Reviews (17)

This book is a classic - timeless and striking.
The Family of Man - first published in 1955 - is the pictorial record of one of the most riveting exhibitions of photography of all time. The book, which contains some text, is a poignant treasure of the human condition - from birth to death. It shows man's relation and connection to life, regardless of country or language and all that we share through love, pain, rituals and simply coping. The phrase " a picture is worth a thousand words" comes alive in The Family of Man.

A brilliant presentation of the human spirit on film
This book details the Family of Man photography exhibit composed of photos that Edward Steichen collected from photographers throughout the world. From the intro by Carl Sandburg (his brother in law), to the photographs of birth, life, death and the emotions and events in between, the book shows true humanity through the eyes of the camera. Featuring works by many famous, but yet unknown photographers, this book is a true treasure. When you glance at its pages you will discover new perspectives, or maybe something inside yourself. This is not a picture book, but a photo biography of the human race. If you are tired of coffee table books that sit unopened, pick up this book a few times and share it with your friends. You will read it again and again, discovering new secrets with every turn of a page.

Most wonderful wonderful and yet again wonderful
First time I saw the pictures collected by Edward Steichen was in the permanent museum of the exhibition, Clervaux in Luxembourg.

I was keeped almost in silence from entering to exiting and the message of the pictures was striking to me then - and 15 years later it still is.

This is a collection of pictures from all the world, picked between Thousands to be the best pictures to describe the family of man as we ALL are. No matter of colour, religion, origin or political believe we are all sons, fathers, lovers, hungry, thirsty, at times fearful and at times playful - WE ARE ALL ALIKE!

This message is as important now as it was in the 50` and looking at extreemist and the war of terror, you can only wonder how come we have learned nothing in 50 years.

The book brings me back to Clervaux and the thoughts about life, and each time I stop at a different picture or text, that captures the essence of where I am at that time of life. The book is universal not only to man but also to moods.

However happy I am to own the book it is nothing compared with the exhibition in Luxembourg. I can only say that I returned and will return again, and for the full experience of these pictures I will recommend it to all.

Note that all (but one) customer reviews are 5 stars!!!
This is simply the best collections of photographs that I have ever seen. The book dates from the 50's, but the subject matter... humans... are the same today. Buy this for yourself, of as a special gift for a special person, and you'll not regret it. (I only wish it were still published in hard cover)

Beautiful, Thoughtful
I have given this book as a gift many times over the years, and can't recommend it enough. The photographs are beautiful, giving the viewer a sense of what is common in the overall human experience. Simple, straight-forward in content, and very moving. An essential volume of photographs. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The arts community of Paris in the late 19th century has been gutted, stuffed, studied, and fetishized for so many years now that one could easily think there are no mysteries left to wring from this era, as exceptional as it was. This handsome title focuses on the relationship between the ribald, booming, bohemian neighborhood of Montmartre and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's work(1864-1901). It places his art so squarely in context that it rushes back to life and relevance. This is no mean feat, and the picture depicted in these four scholarly and engrossing essays is much clearer, stranger, and more sordid than Hollywood’s botched tribute. As discussed in Phillip Dennis Cate's essay, all manner of artists commingled in Lautrec’s dens of exploitation (circuses, dancing halls and whorehouses): Nabis, Symbolist, and post-Impressionist painters, absurdist humorists, caricaturists, anarchists, musicians, scene painters, and even proto-conceptual artists. As Mary Weaver Chapin explains, Lautrec was a pop artist before pop, with his appropriations of handbill imagery, his affinity for famous performers, his elevation of the "low" poster medium to "high" art, and his interest in perpetuating his own fame. It's easy to understand the attraction of this era; after all, so many of the cultural seeds of the 20th century were sewn in such a brief time in Paris' 18th arrondissement by (let's face it) a bunch of horny drunk dudes messed up on absinthe. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Book Description

Yale University Press is pleased to announce a new exclusive publishing agreement with the Kimbell Art Museum

An exquisite book that celebrates the central subject in the work of George Stubbs, whom many consider to be the greatest painter of horses in the history of art

A versatile genius whose oeuvre includes paintings, engravings, and detailed anatomical studies, George Stubbs (1724–1806) was fascinated by horses. This handsome book presents for the first time the wide range of his equine imagery, from refined portraits of racehorses to violent scenes of horses attacked by lions in the wild.

Taking full account of the associations and status of the “noble horse” in eighteenth-century Britain and the colorful world of its devotees—both high and low—the authors examine Stubbs’s work from different points of view and offer many fresh interpretations. Malcolm Warner discusses how horses were regarded in Britain in Stubbs’s time, the unexpected connection between his horse-and-lion compositions and the creation of the English thoroughbred, and his classicism. Robin Blake examines the young Whig noblemen who were Stubbs’s first patrons, the grooms, jockeys, trainers, and other attendants who appear in his horse portraits, and his curious dealings with the Prince of Wales. The book also includes an essay by conservators Lance Mayer and Gay Myers on Stubbs’s experiments with wax and enamel.

For admirers of Stubbs’s art, eighteenth-century English painting, and horses, this book is an essential addition to their bookshelves.

Stubbs and the Horse is the catalogue for the first major exhibition on the artist in more than twenty years. It is on view at the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth (November 14, 2004, to February 6, 2005); the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (March 13 to May 29, 2005); and the National Gallery, London (June 29 to September 25, 2005).

Malcolm Warner, Senior Curator at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, is the author of several books, including The Victorians: British Painting, 1837-1901 and Millais: Portraits; Robin Blake is an independent scholar based in London and is the author of a forthcoming biography on Stubbs; Lance Mayer and Gay Myers are consulting conservators based at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, Connecticut.

... Read more

Book Description

Few individuals have exerted as profound an influence on 20th-century American art and culture as Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946). This luxurious two-volume boxed set is the definitive catalogue of the Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Photographs at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, the most complete Stieglitz holding in existence, donated to the gallery by his widow, artist Georgia O'Keeffe.

Numbering 1,642 photographs, the collection represents the full range of the master photographer's work-from early studies made in Europe, to views of the majestic New York skyline, to incomparable intimate portraits of O'Keeffe. Coinciding with a major traveling exhibition and providing complete scholarly apparatus and a chronology, this sumptuous volume demonstrates how Stieglitz absorbed the most advanced artistic concepts of his time into photography and transformed the medium forever. ... Read more

Book Description

"Inspired by folk, pre-Columbian, and Cubist art, Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991) illuminates the beauty and mystery of his homeland with a vibrant palette and an extraordinary imagination in this stunning monograph.Unlike the clearly nationalistic paintings by contemporaries such as Diego Rivera, Jos Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, Tamayo's art encompasses mythical beasts, tropical fruits, Mexican folklore, and the whole of the human experience. The influence of his three homes -- Mexico, Paris, and New York -- is evident in his luminous color, sophisticated compositions, and inventive exploration of Mexican identity. However, Tamayo did not become extremely well known in the United States until after an exhibition of his work at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., in 1978, followed by a major retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in 1979.The popularity of Mexican art has grown enormously in the last decade; Tamayo's work has commanded impressive prices at auction and is now in a number of important international collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Lavishly illustrated with more than 230 images, including oil paintings, drawings, personal photographs, and other memorabilia, Tamayo explores the myths, legends, and dreams of one of Mexico's most revered artists.More than 230 illustrations and photographs" ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Major Reviewers Rave About Guberman's "Stella"
San Francisco Chronicle: "Guberman's affable style and his fund of New York art world reminiscences and gossip make the book fascinating to anyone interested in the hurly-burly of 20th century American art." Kenneth Baker, January 28, 1966

The Atlanta Journal/Constitution: " This book is much more about the making of the art than the making of the life, although the main events of the latter are recounted quite interestingly..... Few artist biographies have told us this much about the process behind what the casual viewer notices--literally behind it.....Guberman captures something of Stella's restless spirit in his telling of the tale." Jerry Cullum, February 11, 1996

New York Times Book Review: "He (Mr. Guberman) is at his best when he addresses the art directly, as in his explanations of the relatively complicated working techniques that Mr. Stella used to make his irregular frames and surfaces or serious sculptural depth." Ted Loos, May 5, 1996 ... Read more

Book Description

Foreword by Manuel J. Borja-Villel.
11.75 x 12.5 in.
1283 illustrations ... Read more

Book Description

Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills, a series of 69 black-and-white photographs created between 1977 and 1980, is widely seen as one of the most original and influential achievements in recent art. Witty, provocative and searching, this lively catalogue of female roles inspired by the movies crystallizes widespread concerns in our culture, examining the ways we shape our personal identities and the role of the mass media in our lives. ~Sherman began making these pictures in 1977 when she was 23 years old. The first six were an experiment: fan-magazine glimpses into the life (or roles) of an imaginary blond actress, played by Sherman herself. The photographs look like movie stills--or perhaps publicity pix--purporting to catch the blond bombshell in unguarded moments at home. The protagonist is shown preening in the kitchen and lounging in the bedroom. Onto something big, Sherman tried other characters in other roles: the chic starlet at her seaside hideaway, the luscious librarian, the domesticated sex kitten, the hot-blooded woman of the people, the ice-cold sophisticate and a can-can line of other stereotypes. She eventually completed the series in 1980. She stopped, she has explained, when she ran out of clichés.~Other artists had drawn upon popular culture but Sherman's strategy was new. For her the pop-culture image was not a subject (as it had been for Walker Evans) or raw material (as it had been for Andy Warhol) but a whole artistic vocabulary, ready-made. Her film stills look and function just like the real ones--those 8 x 10 glossies designed to lure us into a drama we find all the more compelling because we know it isn't real. In the Untitled Film Stills there are no Cleopatras, no ladies on trains, no women of a certain age. There are, of course, no men. The 69 solitary heroines map a particular constellation of fictional femininity that took hold in postwar America--the period of Sherman's youth and the starting point for our contemporary mythology. In finding a form for her own sensibility, Sherman touched a sensitive nerve in the culture at large. Although most of the characters are invented, we sense right away that we already know them. That twinge of instant recognition is what makes the series tick and it arises from Cindy Sherman's uncanny poise. There is no wink at the viewer, no open irony, no camp.~In 1995, The Museum of Modern Art purchased the series from the artist, preserving the work in its entirety. This book marks the first time that the complete series will be published as a unified work, with Sherman herself arranging the pictures in sequence. She's good enough to be a real actress.--Andy Warhol~The still must tease with the promise of a story the viewer of it itches to be told.--Arthur Danto Essays by Peter Galassi and Cindy Sherman. Hardcover, 9.5 x 11.25 in./164 pgs / 0 color 0 BW69 duotone 0 ~ Item D20150 ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Cindy Sherman: Film Stills
Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills, a series of 69 black-and-white photographs created between 1977 and 1980, is widely seen as one of the most original and influential achievements in recent art. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A beautiful book
The photography and the text of this book has been described in other reviews, but I want to add that this is now one of the most beautiful books that I own. The typesetting is flawless, the paper is of a much higher weight than I have seen in other monographs, and, of course, the reproductions are class. These points are magnified by the sheer size of the book-- check the dimensions given in the details above. The book is a work of art.

"The Meaning of the Idea Photography" -- Alfred Stieglitz
This book clearly deserves many more than five stars. It is one of the most remarkable expressions about and by an artist in any genre that I have ever seen.

Before going further, let me caution those who are offended by all forms of nudity that this book contains many female nudes. These are all tastefully done, and will not offend those who look with a desire to see the essence of beauty.

Alfred Stieglitz was a seminal figure in 20th century art. One of the foremost photographers in the century, he also helped other photographers define what the aesthetic means in photography. He also was a champion for many of the best known photographers, and seriously boosted their careers. In painting, he was an early advocate of important 20th century artists like Arthur Dove and Georgia O'Keeffe. In addition, he published two influential journals about photography, and exhibited art in his famous gallery in New York. Clearly, though, photography was his first love. "I have all but killed myself for Photography."

This book focuses on his central vision of photography ("search for objective truth and pure form") which increasingly was about "antiphotographs" or images that move beyond simple representation. This concept is examined both in 73 of his best images and through numerous excerpts from his voluminous writings on the subject (over 200 essays).

This book is based on the famous 1983 show of Stieglitz's work, and has been reproduced with amazing care and quality. The images are produced in tritone to give more texture and detail. The paper is of archival quality. Most people's diplomas are not on paper this good or this thick. There is a luxurious feeling to just hold the pages.

The 73 images were selected by Ms. O'Keeffe, Juan Hamilton (her friend and assistant), and curator Sarah Grenough from approximately 1600 images in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Ms. Grenough selected the writings to be used, and wrote the wonderful introduction.

From looking at these remarkable images, I came away with the impression that Stieglitz was at his best (for my taste) when he was doing portraits, abstractions, and cityscapes. Those subjects seemed to allow him to strip away the unessential better than the others he used. My favorite images in the book are:

Sun Rays -- Paula, Berlin, 1889

From the Back-Window -- 291, 1915 Self-Portrait, 1907

Marie Rapp, 1916

Arthur G. Dove, 1911-1912

Charles Demuth, 1915

Hodge Kirnon, 1917

Marcel Duchamp, 1923

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1918 (3)

Margaret Treadwell, 1921

Waldo Frank, 1920

Dancing Trees, 1922

Music -- A Sequence of Ten Cloud Photographs, VIII, 1922

Equivalent, 1931

His writings are as rewarding as his photographs. I was particularly interested in his ideas about how humans make progress. "Progress has been accomplished only by reason of the fanatical enthusiasm of the revolutionist . . . ." "Experts . . . are the result of hard work."

After you have finished enjoying this astonishingly revealing volume, I suggest that you think about how you like to express truth and beauty in your life. How can you be more direct and simple in this expression?

Be sure to live a life of "constant experimenting" like Stieglitz did!

Wonderful collection of his writing and photographs
This is far more than a picture book; it contains 73 high-quality plates and its real treasures can be found is the twenty page introduction and the fifty pages of selections from his writings about his work and views on photography. As a full time artist, I found this book to be both rich and inspiring. If you have lost sight of why you shoot pictures, try this as a reminder of clearer moments. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The subject of John Singer Sargent's most famous painting was twenty-three-year-old New Orleans Creole Virginie Gautreau, who moved to Paris and quickly became the "it girl" of her day. A relative unknown at the time, Sargent won the commission to paint her; the two must have recognized in each other a like-minded hunger for fame.

Unveiled at the 1884 Paris Salon, Gautreau's portrait generated the attention she craved-but it led to infamy rather than stardom. Sargent had painted one strap of Gautreau's dress dangling from her shoulder, suggesting either the prelude to or the aftermath of sex. Her reputation irreparably damaged, Gautreau retired from public life, destroying all the mirrors in her home.

Drawing on documents from private collections and other previously unexamined materials, and featuring a cast of characters including Oscar Wilde and Richard Wagner, Strapless is a tale of art and celebrity, obsession and betrayal. AUTHORBIO: Deborah Davis is a writer and veteran film executive who has worked as story editor and analyst for Warner Bros., Columbia TriStar, Disney, Miramax, and the William Morris Agency. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Julian Schnabel burst on the neo-expressionist art scene of the early 1980s with huge, arresting paintings on collaged shards of smashed plates. A swaggering and contentious figure whose art no longer occupies center stage, he is probably best known today as a successful filmmaker. All the more reason, perhaps, for him to shore up his reputation by co-designing a mammoth book of his life and art. Julian Schnabel dispenses with commentary, except for the artist's own brief, broad-brushed introduction. Even the titles of his works are relegated to the illustrated index, which--despite Schnabel's proclivity for unconventional surfaces--omits any mention of media. Nearly 400 full-color reproductions trace Schnabel's output from 1976 to the present, interspersed with photographs of the artist, his family, and off-camera moments from the making of Before Night Falls, his film about the gay Cuban writer Reynaldo Arenas. Of course, all the famous Schnabel preoccupations are on full view, from the persistent references to Catholic ritual to the phallic imagery and the invocations of his wife Olantz. The newest mega-series, "Big Girl Paintings"--each face featuring a horizontal swipe of paint in lieu of eyes—-seems a hollow echo of the lively portraits of friends and family from the 1980s and 1990s. But die-hard Schnabel devotees will adore this lavish volume, which accompanies an international traveling exhibition that opens in January 2004 at the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, Germany. (U.S. venues have not been announced.) —Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Poor art by a poor artist
The reason there exists no body of critical literature on Julian Schnabel is simply because his art is so blatantly uncompelling, mediocre, and self-seeking, that no one has bothered in the past three decades to waste time writing about it. Nor will you find any illuminating text here, either (one imagines there is really nothing much to say about paintings this bad anyway) -- just a few Rolling Stone-esque photos of the artist to prove his hipness . . . Painting is still cool, right?

As big as his paintings are!
What a fabulous book of this monsterous artist. Very large paintings deserve a very large book. This book not only has photos of a whole lot of his artworks. But it also has many installation photos which give the viewer a sense of just how big and bold these paintings and sculptures are in real life. If only I could get to see more of his work in person. Preferrably the Zeus & Duende and Hat Full of Rain paintings. Along with his older black and white paintings which are rendered beautifully in this context. I only wish it had more writings by Julian. But hey if it's his writings you want, you can't beat C.V.J. It's a great book about his life as an artist. And also has some fantastic insights into the world of art.

Coffee Table Paper Weight
If you love "art" on weekends,this book can save you a trip to a modern museum.

Brush strokes and raw painted color come alive
Julian Schnabel is an extraordinary 368-page "coffee table" artbook featuring and showcasing the dramatic works of American artist Julian Schnabel flawlessly reproduced in vivid color. Brush strokes and raw painted color come alive with simple yet bold form, producing imagery that stays firmly in one's mind, in this superb presentation devoted entirely to Schnabel's art itself as beyond two pages of introduction there is no text present at all, save for (at the end of the book), a "Selected Exhibition History"; a "Selected Bibliography"; an comprehensive "Artwork Index" listing the titles of the artwork comprising this quite exceptional and highly recommended compendium.

Spectacular
This is an ellegant addition to any persons collection. Well aware you are I imagine of your familiarity with Julian Schnabels paintings, so I won't ramble on here. This is a smaller publication containing plenty of examples of his work, as well as writing by Julian regarding his work that gives fine insight. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Mexico in the early 1920s, a growing, collective social consciousness gave rise to a revolutionary furor focused on liberating the country's workers from harsh conditions and poverty. In 1921, Mexican artists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros were all commissioned by the government to create educational paintings on the walls of public buildings. After that initial experience, they devoted themselves almost exclusively to painting these large-scale murals--forming the foundation of a movement that would last 50 years. The muralists' work took up the themes of society and revolution. Often the paintings depicted historical vignettes like the story of Cuernavaca and Morelos crossing the barranca, or Mexico's ancient Indians. They satirized contemporary society, created ideal visions of peaceful families, and built up dark, imposing industrial cityscapes then leveled them by depicting the debauchery and death of the capitalist industrialists.

The paintings themselves reflect diverse artistic influences--surrealism, cubism, and illustration, most notable among them.Their bold colors and strong imagery practically bound out of the 150 color plates in this book. Mexican muralist and scholar Desmond Rochfort lucidly traces the development of the movement to place the work in context and provides a solid history of each of the artists' social and artistic influences. This is an excellent overview of work that should appeal both to fans of the individual artists and Mexican art in general. --Jordana Moskowitz ... Read more

Reviews (4)

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I OWN!!
This is definitely one of the best books out there for anyone interested in Mexican art. Few books can inspire as much as this one, especially for people from Zapotlanejo, Jalisco. It's loaded with many pictures and chronicles the lives of these three muralistas and has in depth coverage of specific murals, i especially enjoyed the coverage on "History of Mexico" mural by Diego Rivera. This book is definitely worth the price and a great addition to any collection. Orale!

A Masterpiece!!
Rarely have I been as moved and inspired by an art book.

The work of Orozco, Diego and Siqueiros is required study for art students and art enthusiasts.

Thank you Dr. Rochfort for presenting their magnificent work within your brilliant historical analysis.

best outlook on the murilists of mexico and their beliefs
Shows a great variety of each artists pieces and movements through out their career.

very informative
outstanding full of historical views ... Read more

Book Description

Now updated with new material that brings the killer's picture into clearer focus ... Read more

Reviews (482)

Good content, bad presentation
I was really excited to read this book, but I have to say, I was pretty disappointed by it. I guess if the goal was convince me that Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper, then the goal was accomplished. The problem I had with the book is that the presentation was very hard to follow. The book was constantly jumping back and forth between Walters Sickerts history, the different murders and the present in a way that I found confusing. A timeline of when the murders occured (including the ones she speculates are done by Sickert, but are not thought of as "Jack the Ripper" murders) would have been helpful to try to see patterns. Another missing piece for me is why Jack the Ripper suddenly stopped. Patricia Cornwell speculates that he probably didn't stop committing murders, but why did he stop writing the letters? He obviously loved the attention it brought, so why stop after that had been his modus operandi for so long? The last criticism I had of the book is the ending. The book ended abruptly with the death of his 2nd (of 3) wife. Why end there? I couldn't believe when I turned the page and that was the end! There was no wrap up or conclusions of any kind.

For anyone who has always wondered who Jack the Ripper was, you must read this book. It's extremely detailed and as I said, convincing. Her insights into the psychopathic mind are fascinating. She also makes a strong case that Walter Sickert was a violent psychopath. However, you may find as I did that the book could have been much better had the presentation been clearer.

More bodies on the pyre
If anything, this book is perhaps proof that the Jack the Ripper obsession will never die, if only because it's unlikely it will ever be solved, at least 'conclusively'.

The book is arrogantly sub-titled 'Case Closed', and of course, it's anything but a closed case that Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper, or that James Maybrick was the Ripper, or Lewis Carroll was the Ripper, or the royals were involved, etc.

I'm not sure what to make of the whole business anymore. There are now close to 20 suspects in the Ripper case, and indeed in the 1990s alone quite a few new suspects appeared on the scene thanks to research and fanaticism on the part of various writers. Now Cornwall has thrown herself into it, and it's somewhat troubling.

Of course, at the end of the day, there's no smoking gun. There hasn't been a smoking gun, and given that the murders took place in 1888, and evidence and various records are long gone, it's highly unlikely there will be a smoking gun. The whole business already inspired someone to forge a 'Ripper' diary and try to pass it off. This has since been debunked numerous times, with the author himself swearing that it's a forgery, yet people still believe it. Every year someone discovers someone who was in London in 1888, hated women, etc, etc.

Folks who are interested in the Ripper may peruse this book, but it's clear from the 'evidence' and the layout that this is anything but 'Case Closed', if anything, it says something about Cornwall, who writes about her own doubt to this theory. And admittedly, while there are some nice coincidences, and Sickert indeed may have been a bit off his rocker, and indeed may have penned Ripper letters (of which there were many fakes), it's no more convincing than several other theories of the past ten years.

Notice the '71% off' price tag of this book, which shows you something in comparison to other books on the subject. There are much better books about the whole case, and you'll likely learn more from those if you care. It would be nice to put the whole Ripper case to rest, finally. The energy and resources some folks have put into 'solving' this business is becoming more alarming. Recommended if you must, but it's hardly a 'final chapter'.

Absolute tosh: says more about Cornwell than Sickert
I can't think of another character assassination that is as unfounded as this, based as it is on pure conjecture and highly selective and inconclusive 'evidence'.

And just think of the irony of a writer who has based her entire written output on lingering over the sordid details of murder and mutilation claiming that Sickert was a violent psychopath because of the subject-matter of his paintings. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

This book reveals more about the neuroses and obsessions of Cornwell's own sick mind than it does about Sickert. Rather than 'case closed' on Sickert, it is 'case closed' on Cornwell.

Cornwell's reputation as a writer of FICTION remains intact.

Rambling and Premature, and That's Being Generous
I am a fan of Cornwell. I find her to be an intelligent woman, an interesting interview, and a talented author...and she's a fellow Davidson alumnus, a definite plus for this fellow Wildcat. I purchased the unabridged audio of this book eager to listen to what surely must be a well-reasoned, well-grounded theory backed up by at least some evidence. I was horribly disappointed.

Even if Cornwell is correct, this is the farthest thing from a closed case I have ever encountered. Some of the logical leaps and contortions in this book are downright laughable and should justifiably draw outrage from Sickert's admirers or surviving relatives. As other reviewers have noted, it is POSSIBLE (as far as anyone knows) that Sickert might have been a creep, that he might have written a ripper letter, even that he may have been the famous killer, but anyone wanting to bring a case against Sickert would find almost nothing useful in this tome.

The conviction with which Cornwell delivers many of her conclusions (the narrator is suitably melodramatic and judgmental in tone), no matter how tortuous, absurd, strained, or self-serving they may be, makes this book one whopper of a bitter horse pill to swallow for any reader/listener who has somehow managed not to either: a) toss the book into the wall in frustration, or b) fall asleep while attempting to follow the last convoluted line of argument to it's "inescapable" conclusion.

I WANTED Cornwell to come up with an exciting new theory I could buy in to, but at best this book is premature in it's title and conclusion (unless evidence is no longer a prerequisite for closing a case), and at worst this book may be both intellectually dishonest and shockingly irresponsible.
Sadly, this is a must-miss that will leave the reader with more lingering doubts about Cornwell than Sickert.

Case closed? Not quite but....
She's presented us with a very strong theory of who Jack the Ripper was.
The only things she has conclusively proved are: 1: that Walter Richard Sickert wrote some of the Ripper letters (including one that came with a kidney). 2: That more of the ripper letters were written by the same person than previously thought (the use of paint rather than ink, watermarks and language point to one writer). 3: That Walter Richard Sickert was not a very nice guy and had a facination with the violent deaths of women. 4: That Walter Richard Sickert prefered the kind of women in the original five Ripper murders.

I doubt the evidence that Ms. Cornwell provides would pass the reasonable doubt requirement with a jury. Then again, I doubt that enough evidence even still exists to convict anyone of these crimes.

Sickert is definately someone ripperologists should give a closer look.

Her evidence (or lack of) aside, Portrait of a Killer offers a rare view into the underbelly of Victorian England and a fairly entertaining read. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive publication on American photographer Jock Sturges (b.1947) compiled by the artist himself. It is nothing less than an ode to beauty. For more than 20 years, he has been taking photographs of girls growing up, both in his native California and at a nudist resort on the Atlantic coast of France. Nudity in Sturges' work has never been a cheap or tawdry gimmick, rather it is shown as human being's natural state. His photographs are an expression of the trust he has established over the years with the girls and their families. Calmly and almost casually, Sturges observes the aging process of his models. His striking long-term studies chart barely perceptible changes in their appearance, the slow maturing of the female body. Sturges preserves transient states that will never return; graceful forms that time will eventually extinguish. A sweet melancholia pervades Sturges' images as he knows that beauty is not an everlasting state-but a brief moment in time whose essence we should cherish. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

The definitive Jock Sturges monograph
This is by far the best collection of Sturges' work in publication. Unlike the previous Aperture monographs, it displays the images as the artist intended. It follows his chronology, and that of the models, so you can see how they developed over time from young women and men; through their teens, to adults raising their own families. Telling their stories as well as painting their portraits.

He portrays them with the familiarity and intimacy of one who is almost family himself; and captures their characters as well as their forms. It is wonderful to watch how the girls and their families grow over time, how they change and develop. One wishes to know more about them as people, to understand the story behind the pictures.

His models, though nude, are more comfortable in that state than most people are clothed. There are no clothes, no outside trappings, to get in the way of the full expression of the person. The people he photographs are relaxed and peaceful.

His work is free of gimmicks, of artificial tension, of blatant eroticism. It is all about beauty and innocence.

He has received numerous accusations of child pornography and exploitation from narrow-minded and perverse individuals. One only needs to look at his work to dispel all notions of such. Only the most twisted and sick-minded person could find his work pornographic. As a Christian, I find it to be a wonderful expression of the beauty of God's greatest creation.

The tones of his images are mostly soft, low-contrast. The beach images reflect in sand and sea the same light gradations and textures visible on the bodies of those he photographs; the models seeming to become a part of their environment, but still standing out from the background. Others are more contrasty, both in tone and setting, complimenting rather than echoing the models.

The printing is exquisite. Having attended two gallery shows of Sturges' work, and seen the prints, I can say that the book, though it can't reproduce the richness of the tones of the silver prints, does admirably in approximating them. The quality of the binding is superb; and the introductory texts are well-worth reading.

A book that i highly recommend for all lovers of find photography.

Sheer beauty - a look at life
I am a white, male, Christian, conservative, Republican grandfather that teaches Sex Education to students the same age as some of Mr. Sturges' friends. How wonderful it is that my students can now see what other normal people their own age actually look like, and that their own body is OK!. Usually, they only get to see what Madison Avenue thinks that they should look like. How sad that Jock is persecuted, while everyday we see the use of little bare babes to sell toilet paper, skin lotion or fashionable pants. I love the book. Thank you Jock, and thank you, Amazon, for carrying Jock's work.

People cared for beautifully.
Gerry Badger, in a listing of 250 key photographers, refers to Jock Sturges as the leading photographer of the "natural" nude (p. 170, Collecting Photography, Mitchell Beazley). This is fine, as far as it goes, but is too limited an introduction to Mr. Sturges's work. Mr. Sturges's photography is not limited to nudes. Neither can his subject matter be properly described as the nude or the natural nude. Rather, Mr. Sturges cares deeply about people. He is interested in people - in the whole of what a person is - and his work reflects this valuing. Simply turn to page 114 of the first Scalo book - the book I'm reviewing here - or page 31 or 87 or 126 - this is a wonderfully rich book - to find the definition of a great portrait.

I find that I can go back to Mr. Sturges's books again and again with pleasure and for profit. I look at people differently since meeting the books - with greater pleasure and discernment. Having Mr. Sturges's work in my home makes my house feel more like home. Enough said.

Mr. Sturges's monographs include Jock Sturges (Scalo), Jock Sturges: New Work 1996 - 2000 (Scalo), The Last Day of Summer (Aperture), Radiant Identities (Aperture), and Evolution of Grace (Gakken). The Gakken book is printed too darkly (at least the copy I have is) but I'm grateful to the book, nevertheless, for the images it shares. Those wishing to catch a glimpse of Mr. Sturges's Irish work could look for an April 2001 copy of B&W: Black & White Magazine.

Beautiful photography, very little to complain about.
You'll find some very good photography here, nothing pornographic and mostly well composed. Some of the pictures do seem to me to be oddly posed or taken at too great a distance but basically you've got a great book if you get it.

Got me to go to Montalivet
As a serious yet amatuer photographer, and one fascinated with portrait photography, I was truly intrigued by the pictures in this book. I find these images mezmorizing. the light in the pictures is sincerely magical, so much so that I had to discover why. So, I packed up my family and went to Montalivet, France, and lived in a naturist campground for two weeks. This is an incredible place, with a mystical feel in the air, and, yes, incredible light. The ocean tide moves out revealing an endless flat, and wet landscape, with mud pools of clay where one can paint one's body (or someone else's) and become part of the "moonscape". Everyday, the sun sets and the same magical light appears, with the same wonderful, unpretentious people drink it up. This was 5 years ago, and my family has returned to this spot, and others like it over and over again. Thank you, Jock, for opening my eyes and my lens.
Truly a must have for any fan of good, human photographic honesty. PS his other books are great too!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good Introduction to this Remarkable Artist
This short book can serve as a wonderful non-technical introduction to the work of Cindy Sherman. The book is filled with reproductions of her work from various periods in her stylistic evolution. Wisely, the author does not seek to didactically interpret Sherman's work for the reader-- instead she presents the material while raising a number of issues for the reader to contemplate.

For those unfamiliar with Sherman's work, one of the most striking aspects is her use of her own self as model in most of her works (especially those from earlier in her career). Her later works are a little more dangerous-- using dolls and other non-human subjects in often graphically subversive sexual contortions.

Cindy Sherman is a true contemporary genius in that her works speak to a very large audience on various levels of meaning. My only reservation about the book is that it seems a little too brief in its discussion of Sherman's biography (although the inclusion of her early work is certainly revealing). One wonders about the "real" Cindy Sherman-- and how she differs from the "Cindy Sherman" that appears in the Untitled Film Stills that solidified her position as a great American artist.

A great photographic work.
I was just surfing around and stumbled in here. I've read this title, Anyone unfamiliar with the model in question should get this and anyone familiar should read this as it is one of the greatest books on her. The only reason this does not get 5 stars is pieces of it I thought were wordy and a bit belaboring. Overall a great read however. ... Read more

Book Description

This book gives the necessary background for the study and appreciation of Italian painting and sculpture from about 1250 to 1550. It tells how the artists learned their craft, the organization of their workshops, and the guilds they belonged to; how their customers or patrons treated them and where their work was displayed-churches, civic buildings, or private homes. The book discusses how art was made-tempera, oil, panel, canvas, fresco; it surveys the characteristic types of Renaissance art-altarpieces, portraits, tombs, busts, doors fountains, medals, etc. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

interesting collection of essays
Over the last 30 years there seems to be a greater interest on the part of art historians in the nuts and bolts issues of how art is created. The works of E.H. Gombrich come to mind, or "The Academy and French Painting in the Nineteenth Century", by Albert Boime. This rather disconnected set of essays by Cole examines the material issues facing the Renaissance artist.

What did paintings cost? How was the artist valued? What expectations surrounded the conception and construction of the work of art? How did the original setting differ from our encounter with these works today? These are some of the questions addressed here. This is not a coffee table book, and the illustrations are low quality black and white (at least in the paper back edition).

Like the other book by Cole that I have read, "Titian and Venetian Painting, 1450-1590", I wish this book was twice as long. Many of the questions touched on here are only given a brief answer, but the information that is here is fascinating. I am not an Art Historian, so I can only guess at the authors reputation (now head of the NEA). My sense is that he is one of those historians with a breadth of knowledge that is quite rare in these days of specialization, and that his viewpoint shows a high degree of originality. My only complaint (aside from the 100 or so color illustrations that could have provided more details) is that the writing style is not as graceful as some of the masters of this genre. ... Read more

Book Description

Collection of portraits, selected from public and private holdings by art historian Trevor J. Fairbrother, reveal the technical skill and intuitive eye for which American portrait painter John Singer Sargent is renowned. Drawings in pencil, pastels and charcoal—a lesser-known aspect of Sargent’s oeuvre—are shown. List of Plates. Introduction. Captions.
... Read more

Reviews (6)

Very Enjoyable Collection
This book is one of the best among those in the Dover Art Library. I really like this book because the selection includes many beautifully executed portraits. Sargent's style is at once both romantic and incisive. The portraits are so highly expressive that one is compelled to assume accurate likeness.

John Singer Sargent is a great master of portraiture. This very enjoyable collection does him justice.

John Singer Sargent's drawings are off the hook!
Sargent was very talented in the art of drawing. He drew at least 1,500 drawings throughout his long, busy artistic career. His portrait drawings of prominent people are beautiful and very realistic. I liked his drawing of Consuelo Yznaga, Duchess of Manchester. That drawing captured the expression of a vibrant middle aged woman. His nude figures are still the most magnificent expression of manhood. I recommend this book to those who are interested in the many talents of John Singer Sargent or artists looking for inspiration.

The more intimate sketches of a society painter.
The Amazon page-listing for this volume is somewhat misleading - there ARE two pages of text (Selector Trevor J. Fairbrother's brief, insightful introduction), but there are also 42 pages of (paper) plates.

Often dismissed as a mere society portrait painter, the real poignancy of John Singer Sargent's work lay in the truth that the society he recorded was on the point of vanishing with the Great War. This sense is heightened by the form of the works reproduced here - drawings composed in pencil and charcoal. Their Cheshire-Cat-grin sketchiness, the way faces seem to materialise or dematerialise bodiless or skeletal on the page, gives them an overwhelmingly ghostly feel.

The most moving pictures here are of the now-forgotten heiresses, young wives, fresh-faced soldiers, and indulgent or austere parents, refugees from the fiction of Henry James, Edith Wharton and Proust, denied the immortality conferred on Singer's more famous subjects, such as Nijinsky, Myra Hess, Faure or Kenneth Grahame. Singer may not be as remorselessly analytical as his literary peers, but he has a wit, satiric sense and emotional empathy all of his own, burrowing out the melancholy behind the glittering facades. Singer seems particularly inspired by long, swan-like necks, as if their owners' beauty already sang their death. The notorious hostess Mme. Pierre Gautreau reclines on a sofa, bored and miserable as a beached mermaid; Nellie Huxley stares at us with sad, tired eyes.

Conversely, the portraits of imperious grandes dames, such as the Myrna Loy-like Mme. Eugenia Huici Errazuriz, are surprisingly sexy; while the Duchess of Marlborough flirts with gamine charm. Portraits of friends, such as the eccentric composer Dame Ethel Smyth, are more informal and playful. Androgyny is another favourite theme, while the unsigned portrait of working class Italian youth Olimpio Fusco glows with sympathetic homoeroticism. In fact, Singer's defining temperament, judging from this collection, is one of amused curiosity, as he sketches the garish and the gloomy, the restless and the resigned, the social and the solitary.

The sketches of notables are often great fun - a shadow-darkened W.B. Yeats as self-regarding buffoon; Jascha Heifitz in an intense tondo of fiddle-like scribbles, encircling a still white face rapt in concentration; Viscountess Astor lost in folds of Napoleonic grandeur; and a young Ernest Thesiger, displaying impish hints of his most famous future film role, as Dr. Pretorious in 'Bride of Frankenstein'.

You can learn from these drawings, for sure.
I vision perhaps there are three "kinds" of readers that can benefit from this book.

1) Those who want to learn to copy drawings from the great masters, for practice (to improve drawing skill) or pleasure (to display or show them to their admirers), or both.

2) Those who like to collect works by the great masters.

3) Those who are, like me, looking to see how this portraitist genius (i.e. John Singer Sargent) treats contrast, light, shadow, edges, and so on, in his drawings. They are all in there, for a good price.

Sargent Portrait Drawings : 42 Works

If anything at all, _this_ IS the John Singer Sargent book to buy!

John Singer Sargent has once again exemplified his skills as an artist through his GORGEOUS portrait drawings.

Unlike other artists, Sargent conveys emotion - passion - with his use of line, stroke, and tone incomparable to any other artist. (Believe me, Sargent is the Artist of Portraiture). This book inspired my art teacher to go into portraiture. This is perhaps the best collection of Sargent's line work. These 42 Works are VERY resourceful for the drawing student and very enjoyable for the viewer/reader. Sketches depict a wide variety of people (people focused in the fine arts - actors, writers, etc.).

A majority of these portrait drawings are done in charcoal; a few are done in pencil. This book includes an introduction by Trevor J. Fairbrother.

This book is also VERY affordable (gotta love the folks at Dover), so if you decide to take one apart for use as reference, you can always buy another. ^-^

Buy this. You won't be disappointed! ... Read more

Book Description

Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele produced a prolific body of work before his early death at the age of twenty-eight in 1918. The oeuvre is comprised of a few hundred oil paintings and thousands of drawings and watercolors.

Schiele's oils have often been reproduced and are well recognized. However, limited access to the fragile works on paper and dispersion among several collections have made for an unbalanced representation of his work as a draftsman.

This book assembles drawings and watercolors from public and private collections and reproduces work from every year of the artist's career, beginning with the juvenilia and early academic studies. The focus means that work that is rarely reproduced is represented extensively, providing a unique opportunity to study the rapid artistic development of Schiele over the course of his brief twelve-year career.

The book is organized chronologically and divided into year-by-year sections. Each section includes a text that discusses the major events in Schiele's life and the interrelation between the artist's drawing and developments in his oil painting. Features a previously unpublished Schiele watercolor and several works that have never been reproduced in color. Over 350 color illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

another artist who died too young
Schiele is a wonderful artist, and it's a pity that he died so young in his twenties. He got thrown in prison for drawing pictures of girls who were "too young" and I have no interest in his self-portraits where he's holding his tallywhacker. But his drawings of women are very interesting, sometimes enticing.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

How did they do it?
Flipping through the Kallir/Vartanian book on Schiele's drawings and watercolors is a guaranteed way to make several hours of your life disappear without you even noticing it. The reproductions, presented in chronological order from 1907 through 1918, are a joy to ponder and get lost in. Schiele scholars and fans have been given a lavish gift. The biggest mystery is how the publisher, Thames & Hudson of London, could produce this marvel-like book for a such a miniscule cover price--it has the look and feel of a hundred-dollar book.

This is publishing at its absolute finest.

Absolutely Essential for Schiele fans
The price is amazing, considering the amount of images and written material. More than just the usual "greatest hits" compendium, this one book covers Schiele's output with chapters devoted to specific years of his life. The images take up full pages - rather than being small, irritating reproductions - so you can actually SEE the drawings and paintings. These are the best reproductions of his work - yes, I've seen some of the originals - in the largest number (save for Kallir's catalogue raisonne) and with an enormous amount of biographical information. This book thrilled me. Go. Buy. Now!

great value
I've bought several books on Schiele's work over the years but this is, by
far, the best book I've seen so far on the artist's drawings and
watercolors. Plus, it's a great value! It's double the page count of any
other book and has more than double the reproductions of any other book. But
it is the same price (or cheaper) than a lot of other Schiele books out
there. The reproductions are fantastic and the text is really great. A great
buy for all art lovers. ... Read more

Book Description

The greatest painter of eighteenth-century Italy, Giambattista Tiepolo was both a master of the vivid colors, palpable movement, and dramatic, emotional scenes that characterize baroque art, and an expert in the later rococo style, which ushered in a lighter palette and looser brushwork. In Tiepolo: The Complete Paintings, Filippo Pedrocco provides a comprehensive examination of the paintings produced by this remarkable artist. Though Tiepolo began his career in his native city of Venice, his artistic prowess quickly brought him into contact with some of Europe's most influential figures. Kings and queens, princes and patriarchs commissioned him to decorate the walls and ceilings of their palaces in Venice, Milan, and Würzburg with grand canvases and frescoes. Monks, nuns, and even archbishops requested religious paintings for their churches and cathedrals in Bergamo, Vicenza, and Nymphenburg. The patronage of the rich and powerful brought Tiepolo fame and a string of masterpieces to serve as his legacy. Included in this stunning volume are all of the artist's paintings, each illustrated and expertly discussed by the author, a specialist in Venetian painting. Experience both the large-scale decorative frescoes, many of which are still in situ and therefore not widely accessible to the general audience, and the smaller, yet equally moving altarpieces, such as the Martyrdom of Saint Agatha, executed for the famous pilgrimage church of Saint Anthony in Padua. Through Tiepolo's masterful art the lavish opulence of eighteenth-century Italy is vividly brought to life.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

3 Stars for the Reproductions
The magnificent reproductions are the only reason to buy this tremendously oversized coffee-table book. But keep a pulley-system on hand: it weighs two tons. This book is the great-grandchild of what were once known, somewhat fetishistically, as folios, lavishly produced books of reproductions too large to be accomodated vertically on library shelves and therefore shelved horizontally, often in locked cages, away from rapacious hands. Folios were brought out ceremoniously from their cages by special request, by suspicious white-gloved librarians and set up on wooden or foam stands. The ritual exercise heightened the sensation of being in the presence of something grand -- it reproduced the work of art itself, as well as the power of the sublime as experienced in the presence of the original work of art. Pedrocco's book achieves a similar effect. The text is negligible and unimaginative, but then again, who really goes to an exhibition to read the wall-texts? Lorried, pullied, or displayed on a roving stand, this is a major blockbuster on wheels. ... Read more