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Compiled by RAYMOND J. STEINER
YALE
UNIVERSITY PRESS: Fra Angelico (Eds.) Laurence Kanter and Pia Palladino.
348 pp.; 10 3/4; x 11 3/8; Appendix; Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover.
In memory of the five-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the death of
Fra Angelica, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has mounted a groundbreaking
exhibition (thru Jan 30, ’06) for which this catalogue serves as accompanying
text. The first comprehensive exhibition since 1955 and only the second
such showing of the artist’s work, both catalogue and exhibition explore
new avenues and re-explore old ones to offer up a more historically accurate
picture of this Italian Renaissance master. Enhanced by the essays of
four additional scholars to those of the editors, and lavishly illustrated
with a generous selection of detailed close-ups, this is sure to stand
as the definitive study of Fra Angelico for some years to come. *****
Hatsheput: From Queen to Pharaoh (Eds.)
Catharine H. Roehrig, et al. 356 pp.; 9 1/2; x 11 3/8; 386 Illus.,
226 in Color; Maps; Chronology; Appendix; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.
$65.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with a major exhibition
coming to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Mar 28 thru Jul 9. ’06), Hatsheput
presents the reign, influence, and artistic output of this hitherto
little-known Queen/Pharaoh of Egypt. Scholarly essays outline the new
research exploring the periods before, during, and after Hatsheput’s tenure;
excellent reproductions bring to light much of the newly discovered art
and artifacts produced during her reign. Handsomely produced, the book
is a marvelous combination of historical revision and art. *****
Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master by Hugo Chapman. 320
pp.; 9 x 11; 283 Illus., 203 in Color; Appendices; Notes; Bibliography;
Index. $50.00 Hardcover. This handsomely produced book centers on
Michelangelo’s draftsmanship, and the central role that it played in his
development as both painter and sculptor. Includes in-depth analyses on
more than 90 of the artist’s red, black chalk and ink drawings. A wonderful
addition to your library. *****
Imagining America: Icons of 20th-Century American Art by
John Carlin and Jonathan Fineberg. 208 pp.; 113/4; x 9 1/4; 400 Color
Illus.; Notes; List of Illustrations; Index. $49.95 Hardcover. From
Walt Whitman to Frank Lloyd Wright to Andy Warhol, Imagining America
offers up a pot-pourri of what have become America’s iconic images.
A wonderful armchair journey across the country. *****
Masters of American Comics (Ed.) John Carlin, et al. 328 pp.;
9 1/4; x 12 3/4; 185 Color Illus.; Selected Bibliography; Index. $45.00
Hardcover. The accompanying catalogue to an exhibition of the same name at the Hammer
Museum and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA (thru Mar 12,
’06), Masters of American Comics is
an in-depth overview of 15 American comic book masters. A great nostalgic
romp for many old-timers, the book offers up a generous taste of “Krazy
Kat”, “Little Nemo”, “Wee Willie Winkie”, “Gasoline Alley”, Dick Tracy”,
“Terry and the Pirates”, and others. An old-timey pleasure. *****
Rubens: A Master in the Making by David Jaffé, et al. 208 pp.;
9 7/8 x 11 1/2; 150 Color Illus.; Bibliography; Index. $39.95 Hardcover.
Confined as it is to his early years (w/drawings and paintings undiluted
by other hands), A Master in the Making is one of the most comprehensive
analyses of Rubens’s spectacular beginnings as one of the 17th century’s
most flamboyant — and successful — painters. A handsome production
with excellent reproductions, this book accompanies an exhibition at the
National Gallery, London (thru Jan 15, ’06). *****
ABRAMS:
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem (Foreword) James S. Snyder. 320
pp.; 9 1/2; x 11; 290 Illus., 273 in Color; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Organized
into four sections — Fine Arts; Judaica & Jewish Ethnography;
Archaeology; Youth Wing — this handsomely produced catalogue offers
an overview of the extensive holdings of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
Lavishly illustrated with fine reproductions. *****
Close Reading: Chuck Close and the Artist Portrait by Martin Friedman.
344 pp.; 7 1/2; x 10; 200 Color Illus.; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. Published to accompany an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery,
London (thru Jan 29, ’06), Close Reading offers up almost everything
you might have wanted to know about Chuck Close, including a comprehensive
biography by Friedman and some revealing interviews with ten of Close’s
artist/sitters (e.g., Jasper Johns, Alex Katz, Cindy Sherman, Francesco
Clemente, and others). A ‘close’ reading, indeed. ***
Drawing: Mastering the Language of Visual Expression by Keith Micklewright.
168 pp.; 8 1/2; x 10 1/8; 150 Illus., 50 in Color; Glossary; Further
Reading; Index. $29.95 Softcover. The Creative Photographer: A Complete Guide to Photography
by John Ingledew. 256 pp.; 8 ½ x 10 1/8; 250 Color Illus.;
Index. $29.95 Softcover. Both of these books, the first two in Abrams’s
new “Studio Series”, offer wide-ranging tips, ideas, techniques, examples,
and exercises for either the beginning or professional artists/photographer.
Lavishly illustrated and clearly written, both books offer a wealth of
information at a moderate cost. Sure to be a popular new series. *****
DOUGLAS
& McINTYRE: Brian Jungen by Daina Augaitis. 162 pp.; 10 3/8
x 11 1/4;; 372 B/W & Color Illus.; Artist Biography; List of Works.
$50.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the
Vancouver Art Gallery, Brian Jungen presents an overview of the work by one of Canada’s celebrated sculptural
artists. In addition to Daina Augaitis, four international curators offer
up rationales for his apparent global success. Handsomely illustrated.
***
PRESTEL:
Egon Schiele (Ed.) Renée Price. 503 pp.; 9 3/4; x 11 3/4; 180 Color
Illus; Checklist; Biography; Chronology; Bibliography; Index. $65 Hardcover.
Edited by Neue Gallerie Director, Renée Price, this volume showcases
the extensive collection of Schiele’s drawings and paintings held by Ronald
S. Lauder and Serge Sabarsky. Lavishly illustrated and handsomely produced,
this book is not only an in-depth look into Schiele’s work but an impressive
introduction for those not yet familiar with one of New York’s newer museums.
*****
The Art of Wonder: A History of Seeing by Julian Spalding. 340
pp.; 7 1/4; x 10; 500 Illus., 450 in Color; Index. $35.00 Hardcover. This
is a book whose time was long overdue. The Art of Wonder encourages
the viewer to trust to their own eyes and experiences to understand and
enjoy the great art that has come down to us — indeed, continues
to come to us — through the ages. Spalding, author and director
of numerous museums in Great Britain, guides the reader to seek common
themes in art across cultures and ages. A must for those seeking to get
all they can — and more — from art. *****
UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA PRESS: Betye Saar: Extending the Frozen Moment by James
Christen Steward, et al. 176 pp.; 9 x 12; 90 Illus., 80 in Color; Notes;
Artist’s Chronology; Selected Bibliography; Index. $39.95 Hardcover. Published
in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name presently at the University
of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor (thru Jan 8,’06) which will then
travel to the Norton Museum, W. Palm Beach (Mar 18—June 11) and
the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia (Sep 8—Dec
3), Betye Saar offers a retrospective overview of the last forty
years of Saar’s work. Hailed as a ‘visionary’, Saar’s multi-media constructs
and paintings tell a story that entails not only personal history but
also a pot-pourri of spirituality, politics, and culture. Compelling.
****
Sam Gilliam: A Retrospective by Jonathan P. Binstock. 237 pp.;
9 x 11; 105 Illus., 80 in Color; Chronology; Selected Bibliography; Exhibition
Checklist; Index. $34.95 Softcover. The accompanying catalogue to
an exhibition currently at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
(thru Jan 22, ’06) and which will travel to The Speed Art Museum, Louisville
(Jun 6—Sep 3), the Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah (Oct 11—Dec
31) to close at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston (Jan 27—May
6, ’07), Sam Gilliam offers — as its title suggests —
a retrospective of Gilliam’s work. Lavishly illustrated with reproductions
of the artist’s groundbreaking work, this is the first major analysis
of Gilliam’s oeuvre. ***
UNIVERSITY
OF WASHINGTON PRESS: Annibale Carracci’s Venus, Adonis & Cupid
by Andres Ubeda de los Cobos, et al. 108 pp.; 10 x 10; 80 Color
Illus.; General Bibliography; List of Works. $50.00 Hardcover. Beautifully produced with close-up details and excellent reproductions,
Venus, Adonis & Cupid offers an in-depth look at one of Annibale Carracci’s most beloved paintings.
Includes the observations of a host of scholars who bring the artist’s
life and work alive. *****
Max Liebermann: From Realism to Impressionism (Ed.) Barbara C. Gilbert. 220 pp.; 9 x 12; 150 Color
Illus.; Chronology; Bibliography; Index. $29.95 Softcover. Published
to coincide with an exhibition currently at the Skirball Cultural Center,
Los Angeles (thru Jan 29, ’06) which will travel to The Jewish Museum,
NYC (Mar 10—Jul 9), From Realism to Impressionism presents
an overview of the life and work of the painter Max Liebermann. Liebermann,
whose career took him from early academicism to impressionism, had risen
to major player on Germany’s artistic scene only to find himself in the
end declared “alien and un-German”, his works cast out of museums along
with all other so-called “decadent” art. Liebermann deserves to be better
known in America; this book and exhibit will go a long way in emending
the oversight. ****
FIREFLY
BOOKS LTD.: Shigeo Fukuda Masterworks by Seymore Chwast. 168 pp.;
8 3/8 x 11x14;; Color Illus.; Index. $49.95 Hardcover. Son of a toy
manufacturing family, Shigeo Fukuda has made his own mark as an internationally
known poster maker. Masterworks offers a sampling of the over 1300
posters he has created over the past 5 decades. Great reproductions. ****
WATSON-GUPTILL
PUBLICATIONS: How to Draw & Paint Fairies: From Finding Inspiration
to Capturing Diaphanous Detail, A Step-by-Step Guide to Fairy Art by
Hazel Harrison. 128 pp.; 8 3/4; x 8 3/4;; 300 Color Images; Index.
$19.95 Softcover. Everything you wanted to know — from materials to techniques —
about creating your own world of fairies. Explicit and clear directions
make for a fun and successful foray into a new world. Great for beginner
or professional. ****
W.W.
NORTON & CO., INC.: Full Bloom: The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keeffe
by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp. 630 pp.; 7 x 9 1/4;; B/W & Color
Illus.; Notes; Selected Bibliography; Index. $19.95 Softcover. Hailed
by Hilton Kramer as “definitive”, it is by now clear to most that an artist’s
life — irrespective of how fully it may be detailed — can
never be a sure guide to an understanding of that artist’s oeuvre. Still,
this newest addition to the O’Keeffe mythos does claim to go further than
most in giving us a truer picture of the woman behind the work in that
full measure has been given to letters and personal observations. For
those who care about such things, we do get a better look at Dorothy Norman,
the “other woman” in O’Keeffe’s life. ***