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Compiled by RAYMOND J. STEINER
ART TIMES October 2008

ABBEVILLE PRESS: The History of Gardens in Painting by Nils Büttner. 240 pp.; 10 5/8 x 11 1/2;; 180 Color Illus.; Selected Bibliography; Index. $95.00 Hardcover. Whether you are a painter or a gardener, you’ll spend hours browsing The History of Gardens in Painting. Ranging over a 2000-year love-affair between painters and gardens, this gorgeously lush book takes you on a visual journey that you’ll not want to end. Hours of pleasure lie ahead for the discerning reader. *****

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery (Ed.) Helen A. Cooper et al. 368 pp.; 12 x 10; 380 Illus., 315 in Color; Index. $75.00 Hardcover. As much social history as it is an art book, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, the accompanying catalogue to a traveling exhibition presently at the Speed Art Museum, Louisville (thru Jan 4, ’09) that will then travel to the Seattle Art Museum (Feb 26—May 24) and the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama (Oct 4—Jan 10, ’10), is a compendium of art and artifacts — paintings, decorative arts, prints, photographs, etc. — inspired by the great American “Experiment”. Scholarly and comprehensive in its scope, this impressive catalogue is handsomely produced and lavishly illustrated. *****
Landscapes Clear and Radiant: The Art of Wang Hui (1632—1717)
by Wen C. Fong, et al. 248 pp.; 9 x 12; 265 Illus., 81 in Color; Maps; Catalogue of Inscriptions, signatures, and seals; Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition of the same name at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC (thru Jan 4, ’09), Landscapes Clear and Radiant, as its title indicates, presents a scholarly overview of the life and work of one of China’s master landscape painters. Visually enchanting. *****
Cézanne’s Watercolors: Between Drawing and Painting
by Matthew Simms. 256 pp.; 10 x 11 1/22;; 145 Illus., 65 in Color; Notes; Bibliography; Index. $60.00 Hardcover.Beginning with the assumption that it was the “dialogue between drawing and painting” that lay at the root of Cézanne’s extensive use of watercolor, author Matthew Simms explores the interaction between the two mediums in his Cézanne’s Watercolors: Between Drawing and Painting. Excellent reproductions. **** Collected Writings on Velázquez by Jonathan Brown. 410 pp.; 7 1/2; x 10 1/4;; 170 Color Illus.; Biographical Note; Index. $50.00 Softcover. Written by a leading authority on the artist, Collected Writings on Velázquez contains all of his essays — some printed for the first time in English, and one heretofore never published — on the life, career, and work of Diego Velázquez. Scholarly and comprehensive. ****

 

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS: Painting at the Edge of The World: The Watercolours of Tony Foster Foreword by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 324 pp.; 13 1/2; x 12; 240 Color Illus.; Chronology of Journeys; Selected Solo Exhibitions; Collectors and Works. $75.00 Hardcover. Impressively grand in its presentation, Painting at the Edge of The World takes you on a visually breathtaking journey with landscapes of canyons, deserts, mountains, rainforests…and more, that will long linger in your mind. A beautiful book! *****

 

THE REMBRANDT HOUSE MUSEUM/THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM: Maria Sibylla Merian & Daughters: Women of Art and Science by Ella Reitsma. 264 pp.; 8 3/4; x 12; Color Illus.; Scientific Names of Plants and Animals; Bibliography; List of Exhibited Works; Index. $44.95 Softcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition at both the Rembrandt House Museum and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Maria Sibylla Merian & Daughters is a beautifully produced catalogue offering an extensive overview of the much-neglected work of botanical artists (See past reviews on the subject in ‘Drawn and Colored by a Lady’ at Arader Galleries   (ART TIMES’ Review March 1907 Issue) and ‘Doris Downes at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation’ (ART TIMES’ Critique July 2008 Issue.) Whether scientist, artist, or just plain nature-lover, this is a book you will cherish. Includes scholarly insights into both the practice and the practitioners. *****

 

STERLING PUBLISHING CO. INC.: Free Expression in Acrylics by John Hammond w/Robin Capon. 128 pp.; 8 1/2; x 10 7/8; Color Illus.; Index. $29.95 Hardcover. Easy Fresco by Lina Ferrara. 128 pp.; 8 1/2; x 11; Color Illus.; Metric Conversion Chart; Index. $24.95 Hardcover. Botanical Illustration Course with The Eden Project by Rosie Martin & Meriel Thurstan. 144 pp.; 8 1/2; x 10 78; Color Illus.; Further Reading; Useful Information; Index. $21.95 Softcover. Color and Light in Oils by Nicholas Verrall & Robin Capon. 128 pp.; 8 1/2; x 10 7/8; Color Illus.; Index. $21.95 Softcover. Drawing Birds with Colored Pencils by Kaaren Poole. 144 pp.; 8 1/2; x 10; Color Illus.; Metric Conversion Chart; Index. $14.95. Softcover. Little Landscapes by Priscilla Hauser. 128 pp.; 8 1/2; x 11; Color Illus.; Metric Conversion; Index. $14.95 Softcover. A potpourri of new releases from Sterling, each of these “how-to” books (as is usual for Sterling) are chock full of high quality, professionally presented tips, guidance and ideas for whatever your particular medium you practice. Great art reference books at bargain prices! *****

 

PRACTICING LAW INSTITUTE: All About Rights for Visual Artists and All About Tax Tips for Collectors by Ralph E. Lerner and Judith Bresler. 272 pp. and 263 pp. (respectively); (Both) 6 x 9; Index. $29.95 Softcover. Two handy guides for either artist or collector, both are written by experts in their field. Clear, concise, complete. Who better to ask than to go to the experts? *****

 

BARRON’S EDUCATIONAL SERIES: How to Draw and Paint Fairyland: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the World of Fairies by Linda Ravenscroft. 128 pp.; 8 1/2; x 11; 350 Color Illus.; Index. $21.99 Softcover. A great gift for that special artist, How to Draw and Paint Fairyland offers all you need to know about how to create your own magic forest of the family of fairies and all their special ‘hang-outs’. Includes extensive list of materials needed as well as tips on how to create your own land of wonder. *****