YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS: The Cave Church of Paul the Hermit at the Monastery of St. Paul in Egypt (Ed.) William Lyster. 416 pp.; 10 1/2; x 12 3/8; 310 Illus., 250 in Color; Abbreviations; Notes; Glossary; Bibliography; Index. $75.00 Hardcover. An impressively major study, The Cave Church of Paul the Hermit at the Monastery of St. Paul in Egypt chronicles the history and explores the development of both Christian shrine and Coptic art at one and the same time. Handsomely produced with scholarly commentary and excellent reproductions, this volume stands as both social history and art book. A must for any educational institute or public library. *****
Slavery, Sugar, and the Culture of Refinement: Picturing the British West Indies 1700-1840 by Kay Dian Kriz. 288 pp.; 7 5/8 x 10 3/8; 120 Illus., 40 in Color; Afterword; Notes; Bibliography; Index. $75.00 Hardcover. As much social history as art book, Slavery, Sugar, and the Culture of Refinement: Picturing the British West Indies 1700-1840 is one of the latest releases in the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art Series and, as its title suggests, explores the knotty relationships between slavery and “culture”. Scholarly and topically informative. *****
Burdock by Janet Malcolm. 30 pp.; 10 1/4; x 12 3/8; 28 Color Illus.; Acknowledgements. $65.00 Hardcover. Breathtakingly seductive, Burdock by Janet Malcolm is almost as much a journey of the soul as it is of the eyes. Though she only leaves us with only handful of images, they linger in the mind for hours after you’ve closed the book. Lovely. *****
Westward the Course of the Empire by Mark Ruwedel. 180 pp.; 14 1/8 x 11 3/8; 72 Tritone Illus. $65.00 Hardcover. This handsomely produced volume catalogues the course of the railroad across America’s West as seen through the lens of photographer Mark Ruwedel. An impressive undertaking. ****
Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe (Eds.) Wolfram Koeppe and Annamarie Giusti. 428 pp.; 9 3/8 x 12 3/8; 579 Illus., 272 in Color; Glossary; Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with The Metropolitan Museum of Art and their current exhibition (thru Sep 21), Art of the Royal Court offers up an overview of the pietre dure (“paintings in stone”) collected by Royal Courts from around Europe. Beautifully illustrated. ****
Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926-1933 (Eds.) Joan Simon and Brigitte Leal. 304 pp.; 10 x 11; 322 Illus., 235 in Color; List of Works; Selected Exhibition History; Selected Bibliography; Index. $60.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with the Whitney Museum of American Art and its exhibition of the same name (Oct 16 — Feb 15, ’09), Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926-1933 is a comprehensive overview of Calder’s formative years. Handsomely produced, lavishly illustrated and full of updated scholarship, this will surely serve as one of the definitive texts on the artist for some time to come. *****
Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Dürer and Titian (Eds.) Larry Silver and Elizabeth Wyckoff. 176 pp.; 10 3/4; x 11 3/8; 107 Illus., 45 in Color;  + 2 Gatefolds; Checklist of Exhibition; Bibliography; Index. $50.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition of the same name that opened at the Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College and which will travel to the Yale University Art Gallery (Sep 9-Nov 30) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Jan 31-Apr 26, ’09), the catalogue Grand Scale aptly lives up to its name. Sure to please any print aficionado, this is a beautiful volume that not only includes excellent reproductions but a wealth of scholarly information that places the making of prints in a larger context. *****
Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria: 25 Years by Adam D. Weinberg and Shamim M. Momin. 192 pp.; 8 1/8 x 11 1/4;; 200 Color Illus.; Index of Visual Artists. $45.00 Hardcover. In celebration of its 25 years as a venue for “cutting-edge” art and projects, Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria chronicles the Altira’s history and artists. Excellent reproductions. ***
The Age of Impressionism at the Art Institute of Chicago by Gloria Groom and Douglas Druick. 184 pp.; 9 5/8 x 12; 160 Illus., 119 in Color; Selected Bibliography; Index of Artists. $40.00 Softcover. Boasting one of the largest holdings of late 19^th-century French Art, The Age of Impressionism at the Art Institute of Chicago catalogues The Institutes some 90+ Impressionist paintings, including most of the major names that represent that group. Visually beautiful and remarkably informative. ****
How to Read Chinese Paintings by Maxwell K. Hearn. 184 pp.; 9 1/4; x 12; 175 Color Illus.; Notes; Further Reading. $25.00 Softcover. Published in conjunction with The Metropolitan Museum of Art and their recent exhibition, “Anatomy of a Masterpiece: How to Read Chinese Paintings”, this volume, by the Met’s Douglas Dillon Curator in the Department of Asian Art, visually analyzes thirty-six paintings and calligraphies in an effort to “reveal” what makes them “masterpieces”. Lavishly illustrated and eminently informative. *****
HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC.: David Nash by Norbert Lynton. 168 pp.; 10 5/8 x 11 5/8; Fill Color Photographs. $60.00 Hardcover. A retrospective of David Nash’s work, this volume offers an in-depth look into the course of his work over the past 40-odd years. Lavishly illustrated. ***
The Arts of Tuscany by Marina Belozerskaya. 272 pp.; 9 1/4; x 12 1/4;; 250 Color Illus.; Suggestions for Further Reading; Index. $50.00 Hardcover. Almost as good as seeing it all at first hand, The Arts of Tuscany offers the armchair traveler an up-close and intimate look at the treasures to be found in Florence, Siena, Pisa, and Lucca. Author Marina Belozerskaya shows you not only ancient Etruscan bronzes but the latest Ferragamo shoes! You’ll love this lavishly illustrated view of Tuscan towns and countryside. *****
Louvre: 400 Masterpieces by Henri Loyrette, et al. 544 pp.; 8 1/4; x 8 1/4;; 450 Color Illus.; Index. $40.00 Hardcover. Concise, informative, chock-full of excellent color reproductions, Louvre: 400 Masterpieces must be one of the best bargains currently around. Includes work from the distant past to the present day, as well as from around the world. A beautiful addition to anyone’s library. *****

WILEY PUBLISHERS: Italian Baroque Art by Susan M. Dixon, 390 pp.; 6 3/4; x 9 5/8; B/W Illus.; Index. $50.00 Softcover. The latest in their “Blackwell Anthologies in Art History” Series, Italian Baroque Art offers an in-depth study into the Baroque period, including a close look at precise definition, production, meaning, and critical analyses. Scholarly and thorough. ****

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS: Anna Richards Brewster, American Impressionist (Ed.) Judith Kafka Maxwell. 216 pp.; 8 1/2; x 11; 114 Illus., 91 in Color; Chronology and Exhibition History; Checklist of Exhibition; Selected References; Authors’ Biographies; Index. $39.95 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of her work presently at the Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY (thru Sep 7) which will then travel to the Butler Institute for American Art, Youngstown, OH (Sep 27-Dec 29) and the Fresno Metropolitan Museum, CA (Mar 28-Jun 14, ’09), Anna Richards Brewster, American Impressionist is another fine example of rescuing artists — especially women artists — who’ve fallen through the cracks of art history. Brewster, student of William Merritt Chase and John LaFarge, trained at Académie Julian in Paris and returned to America to become one of the most prolific painters of landscapes and portraits — only to be faced with the common problem of chauvinistic neglect. An excellent study and a handsome book. ****

BARRON’S: Creative Techniques: Oil by Josep Asunción and Gemma Guasch. 144 pp.; 8 3/8 x 11; Color Illus.; Glossary. $24.99 Hardcover. The latest “How-To” in their educational series, Creative Techniques: Oil presents fourteen different approaches to the art of oil painting. Concise, clear, informative and well-illustrated. ****

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