YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS: Early Georgian Interiors by John Cornforth. 400 pp.; 9 3/4 x 12; 500 Illus, 200 in Color; Notes’ Bibliography; Index. $85.00 Hardcover. Handsomely produced and lavishly illustrated, Early Georgian Interiors takes the reader on an in-depth tour of Georgian culture as seen through the design and layouts of their homes. Following an exhaustive “insider” look into the concepts behind the planning, Cornforth then concludes with eight “case studies” — Blenheim Palace, Erddig, Chicheley Hall, etc. — to illustrate his study. Excellent. ****  
Peter Paul Rubens: The Drawings by Anne-Marie Logan. 344 pp.; 8 3/4 x 11 1/4; 296 Illus., 145 in Color; Bibliography; Index. $75.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (thru Apr) and reviewed in these pages in our Jan/Feb 2005 Issue, this volume offers an in-depth study of Rubens’ drawings. Includes over 100 of the artist’s greatest examples of draftsmanship and a great many of his preparatory studies. Lavishly illustrated. ***** 
Men at Work: Art and Labor in Victorian Britain by Tim Barringer. 392 pp.; 8 3/8 x 1o 3/8; 146 Illus., 33 in Color; Notes; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Tim Barringer, professor in the Department of the History of Art at Yale, explores the evolving relationship of art and labor as mechanization increasingly impinged on the artist’s life and work. Includes analysis of a wide range of artistic mediums and “new” types of labor. ****

HARRY N. ABRAMS: Matisse, His Art and His Textiles: The Fabric of Dreams by Jack Flam, et al. 216 pp.; 10 1/4 x 11 3/8; 190 Color Illus.; Chronology; Select Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition that is presently on view in London and will travel to The Metropolitan Museum of Art on June 23 (thru Sep 25), The Fabric of Dreams concentrates on his long association with textile design. An interesting analysis of just one more facet of this seminal artist.  Excellent reproductions. *****  
Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry and Culture by Kari Chalker, et al. 224 pp.; 9 1/4 x 11 1/4; 185 Illus., 150 in Color; 2 Maps; Bibliography; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition currently at the American Museum of Natural History, NY, Totems to Turquoise offers up a visually sumptuous feast of North- and Southwest jewelry and artifacts. As much cultural as it is art history, this volume places our Native-American art in historical and social context. Handsomely produced. *****

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS: Joseph McDonnell by Donald Kuspit. 252 pp.; 11 1/4 x 11 1/4; 160 Duotone and Color Illus.; Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Joseph McDonnell offers a comprehensive overview of the sculpture of McDonnell, tracing his evolution from figurative work to abstract construction. Author Kuspit’s text is enhanced by the photography of David Finn and Rebecca Binder. ***
People of the River: Native Arts of the Oregon Territory by Bill Mercer. 192 pp.; 10 x 12; 281 Illus., 275 in Color; Bibliography. $49.95 Hardcover. The first of its kind, People of the River focuses exclusively on the Native American art produced in the Oregon Territory. Beautifully illustrated, this latest look at our indigent art will stand as a beacon to future art historians. Mercer does an outstanding job. ****
 Native Modernism: The Art of George Morrison and Allan Houser (Ed.) Truman T. Lowe. 128 pp.; 8 x 11; 76 Illus., 54 in Color; Chronological Biographies; Exhibition Checklist. $35.00 Softcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (thru Sep ’05), Native Modernism offers an overview of the art of two representative Native American artists, George Morrison and Allan Houser. Uniquely different, the drama of each artist works well together — as this little volume makes so clear. ****
Devotion and Splendor: Medieval Art at The Art Institute of Chicago by Christina Nielsen, et al. 96 pp.; 8 1/2 x 10 1/4; 60 Illus., 40 in Color; Notes. $30.00 Softcover. Volume 30, #2, of The Art Institute of Chicago’s “Museum Studies”, Devotion and Splendor showcases some 50 artifacts from their collection of Medieval art ranging from early Christianity to the late Middle Ages. Good reproductions. ***  
Einar and Jamex de la Torre: Intersecting Time and Place by Tina Oldknow. 80 pp.; 8 x 10; 40 Color Illus.; Exhibition Checklist. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition of the same name at the Museum of Glass: International Center for Contemporary Art, Tacoma, WA (thru May 22), Intersecting Time and Place features the first solo showing the de la Torre brothers. * Testing: Jaq Chartier by Robin Held. 48 pp.; 8 1/2 x 8 1/2; Color Illus.; List of Plates; Biography. $15.00 Hardcover. Author Robin Held offers a cursory peek at Chartier’s abstract paintings. *

PRESTEL: Egon Schiele: Landscapes by Rudolf Leopold. 208 pp.; 9 1/8 x 11 5/8; 176 Illus., 112 in Color; Biography; Bibliography. $65.00 Hardcover. Long known for his expressively erotic nudes, Egon Schiele is perhaps less well known for his landscapes — a lack that the present volume more than makes up for. Published to coincide with an exhibition of the same name at the Leopold Museum, Vienna (thru 31 Jan), Landscapes reveals, if not a drastic departure from his quirky style, certainly new subject matter for the artist. Includes many side-by-side photographs of Schiele’s subjects. Excellent reproductions. *****

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA PRESS: Naked Clay: Ceramics Without Glaze by Jane Perryman. 192 pp.; 8 1/2 x 11; 230 Color Illus.; Index. $49.95 Hardcover. The work of some 40 or so ceramists graces the pages of this beautifully illustrated book. Includes explanatory introductory chapters and a gallery of pieces by individual artists. Handsomely produced. ****

GLOBAL RENAISSANCE SOCIETY, LLC: Goodbye Gutenberg: Hello to a New Generation of Readers and Writers by Valerie Kirschenbaum. 416 pp.; 8 1/4 x 9 1/2; B/W Color Illus.; Footnotes; Bibliography; Index. $47.95 Hardcover. Conceived, designed and written by a “Bronx high school teacher,” Goodbye Gutenberg defies adequate description. Kirschenbaum has not only designed her own fonts, but has also created this visually exciting book on her own home computer — goodbye Gutenberg, indeed! This is a must see, one-of-a-kind creation. *****

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS: Renaissance Art & Architecture by Gordon Campbell. 320 pp.; 9 1/2 x 6 1/4; B/W & Color Illus.; Chronology; Further Reading. $45.00 Hardcover. Covering the years 1415 to 1618, Renaissance Art & Architecture serves up a comprehensive guide to a period in Western art that served as the foundation and shaper of our culture. This “A to Z” reference books covers every major painter, sculptor, architect, engraver, printer, tradesman and landscape designer of note. Excellent. *****
A Dictionary of Modern Design by Jonathan M. Woodham. 512 pp.; 6 1/4 x 9 1/2; B/W Illus.; Bibliography; Timelines; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. Covering the past 150 years, A Dictionary of Modern Design covers the gamut of cultural artifacts and fashion touched by the concept of ‘design.’ A comprehensive lexicon that will prove to be a useful tool for both artist and designer. ****  
The Mirror of the Gods: How the Renaissance Artists Rediscovered the Pagan Gods by Malcolm Bull. 480 pp.; 6 1/4 x 9 1/2; 216 Illus., 16 in Color; Appendix; List of Illustrations; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index. $40.00 Hardcover. If they didn’t reverse the course of Christianity, Renaissance artists who derived many of their motifs from Pagan mythology certainly altered the course of Western art. Author Malcolm Bull, head of Art History at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, University of Oxford, analyses the widespread impact of the ancient Greek and Roman gods on the artistic imaginations of the day, detailing how their art not only affected subsequent artists but the cultural milieu of their day. Comprehensive. *****
Art Incorporated: The Story of Contemporary Art by Julian Stallabrass. 229 pp.; 5 x 7; B/W & Color Illus.; References; Index. $25.00 Hardcover. An analysis of the effects of economy on art, Art Incorporated asks what is the ultimate aesthetic price of “pricing” art. Solid. ****

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS: Buddha Mind in Contemporary Art (Eds.) Jacquelynn Baas and Mary Jane Jacob. 264 pp.; 7 5/8 x 9 3/4; 136 Illus., 121 in Color; Glossary; Biographies; List of Illustrations; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. Starting with the premise that the creative and meditative minds are one and the same. Buddha Mind in Contemporary Art presents an argument to prove its thesis. Includes a wide selection of scholarly articles by experts in the fields of art, education, psychology, science, religion and literature. ****

HEYDAY BOOKS: Drawn West: Selections from the Robert B. Honeyman Jr. Collection of Early California and Western Art and Americana from the Bancroft Library by Jack von Euw and Genoa Shepley. 216 pp.; 11 x 11; 125 Color Illus.; Index to Artists and Plates. $39.95 Hardcover. Gleaned from the over 2300 separate pieces from the Honeyman Collection, Drawn West offers up a pot-pourri of American, from paintings to posters to related ephemera — and quite a bit in-between. Includes such artists as Albert Bierstadt, George William Casilear, Nathaniel Currier, and others. A handsome volume. ****
Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist by Hisako Hibi. 80 pp.; 8 x 8; 43 Illus., 24 in Color; Appendices; Bibliography. This little volume, part art book and part sociology, speaks to one of America’s darkest moments — the internment of Japanese families in “assembly” centers during World War II. Juxtaposed with her written memoirs, Hibi’s paintings tell a powerfully dramatic story. ****

NATIONAL NETWORK FOR ARTIST PLACEMENT (NNAP):   Art that Pays: The Emerging Artists Guide to Making a Living by Adele Slaughter and Jeff Kober. 361 pp.; 5 3/8 x 8 3/8; B/W Illus.; Appendices; CD-ROM. $29.95 Softcover. Comprehensive and discipline-inclusive, Art that Pays offers up scores of tips, suggestions and guidelines directly from over 30 working artists in their respective fields. Covers all the bases. ****

SEA-TV: Geoff Hunt: Portrait of a Marine Artist. Full-Color DVD; 60 Min. $29.95. Whether you are a fan of the author Patrick O’Brian’s sea-faring tales (cf. “Master and Commander, the movie based on one of his books) or of marine art in general, it is a fair bet that you would enjoy viewing this DVD. Expertly edited and immensely informative, the viewer is treated to an in-depth look into what goes into making a fine marine artist. From illustrator of book covers to a master of depicting the sea, Hunt reveals just how little is left to chance. Engrossing. *****

RUDER FINN PRESS, INC.: Moments by Claire Yaffa. 80 pp.; 7 3/4 x 10 1/4; 55 B/W Photographs; List of Plates; List of Exhibitions. $25.00 Hardcover. Quietly elegant, Moments offers up some 55 black and white photographs — “moments” — taken Claire Yaffa. Includes an introduction by fellow photographer, Gordon Parks. A pleasant browse. ****

FIREFLY BOOKS LTD.: Artist’s Materials: All the Materials You Will Ever Need to Make Art by Lorraine Harrison. 288 pp.; 6 1/2 x 9 3/4; 400 Color Illus.; Index. $24.95 Softcover. From making it to presenting it, Artist’s Materials is a storehouse of information on materials, proper surfaces, appropriate tools to caring and preservation of any medium. A godsend for beginner or pro. *****

CHRONICLE BOOKS: Drop Dead Cute by Ivan Vartanian and Yoshimoto Nara. 160 pp.; 8 1/4 x 11 3/4; 120 Color Illus.; Appendices. $24.95 Softcover. Featuring the work of10 “cutting-edge” female Japanese artists, Drop Dead Cute may be ‘drop dead’ but with its generous helpings of themes of bondage, sadism, masochism and child pornography is definitely not ‘cute.’ *

AMADEUS PRESS, LLC: The Artist as Citizen by Joseph W. Polisi. 178 pp.; 6 x 9; 20 B/W Photos. $22.95 Hardcover. A selection of articles and lectures by Joseph W. Polisi, gleaned from his tenure as president of Juilliard School over the past 20 years. Includes insights, anecdotes, observations and commentary on a wide variety of noted personalities. ***

W.W. NORTON & CO., INC.: Diane Arbus: A Biography by Patricia Bosworth. 416 pp.; 6 1/8 x 9 3/8; B/W Illus.; Notes; Index. $16.95 Softcover. Patricia Bosworth, contributing editor of Vanity Fair and author of biographies of Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando, here serves up a highly readable and in-depth portrait of Diane Arbus, often characterized as a photographer of the bizarre. Engrossing. ****

ROYAL FIREWORKS PRESS: The Artist’s Marketing & Action Plan Workbook by Jonathan Talbot. 88 pp.; 8 1/2 x 10 7/8; Appendices. $16.95 Softcover. A no-nonsense, nuts and bolts approach to making art and a living by an expert in the field. Talbot, a highly successful artist, spells out in clear and concise language the road to a fulfilled artistic life. Well worth the modest price. ****