography; Lists of Exhibitions; Indices. $125.00 Hardcover. Surely the most definitive book yet published on the life and work of Walter Richard Sickert, Sickert: Paintings and Drawings is the result of nearly fifty years of research on the part of author Wendy Baron, dormer director of the British Government Art Collection. Divided into two sections — the first dealing with Sickert’s stylistic development, the second an illustrated catalogue of over 2800 drawings and paintings — Baron reveals Sickert to be among the most forward-thinking of Victorian artists, anticipating the much-vaunted “Ashcan School” of Robert Henri and his coteries with his renditions of life’s seamier sides as well as jump-starting Warhol and his photo-based imagery by decades. A triumph of scholarly research. *****
Canaletto in England: A Venetian Artist Abroad, 1746—1765
by Charles Beddington, et al. 220 pp.; 11 ¼ x 9 7/8; 150 Illus., 120 in Color; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition presently at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, thru Apr 15 (after closing at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven last year), this beautifully illustrated catalogue offers an in-depth study of Giovanni Antonio Canal’s nine-year sojourn in England. Known mostly for his Venetian view, Canaletto in England highlights a lesser-known look at his both his English views and capriccios (imaginary depictions of castles and ruins) held much in favor by his English patrons. Comprehensively researched, many of the paintings and drawings include detailed commentary. *****
The Baroque World of Fernando Botero
by John Sillevis, et al. 283 pp.; 10 x 12; 217 Illus., 128 in Color; Biography of the artist; Select Solo Exhibitions; Select Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with the first major traveling retrospective exhibition of the artist’s work in over thirty years (eight venues across the U.S. and one in Canada), The Baroque World of Fernando Botero presents a comprehensive overview of drawings, paintings, and sculptures from his private collection — many reproduced here for the first time. For all its apparent light-hearted caricature, Botero’s work presents a disturbing and compelling commentary on many of society’s darker issues. An impressive presentation. *****
William Powell Frith: Painting in the Victorian Age
by Mark Bills and Vivien Knight. 208 pp.; 9 7/8 x 11 1/8; 190 Illus., 100 in Color; Notes; Index. A master chronicler of his times, William Powell Frith was one of the most successful painters of his time. Combining the sharp eye of Hogarth with the sweeping vistas of Dickens’ novels, Frith gives us one of the most complete visual portraits of Victorian mores, dress and customs that we may wish. In addition to excellent reproductions of his works, Painting in the Victorian Age offers up a comprehensive picture of the artist, his times, and his work. *****
Matisse: Painter as Sculptor
by Dorothy Kosinsky, et al. 312 pp.; 10 ¼ x 12 ¼; 296 Illus., 261 in Color; Checklist; References and Bibliography; Index. $60.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to a traveling exhibition that will be shown at the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center (thru Apr 29), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (Jun 9-Sep 16) and The Baltimore Museum of Art (Oct 28-Feb 3, ’08), Matisse: Painter as Sculptor explores the relationship between the artist’s sculpture and paintings as well as between his and the sculptural work of his contemporaries. Author Kosinsky and six scholars offer up in-depth and comprehensive observations that probe several aspects of the relationships. Juxtaposed reproductions of Matisse’s related sculptures with specific paintings reveal how closely he explored certain motifs. *****
Vistas de España: American Views of Art and Life in Spain, 1860-1914
by M. Elizabeth Boone. 280 pp.; 9 3/8 x 10 ¼; 138 Illus., 31 in Color; Appendices; Notes; Bibliography; Index. $60.00 Hardcover. From Bierstadt to Henri, from Cassatt to Sargent, author M. Elizabeth Boone, Professor of art history and Chair, Department of Art and Design at the University of Alberta, reveals the lure of Spain to a host of American artists between the years of the American Civil War to the First World War. Richly illustrated and closely researched, Vistas de España includes, among those listed above, references to William Merritt Chase, John Sartain, Thomas Eakins, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Julian Alden Weir, Robert Blum, William Stanley Haseltine, Albert Pinkham Ryder, Childe Hassam, Lilla Cabot Perry, Charles E. Dana, Joseph Pennell, Frank Duveneck, F. Luis Mora, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, among others. *****

 

PHAIDON PRESS INC.: Josef Albers: To Open Eyes by Frederick A. Horowitz and Brenda Danilowitz. 287 pp.; 10 ¼ x 11 ¾; 350 Illus., 150 in Color; Notes; Bibliography; Sources; Illustrations; Index. $75.00 Hardcover. Lauded for his blending of applied and fine art — an accomplishment that, to many eyes, might have been better left undone — Josef Albers is here given full treatment as an innovative and visionary teacher, To Open Eyes an exhaustive study of his work and of his influence on his followers. Published in conjunction with an exhibition that recently closed at the Whitney Museum of American Art, this book covers the entire range of his teaching. *****

 

PALGRAVE/MACMILLAN: Pissarro: Creating the Impressionist Landscape by Katherine Rothkopf. 224 pp.; 10 x 11; 100 Color Illus.; Map; Appendices; Notes; Chronology; Bibliography; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition of the same name presently at The Baltimore Museum of Art (thru May 13) and then travel to the Milwaukee Art Museum (Jun 10-Sep 9) before closing at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (Oct 7-Jan 6,’08), Creating the Impressionist Landscape closely looks at Pissarro’s landscapes painted between 1864 and 1874, the years in which his style changed from Barbizon influence to his revolutionary “impressionist” works. Beautifully and lavishly illustrated, this catalogue celebrates Pissarro, a founder of the impressionist movement who is often given short shrift in light of his substantial accomplishments. Katherine Rothkopf, Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at The Baltimore Museum of Art, does yeoman’s service by bringing greater attention bringing to this seminal artist. *****

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS: Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art: Treasures from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam by Ruud Priem. 144 pp.; 9 x 11 ½; 122 Color Illus.; Bibliography; Index. $29.95 Softcover. Rembrandt Face to Face by Stephanie S. Dickey. 76 pp.; 6 ½ x 8 ½; 24 Illus., 4 in Color; Notes; Bibliography. $20.00 Softcover. Although published for two separate exhibitions, the former for the Portland Art Museum, the latter, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, both, because they feature Rembrandt, are here treated together. Treasures from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam is a more ambitious presentation, covering as it does not only Rembrandt, but also a wide range of Dutch art from artifacts to paintings. Handsomely illustrated, the catalogue presents a comprehensive overview of typical Dutch subjects, such as self-portraits, still lifes, city- and countryscapes, religious topics, portraits and genre studies. The second book, Rembrandt Face to Face, focusing on Dutch and Flemish portraiture, is, though a more modest book, equally informative. As companion publications, these books can well serve as excellent insights into Netherlandish art. Both deserve ****

NORTH LIGHT BOOKS: Lessons from a Lifetime of Watercolor Painting by Donald Voorhees. 144 pp.; Color Illus.; Metric Conversion Chart; Index. $29.99 Hardcover. Tips, guidelines, and information on the materials and practice of watercolor are here offered up in 20 step-by-step demonstrations by a 50+-year veteran of the medium. Spiral bound for easy access and reading, this guide will find plenty of service in the studios of both novice and master watercolorist. A wealth of practical information at a modest cost. ****

VIKING STUDIO: Saints: Ancient & Modern by Barbara Calamari and Sandra

DiPasqua. 150 pp.; 5 3/8 x 9 ¼; B/W & Color Illus.; Index. $24.95 Hardcover. A compendium of twenty-two saints — many celebrated in art by some of the finest painters in history — are here brought to vivid life through both legend and biographical detail. Beautiful reproductions. ***

ROSE DOG BOOKS: A Dictionary of Colours & Pigments by Peter Baker. 270 pp.; 6 x 9; Bibliography. $24.00 Softcover. This is one of the most comprehensive dictionaries of “colours & pigments” that I have yet to come across. Baker, a “country GP” in Australia, applies his scientifically informed background to the extensively rich world of words pertaining to the world of color. Although the book contains far more information than any artist might actually need, it is nevertheless a handy guide to have around one’s studio. ****

FOX CHAPEL PUBLISHING: Great Book of Celtic Patterns by Lora S. Irish. 200 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; Over 200 B/W & Color Illus.; Glossary of Terms; Index. $19.95 Softcover. Whether you are a designer, a craftsperson, or an artist, the Great Book of Celtic Patterns will offer you not only an historical overview of the origins of Celtic art but also a vast choice of designs from which you may create your own work. ****