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New Art Books / Videos
Compiled by Raymond J. Steiner
ART TIMES September 2006

ABBEVILLE PRESS: Landscape Painting: A History by Nils Büttner. 420 pp.; 11 ¼ x 13 1/8; 280 Color Illus.; Appendix; Bibliography; Index. $135.00 Hardcover. Assuredly, no one will ever write the definitive history of landscape that will please everyone, but Nils Büttner, author of The Invention of the Landscape, comes as close to the ideal of what such a history of the genre might be in this impressive tome. Lavishly and magnificently illustrated, Landscape Painting: A History covers a range of time that begins in antiquity and ends in the present. As with any such compendium, selection must occur (which is why Büttner calls it “a” history and not “the” history), but it must at all costs strive to be as inclusive as possible, and this he has done with considerable thought and care. Whatever your predilections and favorites, this is one book that is destined to be a favorite for a great many aficionados of the landscape painting. *****

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS: The Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ Winterhur: Complete Catalogue (Ed.) Mariantonia Reinhard-Felice. 712 pp.; 10 ½ x 11 ½; 488 Illus., 237 in Color; Appendices. $120.00 Hardcover. Some 207 works — representing such Late Gothic - to 20th-Century painters from Grünewald to van Gogh — comprise the Reinhart Collection, here reproduced in grand style in this oversized catalogue recently published for the Swiss Federal Office for Culture and the Swiss Institute for Art Research. Includes the story behind the collecting of Oskar Reinhart who began his purchasing of art at the age of 39 and which he eventually bequeathed to the Swiss nation. Excellent reproductions. *****
Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art by Peter Macnair, et al. 200 pp.; 9 ½ x 12; 140 Illus., 130 in Color; Notes. $60.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada (thru Sep 17), Raven Travelling the art of one of North America’s First Nations. Lavishly and beautifully illustrated, this catalogue gives full due to one of the continent’s important contributions to Native American art and craft. ****
The Spooner Collection of British Watercolours at the Courtauld Institute Gallery
by Michael Broughton, et al. 272 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; 131 Illus., 111 in Color; Chronology; Bibliography; Contributors; Index. $60.00 Softcover. Published to coincide with a series of exhibitions in 2005-6, this catalogue features a wide range of watercolor paintings — from the works of Brueghel the Elder to James Abbot McNeill Whistler — from the impressive Courtauld collection. Includes essays on both the art and the artists by several scholars. A visual treat that will delight all. *****
Adam Elsheimer 1578-1610
(Ed.) Michael Maek-Gérard. 240 pp.; 9 ½ x 12 ½; 240 Illus., 130 in Color; Biographies of Painters in Elsheimer’s Circle; Bibliography; Index. $50.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to a major traveling exhibition in Germany, Scotland, and England, this book offers an in-depth overview of one of the little-known but highly influential painters of the Baroque Style. Although we have only 34 recognized works by his hand (32 are reproduced here), it is enough to see his influence on such artists as Rubens, Rembrandt, Tasso, Saraceni, and those French and Flemish painters who visited Rome in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Excellent reproductions. *****
Fables of La Fontaine (Illustrated)
(Ed.) Koren Christofides. 172 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; 68 Color Illus.; Appendix. $30.00 Softcover. Finally realizing Honoré Daumier’s dream to bring together six other artists to illustrate the well-known and well-loved fables of Jean de la Fontaine, Koren Chriostofides brings together some 60 modern artists to accomplish the task — the result, this delightful little book that will charm both child and adult. ****
Andrew Wyeth: Master Drawings from the Artist’s Collection
by Henry Adams. 112 pp.; 11 x 9; 51 Sepia Toned Illus.; Notes; Checklist of the Exhibition. $29.95 Softcover. Published on the occasion of an exhibition at the Brandywine River Museum at Chadds Ford, PA, Master Drawings from the Artist’s Collection, though modest in size and scope, is far and away ample evidence of the impressive draftsmanship of Andrew Wyeth. Enhanced by Henry Adams’s introductory essay, “Seven Secrets of Andrew Wyeth’s Technique”, this delightful book can only reinforce the lover of realistic renditions of nature. Well worth the price. *****

QUANTUCK LANE PRESS/W.W. NORTON: Greece: Images of an Enchanted Land, 1954-1965 by Robert A. McCabe. 204 pp.; 11 x 13; 116 Tritone Illustrations; Appendices; Notes. $85.00 Hardcover. This handsomely produced book features the photography of Robert A. McCabe, author of soon-to-be published Weekend in Havana: An American Photographer in the Forbidden City, and showcases a bygone Greece that is quickly being changed by both time and man. Striking vistas, close-ups of people, and a sensitivity to his subjects characterize these stunning photographs. Sure to please the lover of Greece as well as of the art of photography. *****

PRESTEL: Absolute Wilson: Life is Work by Katharina Otto-Bernstein. 288 pp.; 11 x 12 ½; 400 Color Illus.; Appendices. $75.00 Hardcover. In Absolute Wilson, documentary filmmaker Katharina Otto-Bernstein presents an in-depth overview of the life and work of stage designer and installation artist Robert Wilson. Includes interviews with a “who’s who” of such friends and members of Wilson’s family as Susan Sontag, David Byrne, Paula Cooper, and Susan Wilson. A comprehensive study. ****

PHAIDON PRESS INC.: Winslow Homer: An American Vision by Randall C. Griffin. 240 pp.; 11 3/8 x 9 7/8; 190 Illus., 142 in Color; Endnotes; Chronology; Selected Bibliography; List of Illustrations; Index. $69.95 Hardcover. The most comprehensive critical survey completed in the last ten years, An American Vision includes not only Winslow Homer’s every major work but also many of his less reproduced etchings and woodcuts. Author Randall C. Griffin, one of America’s leading authorities on Homer, offers new insights into the artist’s life and work; beautifully and lavishly illustrated. *****

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS: Bejewelled by Tiffany, 1837-1987 by Clare Phillips, et al. 320 pp.; 9 ¾ x 12; 470 Illus., 300 in Color; Chronology; Selected Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition at The Gilbert Collection, London (thru Nov 26), Bejewelled by Tiffany is a stunning array of Tiffany’s wares from its founding to the present. Lavishly illustrated and handsomely produced, the book is enhanced by essays from experts in the field. ****
The Art of Domestic Life: Family Portraiture in Eighteenth-Century England
by Kate Retford. 368 pp.; 7 7/8 x 10 3/8; 199 Illus., 24 in Color; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. From formal portraiture, through intimate “genre’ scenes of family life, to downright caricature and satire, author Kate Retford takes on a journey that explores patriarchal values, familial intimacy, political “correctness”, and inherited cultural values as portrayed by a range of English artists — including such notables as Gainsborough, Reynolds, and Romney. Scholarly and insightful. ***
Arp: Painter, Poet, Sculptor
by Eric Robertson. 256 pp.; 7 7/8 x 10 3/8; 80 Illus., 20 in Color; Notes; Index. $55.00 Hardcover. Author Eric Robertson revisits and re-evaluates the life and work of Hans (Jean) Arp, arguing that to truly appreciate the artist’s importance and influence we must also take into consideration his poetry as well as his visual art. Revealing how his poetry was part and parcel of his painting and sculpture (Arp, in fact, considered himself to be first and foremost a poet), Arp firmly places Arp in art historical context. ***
Best in Show: The Dog in Art from the Renaissance to Today
by Edgar Peters Bowron, et al. 272 pp; 9 ¾ x 12; 175 Color Illus.; Checklist of Exhibition; Selected Bibliography; Index. $50.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with an exhibition that recently closed at the Bruce Museum of Arts and Sciences, CT and which will reopen at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Oct1—Jan1, ’07), Best in Show showcases the dog in art as portrayed in paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and photography. Features, among many others, the work of Gustave Courbet, Thomas Gainsborough, Andrew Wyeth, and Any Warhol. A dog-lovers delight. ***
Lions, Dragons, and Other Beasts: Aquamanilia of the Middle Ages, Vessels for Church and Table
by Peter Barnet and Pete Dandridge. 256 pp.; 9 ¼ x 12; 130 Illus., 100 in Color; Bibliography; Index. $50.00 Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition presently on view at The Bard Graduate Center (thru Oct 15), Lions, Dragons, and Other Beasts features the entire collection of aquamanilia (cast metal objects used to pour water over the hands) from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. Excellent reproductions cover a wide and fantastic range of “beasts” from medieval times. Includes discussion of current research into the little-known casting of metals from the 12th to 15th centuries. ****
Storytelling in Christian Art from Giotto to Donatello
by Jules Lubbock. 256 pp.; 7 x 10; 140 Illus., 40 in Color; Appendix; Notes; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. Long recognized as the “Bible for the illiterate’, author James Lubbock, professor of art history at the University of Essex and author of Tyranny of Taste: The Politics of Architecture and Design in Britain, 1550-1960, explores in detail just how Renaissance painters “told” the story of the scriptures. Includes an analysis of such artists as Giotto, Ghiberti, Masaccio, Donatello, and others. Scholarly, informative, and insightful. ****
Art in the Making: Rembrandt (New Edition)
by David Bomford, et al. 256 pp.; 8 5/8 x 10 ½; 231 Illus., 186 in Color; Notes; Tables; Materials and Methods; Bibliography; Glossary; Index of Works. $40.00 Softcover. Published on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his birthday, Art in the Making takes us into the heart and mind of Rembrandt’s art with the help and insights of a host of conservators, curators, and scientific specialists. Includes discussions of the latest technical developments of the last 20 years in our attempts to expand our knowledge of the art of painting. ****
The Sight of Death: An Experiment in Art Writing by T.J. Clark. 260 pp.; 6 ¼ x 8 5/8; 101 Illus., 86 in Color; Notes; Index. $30.00 Hardcover. A provocatively tantalizing new study of the way we look at art, The Sight of Death argues for a reevaluation of the idea that paintings can be “taken in” at a single viewing. Inspired by his own experience of looking at two of Poussin’s paintings (“Landscape with a Man Killed by a Snake” and “Landscape with a Calm”) at the Getty Museum, Clark delves into the psychological implications of truly comprehending a work of art. Engrossing. *****
Tutankhamun’s Tomb: The Thrill of Discovery
by Susan J. Allen (Photography by Harry Burton). 104 pp.; 9 7/8 x 12; 157 Duotone Illus.; Plate Description; Suggested Reading. $24.95 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition presently at The Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago (thru Oct 8) and opening at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, (Dec 19-Apr 29, ’07), Tutankhamun’s Tomb offers a striking array of in-situ views of the tomb’s treasures in Harry Burton’s (1879-1940) black-and-white photographs. Includes an introductory essay by James P. Allen, Curator in The Met’s Department of Egyptian Art. Excellent reproductions. ****
Michelangelo
by Hugo Chapman. 96 pp.; 6 1/8 x 7 ½; 59 Color Illus.; Significant Dates; Further Reading. $17.95 Hardcover. Written by one of the foremost scholars on the works of Michelangelo, this handsome little book concentrates on the sculptor, painter, draftsman, architect, poet’s drawings, beautifully reproduced in this modestly-priced book that should delight the connoisseur. A great gift. *****

HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC.: The Rembrandt Book by Gary Schwartz. 384 pp.; 10 x 13; 700 Color Illus.; References; Indices. $65.00 Hardcover. Bound to be the definitive and standard reference book the life and work of Rembrandt for some time to come, Gary Schwartz’s The Rembrandt Book offers up a wealth of information on the work, the craft, and the milieu of this master artist. Lavishly illustrated and handsomely produced, this volume is sure to please the scholar as well as the casual artlover. *****

Mona Lisa: Inside the Painting by Jean-Pierre Mohen, et al. 128 pp.; 11 7/8 x 17 5/8; 330 Illus., 218 in Color; Selected Bibliography. $50.00 Hardcover. A scholarly and veritable cracking of da Vinci’s “code’, Mona Lisa: Inside the Painting offers the most comprehensive analysis of the painting to date. A wealth of detailed photographs in this oversized book uncovers the making of this masterpiece, from da Vinci’s preparation of the poplar panel on which it was painting through the layers of paint that he used to produce his image, and even includes what the passage of time has done in the interim of its execution to its present appearance. A masterful study and a beautiful book. *****
Cartoon America: Comic Art in the Library of Congress
(Ed.) Harry Katz. 324 pp.; 10 7/8 x 10 7/8; 275 Color Illus.; Contributor’s Biographies; Index. $50.00 Hardcover. A veritable feast for the comic book connoisseur and cartoon craver, Cartoon America serves up some 250 years of one of the most endearing indicators of our culture. Includes a wide range of comics and artists, from the silly to the serious, from the newspapers and from film. A fun read. *****

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS: Picturing the City: Urban Vision and the Ashcan School by Rebecca Zurier. 418 pp.; 7 ½ x 10 ¼; 160 B/W & Color Illus.; Notes; Selected Bibliography; List of Illustrations; Index. $49.95 Hardcover. Author Rebecca Zurier re-analyzes the “Ashcan School” and the literature of the day (focusing on the works of such artists as George Bellows, William Glackens, Robert Henri, George Luks, Everett Shinn and John Sloan) through the lens of cultural history — the result is a fascinating overview of New York’s turn-of-the-century’s burgeoning into a major urban settlement. An important study. *****
Modern Chinese Artists: A Biographical Dictionary by Michael Sullivan. 249 pp.; 6 ¼ x 8 ¼; B/W Illus.; Bibliography. As its title proclaims, this is a comprehensive compendium of present-day active Chinese artists. Includes brief biographical remarks about most of the 1,800 entries. ***

NATIONAL ACADEMY MUSEUM/GEORGE BRAZILLER: Luminist Horizons: The Art and Collection of James A. Suydam by Katherine E. Manthorne and Mark D. Mitchell. 192 pp.; 9 ½ x 8 ¼; B/W & Color Illus.; Appendices; Chronology; Selected Bibliography; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. In Luminist Horizons, a well-illustrated and well-researched book, authors Manthorne and Mitchell re-analyze and re-assess what some have termed the ‘luminist school’ of painting. Although it is often a delicate matter to definitively label a group or a style as being part of a formal “school” — given that the quality most often descriptive of serious artists is that of possessing an individual aesthetic vision or view — this study does go some way toward establishing a sharing of values and ideas by Suydam’s small group of colleagues. Handsomely produced. ****

WOODSTOCK ARTS: Woodstock History and Hearsay (Second Edition) by Anita M. Smith. 336 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; 189 Illus., 19 in Color; Maps; Notes; Bibliography; List of Illustrations; Index. $37.50 Hardcover. From its earliest times of the Amerindians to its heydays as one of America’s most famous art colonies following WWII, Woodstock History and Hearsay offers a fascinating “insiders” look (author Anita M. Smith was a painter studying under John F. Carlson at the Art Students League of New York summer school in Woodstock) into the town’s most colorful aspects. Includes a wealth of photographs and reproductions along with an array of Woodstock’s “notables.” ****

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BOOKS: Work: The World in Photographs by Ferdinand Protzman. 352 pp.; 10 3/8 x 11 ¼; Approx. 190 B/W & Color Illus. $35.00 Hardcover. Some 80 top photographers have contributed to this extraordinary compendium of “the world of work” ranging over Europe, Asia, Africa, The Middle East, the Americas, and the Islands — all enhanced by the writing of Ferdinand Protzman who offers his own insights into the intertwining of self-image, work, and society. For the very modest price of thirty-five dollars it is truly amazing how much of the world that the National Geographic is able to bring to the armchair traveler. Striking and beautiful reproductions make this a wonderful gift for that favorite person — or even for yourself! *****

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESS: Bauhaus Culture: From Weimar to the Cold War (Ed.) Kathleen James-Chakraborty.  256 pp.; 7 x 10; B/W Illus.; Notes; Contributors; Select Bibliography; Index. $25.00 Softcover. This new study reassesses the Bauhaus experiment through the eyes of 8 scholars who take a closer look at the myths and realities of what many feel was one of the most influential movements in modern art. Scholarly and comprehensive. ****

Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.: Museum of the Missing: A History of Art Theft by Simon Houpt. 192 pp.; 8 ¼ x 10 ¼; B/W & Color Illus.; Appendix; Index; Selected Bibliography. $24.95 Hardcover. “If all the paintings presented here could be gathered in one museum it would be one of the finest collections in existence” — so claims the advanced publicity for Museum of the Missing and indeed some of the world’s most beautiful works are represented in this latest book on the “history of art theft”. An intriguing tour of the seamier side of the world of art. ****

WATSON-GUPTILL BOOKS: Water-Based Screenprinting Today: From Hands-On Techniques to Digital Technology by Roni Henning. 144 pp.; 8 ½ x 10 ½; 160 Illus., 150 in Color; Resources; Index. $24.95 Softcover. Author Roni Henning, teacher, screenprinter, and director of New York Institute of Technology’s Screenpoint Workshop, offers up a comprehensive overview of the techniques, materials, and resources for the craft of screenprinting. Lavishly illustrated and clearly written for either the tyro or pro. Another bargain from Watson-Guptill’s long line of “how-to” books. ****

Compiled by Raymond J. Steiner

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