Amazon.com

The lovingly crafted little tome The Art of Arts might become a cult classic if there are enough Jan van Eyck fans out there--or enough readers who can chew their way through 775 footnotes--to make this work of special genius even an underground bestseller. It is filled with delectable details (for example, that an image of a mill in a landscape connotes a wanton woman, complete with a page of explanations why) and myriad perspicacious observations. In discussing such masterworks as van Eyck's Madonna of Chancellor Rolin, author Anita Albus draws the reader into a vanished world of alternative perspectives, painterly depths of color and atmosphere, and the mesmerizing minutiae of late-medieval and Renaissance symbolism. The last chapter of the book, "Of Lost Colors," combines metallurgy, history, meticulous scholarship, and the author's passionate comprehension of colors in a discussion of antique pigments and their physical properties and pictorial uses.

The book's mostly paragraph-long sentences may put off some readers, and the warm, wry, even sly prose--its liveliness, in other words--may raise the hackles of the dowdy art-historical crowd (not the stylish, open-minded one). But this miniaturist's view of the northern Renaissance will copiously reward those who peruse it slowly, especially artists. Although it is possible to become lost in some chapters, as Albus tiptoes unhurriedly toward some arcane, elusive point, in the end it's hard to resist the sort of book that declares of the late 17th century: "Research into arthropods was in the air." This volume is a work of art, complete in itself, meticulously ordered according to the artist's unique vision, and handsomely "framed" by a sensitive designer. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a Baroque pearl
Reed: No question, this is an interesting book for us Eyckians and lovers/conservators of old pigments.But for us non-academics/editorialists, it's tough love.It is laborious because of the over-ornamentation with trivia, digressions, and references that physically intrude on, and insinuate the text.It's hard to tell someone far more-educated than I to take a writing course, but there it is. Maybe the exhaustive Teutonic method, exhausting nonetheless.
The real value for me, ever-trying to portray the ethereal in this dysfunctional digital/photographic world, is the nearly-unique collection of clues and views about how and why the [Flemish Primitives] were able to put us in undiminishing communion with their subjects, to help us backtrack and do the same for ours.As the gangrenous/social/spiritual/artistic wounds of the last century slowly heal, works like Albus's can help artists and artlovers mirror, maybe catalyze, another age of deep empathy for others.So buy this book, put on your best red turban, nibble some Flemish chocolate, and start with your self-portrait, taking the Niederlanders' enormous care to appreciate the beauty of the image, and thus the person, in front of us. This time with just the hint of a smile as the warmth of dawn flows into the studio...

Laborious read!
This is a book that is required reading for my Renaissance art history class.As such, I approached the book with enthusiasm after initially thumbing through the pages.Visually, it is beautiful.There are many full page color illustrations and interesting typeface.However, I was soon disappointed by her disjointed writing style and over 700 footnotes.I labored through this one, only to find out in the end that she finds contemporary art soul-less and lacking.Her conclusion is disappointing!

Traditional painters and Van Eyck fans will love this book!
I have recommended this book to several people and now it is available in paperback!It contains many nuggests of information a traditional oil painter will treasure.For example, the lapis lazuli-based pigment used by Van Eyck in his paintings contained tiny flecks of stone which added richness and sparkle to the paint.It was also irregularly ground andrefracts light differently than the modern homogeneoussynthetic "ultramarine blue" pigment available today. It was precious in Van Eyck's time, but today lapis lazuli ultramarine is more costly than gold per ounce.Albus devotes much of the book to historical pigments and shares recipes for making them.
My complaint with the book is that it is a strangely-shaped volume (it is extremely narrow and tall) and is uncomfortable to hold. Still, the early chapters on Van Eyck's paintings and the historical pigments will entice painters interested in effects not possible with modern pigments. ... Read more

Book Description

John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) is one of the most enduringly popular of the Victorian artists, and paintings such as The Lady of Shalott, Hylas and the Nymphs and Ophelia have become icons recognized the world over. With their compelling composition and glowing colour, these paintings are admired for their beauty and for their power to transport the viewer into a romantic world of myth and legend. At the same time, Waterhouse's wistful heroines also reflect the troubled attitudes of nineteenth-century male artists towards women.

In this carefully researched new study, Peter Trippi presents a fresh and absorbing analysis of the artist's seductresses, martyrs and nymphs, and the cultural and historical circumstances in which they were produced. He also utilizes new research to provide an accessible biography of the artist. Themes explored include Waterhouse's passion for Italy, literature and the classical world, the role of the Royal Academy in his life, his stylistic influences and studio practice, and his relations with collectors, dealers, critics and curators.

Neglected throughout much of the twentieth century, Waterhouse has enjoyed a dramatic revival of fortune. Peter Trippi's monograph provides a timely re-evaluation that combines a close reading of Waterhouse's imagery with a candid appraisal of the milieu in which he worked.

Peter Trippi studied at New York University and the Courtauld Institute, London, and is currently Vice Director for Development at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Unsurpassed!
This book is a detailed chronicle of Waterhouse's life and many of his important works. The paintings are lavishly reproduced in large formats. It will satisfy the most demanding reader.

I loaned out this book from a library with the intention of scanning a few good pictures to learn from. I ended up marking up for scanning dozens of them that were too good to pass up. So I decide to purchase my own copy of the book instead.

If you are artistically oriented, this book will give you hours and hours of enjoyment, and if you spend time to read the text, which is well researched, well written and prodigiously informative, you will as soon become an authority of sorts on J. W. Waterhouse.

Great Book on Waterhouse!
If you have any interest into the life and work of J.W.Waterhouse this is a fantastic book - the pictures are simply stunning and the author has an obvious love for the subject - I was very pleased with the book and would encourage anyone to purchase it. :)

A book fullfills the art.
This has to be the best book yet on the works of Waterhouse. Its got historic facts and stories about his young life to a successful artist in Britain. The author goes in depth about concepts and theories of how Waterhouse think in terms of painting and storytelling. It also talks about the other Pre-Raphealists that lived at the same time as Waterhouse; their influence and relationship to him. What I love about the most is the high quality of the prints. The book is big in scale and the prints are marvelous in fullfilling the space.
If you like Waterhouse or Pre-Rapheal artworks this is one book that you won't want to miss.

Awesome photo's of the original pieces
This book is very well illustrated. You can learn to sense/feel what J.W. was feeling at the time of the painting. He poured all of his emotion onto the canvas and you can actually get a sense of that just from this book. I would definately recommend it to everyone!

Best Waterhouse Book Ever!!
This is the best J.W. Waterhouse book ever published. It's filled with tons of big color photos and information. I recommend this book to everybody who loves him. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Vermeer -- and Delft
The best art history tells us not only about the painter and the paint, but the surrounding events of life and the world as well. Since so little is known of Vermeer himself, the city of Delft, on which this book focuses so much attention, truly becomes the central character. We cannot know Vermeer, but we can know his daily life. This is a marvelously researched if somewhat dryly presented history that should set a bench mark for the popular study of popular artists.

All of Vermeer's paintings at an affordable price
The print quality though not a perfect color match in the paintings, is better than most. I've yet to find a Veermeer book that closely matches Vermeer's vivid use of color while at the same time closely matching the original colors. It's a well made book, amazing considering the low price.
The writing is rather dry and unemotionally scholarly albeit comprehensive, and can be somewhat boring. I would rather read a more thorough analysis of what each painting was intended to say and how it was made and composed, written with less emotional detachment. At the price though, it's a pretty good book.

Evocative and excellent
I saw and was transformed by the Vermeer exhibit in Washington, D.C. a few years ago. I bought this book along with Girl in Hyacinth Blue. While the print edition cannot begin to reproduce the "light" of his paintings, this excellent production brought back a flood of feelings and remembrances from show.

Illuminating Vermeer
This exceptional work showcases Vermeer's oeuvre with very high quality reproduction. Note especially the clarity of two wondrous Vermeer portraits, the Girl with the Pearl Earring and the Girl with the Red Hat; both have been recently cleaned and restored and are presented here with much of the the subtle values and luminous color characteristic of the originals. The landscapes are beautifully captured to scale: The Little Street shimmers with tincture of bricks and mortar, while The View of Delft generates a sense of lapidary majesty. The Lady Reading, the Milkmaid, the Woman in Blue, and the Woman Holding a Balance are simply splendid, as are the Astronomer and the Geographer.

Arthur Wheelocks's text incisively narrates Vermeer's threadbare story, givng historical context while providing insight about the paintings themselves. I'm not sure he should have included the controversial St. Praxedis, for many scholars have rejected its attribution to Vermeer. But his commentary as well as his methodology for dating the paintings is informed by the best scholarship, for Wheelock has been at the forefront over the last several decades in bringing Vermeer to the public at large.

Given the price, this book is a terrific value. It can be used on the coffee table and as an essentail companion when reading other volumes about Vermeer. Better still, take it with you as you visit personally all the Vermeers in the New York (the Metropolitan and the Frick) and Washington, DC( the National Gallery) museums.

Vermeer: A Visual Treat
This book offers a wonderful opportunity for those Vermeer lovers who were not fortunate enough to view the National Gallery of Art exhibit in 1995. A brief but informative overview of Vermeer's life is provided, along with large format reproductions of all of his existing works. Inlcuded in each description is the location of each work, along with the dimensions of the original. While my goal is to see all the Vermeers on display, this is a great reference companion. I keep it on my coffee table and refer to it often. It's a treasure. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Great Aperture Book
Wow, a photography book that you do not have to buy with a loan application or perfect credit. Weston was such a commanding presence in so many photographic fields, and this overview of his work is great. One quibble: I wish there had been better ties between the women in his life and the nudes featured here. Who was who? Also, his bio mentions the last photo he took, but does not include it. Other than that, great work by a great artist and a great inspiration.

A Summation of a Spectacu
If you were to only buy one of Edward Weston's books, this would be the one -- and for less then $10... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Beyond the well-known, sometimes lurid, events of renowned painter Vincent van Gogh's short life lies a much more mild daily existence of meals with friends and neighbors. Van Gogh's Table presents a gentle and kinder look at the visionary's world. Authors Alexandra Leaf, a culinary historian, and Fred Leeman, the former chief curator of the Van Gogh Museum, offer a tale of the artist's life through the lens of his last home, the Auberge Ravoux. Van Gogh was a constant traveler who frequently boarded at small hotels and dined in cafés. During his few months at this inn, van Gogh produced numerous magical works. As a tribute to the incredible painter, and the café life that inspired him, Leaf and Leeman have brought together stories and images of the artist's life and work with menus from his days at the Auberge Ravoux. Try recipes like Warm Tarte Tatin with Crème Fraiche or Dark Chocolate Soufflé Cake with Crème Anglaise to experience the sweeter side of van Gogh's world. If you're a fan of the great painter or a lover of French cooking, then this book is a must-have. --J.P. Cohen ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It's wonderful
It's entertaining and educational. I really enjoyed. Great gift idea.

Van Gogh's Table
I have enjoyed reading the historical and personalized view of Van Gogh's stay at the Auberge Ravoux. The recipes appear to be ones that can be enjoyed. My husband surprised me with the chocolate mousse the other night and it was the best I have ever eaten.
Compliments to Alexandra Leaf!

A survey of recipes from Van Gogh's last home
Van Gogh's Table At The Auberge Ravoux isn't just an art book, though Van Gogh's paintings form its foundation - it's also a survey of recipes from his last home, providing an intimate portrait of his world and culinary appreciations. Recipes are from the cafe and boarding house where the painter lived his final days, and provide intriguing views of dishes and art.

A great Xmas gift!
This book has a unique combination of art and cooking. It is highly readable. It has lots of interesting facts about van Gogh in his last weeks, and about his relationship with food and drink. It has beautiful reproductions of paintings by van Gogh, but it also has many recipies that can be tried out. A great Xmas gift and a value for money! I really enjoyed it. ... Read more

Book Description

The Question-and-Answer interview was one of Andy Warhol's favorite communication vehicles, so much so that he named his own magazine after the form. Yet, never before has anyone published a collection of interviews that Warhol himself gave. I'll Be Your Mirror contains more then thirty conversations revealing this unique and important artist. Each piece presents a different facet of the Sphinx-like Warhol's ever-evolving personality. Writer Kenneth Goldsmith provides context and provenance for each selection. Beginning in 1962 with a notorious interview in which Warhol literally begs the interviewer to put words into his mouth, the book covers Warhol's most important artistic period during the '60s. As Warhol shifts to filmmaking in the '70s, this collection explores his emergence as socialite, scene-maker, and trendsetter; his influential Interview magazine; and the Studio 54 scene. In the 80s, his support of young artists like Jean-Michel Basquait, his perspective on art history and the growing relationship to technology in his work are shown. Finally, his return to religious imagery and spirituality are available in an interview conducted just months before his death. Including photographs and previous unpublished interviews, this collage of Warhol showcases the artist's ability to manipulate, captivate, and enrich American culture. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Violent van Gogh
I found this book very appealing.It touched on both his art and his emotional side. This might of been the happiest time of his life and it was all to breif.I tottaly recomend this book if you enjoy Vincent's works. ... Read more

Book Description

Bob Colacello presents an insider's look at the man and phenomenon that was Warhol. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Ages well
I didn't intend to reread this book, but I opened it while searching for an obscure New York address and didn't put it down again until I'd finished reading every page. When it first came out, I remember critics mostly tsk-tsking Colacello because they seemed to think he'd gotten to the place he was through Warhol and no doubt he did...What I failed to notice when the book was first published, was how Colacella and every single "Warhol" person who's written a book had a nervous breakdown as they were spinning (or trying to spin) out of his orbit. I want to read the book that tells WHY these intelligent creative people threw themselves so totally into Warhol's world...a world that couldn't have existed without them.....All I can say is, if your intent is to try and understand Warhol, then Bob Colacello's book is the absolute best take...besides yourself.

Informative with juicy details
Bob Colacello's book is not only very informative on Warhol's (and those around him) life and career, but it is also full of juicy gossip and luscious details that makes Andy Warhol who he is. This book is special too because Colacello was so close with Warhol that he paints him in a totally different picture than other biographer could. Other biographers tend to talk of Andy as a supreme god that can hardly do any wrong. Don't get me wrong, Warhol was very special, but Colacello's book tells you about Andy, as if he was your goofy friend too. That makes this book much more relatable than any other Warhol book and my choice as the best Warhol biography.

Royal Crown Cola
Bob Colacello put all his unpublished Warhol writing projects into a cocktail shaker and added some ice. The result is this frothy, gossip ridden, whiskey sour. A 504 page, tall drink that doesn't get any sweeter as you suck it down. The anecdotes about Imelda Marcos, Truman Capote, Farah Diba make it seem like the 70's took place on another planet. It's a fun read and I laughed out loud quite a few times. But one get's the feeling that this book was written as revenge on Warhol for the social abuse that Colacello "suffered" during the years they worked together.

Bad Rap.
This book is one long whine. While I always enjoyed Bob Colacello's column in "Interview", this book, completed after Andys death (naturally), is a case of someone who, while they've outgrown their job, resents the fact that they're still there. Colacello started out worshipping Warhol, then, as often happens, began to feel he wasn't getting quite the recognition he deserved, at the same time forgetting why anyone knew who he was in the first place. Maybe the label "disgruntled employee" is too pat. But, for all his acknowledged ability to manipulate people to do things for him, it was Andy who retained the fame that many around him coveted. Bob C. sounds like any employee of any company who complains incessently about how his boss doesn't appreciate him. The little man who feels he'll make a better big man than the big man himself, but, remains in the shadows, un-acknowledged. Wanna-be's can get ugly, but his remarks against Warhol, while hardly slanderous, are more of the nit-picking variety, revealing fairly transparent resentments right below the surface. While there are certainly two sides to every story, I always find it fairly loathsome when someone decides to cry of the injustices against them by one who can no longer reply to the accusations. Especially when said injustices are so trivial, but manage to make up a book the size of Gone With The Wind , with money, OF COURSE, just being an afterthought to the cathartic process. I also found the title, "Holy Terror", a trifle exaggerated, but I guess the alternative title of maybe "Complex Famous Artist With Contradictory Personality Flaws Just Like Everyone Else" would have been too long, not to mention that it probably would have sold less books. I certainly would'nt want my eulogy to be an exposed inventory of all the products I have in my bathroom (or BEDROOM!!), yet, the only thing Colacello can conclude his memoir with is a list of the contents of Warhols bathroom beauty products,(if he detested Andy so much, what was he doing in his bathroom, after his death??) patronizingly suggesting that these were the props that poor, shallow Andy needed daily to face the world. (Imagine image-obsessed America WITHOUT all our props...YIKES!!!)This book says more about Colacello (if anyone cared) than it ever could about Andy. If you want a perhaps more balanced view of that time period and its events, read "The Andy Warhol Diaries." ANDYS honesty might surprise you.

Sour grapes!
Bob Colacello, and probably most of Andy Warhol's devoted slaves, were probably not people with real well-defined senses of themselves, hence they were able to be used to serve the master, who was a master manipulator. He blames Andy for almost everything that might have went wrong during his association with him in business and life. It is good background though for the period of the early seventies to the mid-eighties and some of the book was enjoyable. It's a good introduction to any of the other books on Warhol. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The canonicity of Jan Vermeer's oeuvre was originally established within the general framework of modernist aesthetics. The specific concepts guiding critics were developed in the context of a reappraisal of Dutch painting in the nineteenth century, particularly in Germany and France. In this study, Christiane Hertel interprets the suppositions underlying Vermeer's canonization and also addresses the critical problem of locating his paintings in history. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A fire starter
These letters speak the truth of van Gogh. This book opens a window of knowledge on a man so misunderstood to the world. At 14, I absolutely am in love with this book. "Dear Theo" has ignited a fire in my soul, a burning desire to study art and the men behind the works.

Interesting and revealing
Vincent Van Gogh was a great painter, but not a writer. So these letters are of interest in terms of history and painting. The life of Van Gogh is better exposed here than it would have been in a "real" autobiography, because Theo, his younger brother, was the only real friend Vincent ever had. He was his supporter, admirer and listener, and in fact Vincent had an emotional dependence on his brother. People interested in the process of artistic creation and creativity will find this book of enormous value and interest, since Van Gogh speaks a lot about that process in himself, one of the greatest painters of all time. But it is true, as one reviewer said, that these letters include, each and every one, eternal whining and begging from Vincent to his brother. He was, of course, always out of money and, as a genius really disconnected from the common world, unable to make a living by conventional activities. So he depended almost entirely on Theo. I would like to insist in that, although by no means a literary accomplishment, these letters are worth reading, since they expose naked the soul of a great artist and an extremely sensitive man, certainly a tortured and twisted soul.

here's your unadulterated chance to see just how screwed...
here's your unadulterated chance to see just how screwed up van gogh was. letter after letter after letter sitting on the pity pot writing to his younger brother whining for money, crying for assistance, guilting his brother into supporting his art...his art habit...his art addiction. ya know, after reading this book my perspective on van gogh changed. he struck me as an ultra-martyr (in the icky sense of the word), so big into self-pity. now, having since read a little more of his history - screwy parents, etc. - i have some more compassion for the guy and for why he was so screwed up, but these letters are honestly nothing short of tedious. one after the other, whining for money, then waxing eloquent about his art, which actually struck me often as quite manipulative - like he was justifying his existence and his productivity to theo.

anyway, i still think van gogh is a wonderful artist, but what a messed up life - can't miss that from these letters. but god, i wish they'd been even more edited. and one other thing - irving stone (the editor) thinks van gogh is one of the world's greatest writers and philosophers of all times, in addition to being the honcho primo artist. well, as for philosopher, sorry irving, no. the guy was miserable and depressed and lonely, and seemed to philosophize in his letters to just keep contact with the world, but his philosophy gets under my skin.

Enlightening, tragic and inspiring.
The book provides an excellent cross-section of letters painting a vivid picture of Van Gogh's life. It is not an all-in-one biography, though, in that Van Gogh makes references to work that only curators and art historians can picture. It would have been nice to have a black and white thumbnail of the finished paintings as Van Gogh wrote of them.

Essential reading for lovers of art...
"Dear Theo" should be mandatory reading for all students of fine art today, as no modern artist injected a level of passion into their work equal to that of Van Gogh in 1880 through 1890. This volume is a sort of highlight reel of Vincent's comments on his life and art to his beloved brother Theo. I recommend "The Complete Van Gogh" published by Taschen to accompany "Dear Theo", as there are no visual examples of Vincent's art aside from the cover included in this book. No one who appreciates fine art will be sorry to invest in either publication. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

From an illustrators perspective.
Stunning egg tempura illustrations by one of America's finest. Wyeth gives us a peek of his train of thought by including many preliminary sketches. A must have for the master and the apprentice of the arts. ... Read more

Book Description

Velázquez's 1656 masterpiece Las Meninas has inspired an avalanche of published attention since it was first placed on public view in the Museo del Prado in 1819. The essays in this volume survey the responses to the painting in the nineteenth century, when Velázquez's fame outside Spain peaked. They include introductions to interpretations of Las Meninas by twentieth-century art historians, critics, philosophers, and art theorists, as well as the modern appropriation of the work by Picasso. ... Read more

Book Description

"My weimaraners are perfect fashion models. Their elegant slinky forms are covered in gray-and gray, everyone knows, goes with anything."

-William Wegman William Wegman's fanciful photographs and videos of his dogs-seen in galleries and books and on Sesame Street, t-shirts, screensavers, and more-have made him one of America's best-loved artists.Published to accompany a major traveling exhibition, this book presents Wegman's most intriguing and provocative portfolio to date: a series of eerily anthropomorphic (and very funny) high-fashion photographs. Modeling clothes by some of today's most exciting designers, including Jean-Paul Gaultier, Helmut Lang, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Todd Oldham, and Anna Sui, canine supermodels Battina, Chundo, Chooky, and Chip display all the attitude and insouciance of their human counterparts-and gently play on our obsession with beauty, style, luxury, and celebrity.84 illustrations, 79 in full color, 1 foldout, 10 x 12"WILLIAM WEGMAN'S many books for children and adults, which together have sold more than 500,000 copies, include Abrams' perennial favorite Man's Best Friend and its companion calendar as well as the New York Times bestseller William Wegman Puppies, and, most recently, Fay, a biography of his star model. INGRID SISCHY is the editor of Interview magazine. Her essays have appeared in many books, including, most recently, Robert Mapplethorpe: Pictures and Ellen von Unwerth: Couples.EXHIBITION SCHEDULE Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabam Oct. 18, 1999-Jan. 8, 2000 The McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas Apr. 29-June 18, 2000 Miami Art Museum, Florida July 21-Oct. 8, 2000 Contemporary Art Museum, University of South Florida, Tampa Jan. 12-Mar. 3, 2001 ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Fun, Fashion, and Photography: Putting on the Dog!
You can love this book for any one of three reasons:

1. You enjoy dogs (especially weimaraners) and enjoy seeing them unusually well posed to look like attractive humans.

2. The connection between haute couture model and the fashion fascinates you, and you are open to seeing how line, tilt of head, and connected ratios form pleasing images.

3. You love photography and want to better understand how much of the "art" is in the scene itself, versus how much comes from the photographer.

Naturally, if you like all three elements, you have a much more than five star book in your hands.

You have to see these photographs to believe how good they are, unless you already happen to know Mr. Wegman's work. Take a look at the cover to get a hint.

Basically, Mr. Wegman takes his weimaraners (Chundo, Batina, Crooky, and Chip) and treats them like human fashion models. He dresses them in stylish hats, wigs, dresses, suits, shoes, mannequin parts, and other accessories to create "human" poses. Think of this as being a little bit like what Cindy Sherman does in posing as a well-known actress in her own photographs of famous movie scenes.

The approach is mostly done in a slightly campish way, emphasizing bright and bold background colors which contrast and make a context for different bright accessory and fashion colors. The natural color of the weimaraneers is the "coolest" part of the visual image.

What was brilliant to me was "seeing" what draws my eye in a photographic composition. Normally, I think I'm looking at a model, but based on my reactions to these photographs I'm really drawn much more to a curve, a line, a tilt of the head, or an incline of the body in the model. Seeing the weimaraners anthromorphized in this way allowed me to understand the appeal of the photographs at a much more fundamental level. I thought that Mr. Wegman's works with hats and fur coats were especially successful from this perspective.

The brief essays in the book are also valuable for describing how similar it is to work with either human models or the weimaraners. That relieves a certain tension in your mind as you imagine this work being unpleasant to the dogs. But, reportedly they love it and get nice breaks during the day.

Here are my favorite images in the book:

Three hat photographs: Migratory, Calla Lily, and Ben Day -- all from 1999

Two fur coats: Polar Extreme and Blue Powder -- both from 1994

Evolution of a Bottle (Series of 5) from 1999

Bikini 1999

Glamour Puss 1999

Opening 1999

Melissa 1994

To extend your learning after you finish enjoying this book, I suggest that you try something similar with scarves, hats, and wigs with say chunks of wood, large crystals, or flowers. Whether you photograph the scenes or not, you will learn a lot in composing what is appealing to you.

See beauty and classic style all around you . . . always!

Wonderful photographic blend of comedy with fashion insights
William Wegman, famous for incorporating clothed dogs in his photos, here presents a fashion statement to accompany a major traveling exhibition: anthromorphic fashion photos modeling some of the best designers' creations - with canines. The result blends comedy with fashion insights.

Gotta love this guy's work!
This book presents Wegman's most intriguing and provocative portfolio to date -- a series of eerily antrhopomorphic (and very funny), high-fashion photographs.

Runway Models-- Look Out For Some Heavy Competition!
Precious, precious darlings! I originally bought this book for my nine year old Godchild who loves to "play" fashion model with her dog. The minute I opened this book the weimaraner models stole my heart and I knew I had to get a copy to keep on my cocktail table. Everyone, who, like me,loves haute couture and adores those fabulous creatures who are best friends to us all will not be able to put this book down. Everyone who sees this book at first smiles ear to ear--then simply goes wild with laughter. They all want their own copy. The models look so very elegant and poised in trend-setting fashions. This is classic fashion photography with warm precious amber eyed beauties looking back at you. It is dog photography at its best. ... Read more

Book Description

Art historians have long speculated on how Vermeer achieved the uncanny mixture of detached precision, compositional repose, and perspective accuracy that have drawn many to describe his work as "photographic."Indeed, many wonder if Vermeer employed a camera obscura, a primitive form of camera, to enhance his realistic effects? In Vermeer's Camera, Philip Steadman traces the development of the camera obscura--first described by Leonaro da Vinci--weighs the arguments that scholars have made for and against Vermeer's use of the camera, and offers a fascinating examination of the paintings themselves and what they alone can tell us of Vermeer's technique. Vermeer left no record of his method and indeed we know almost nothing of the man nor of how he worked. But by a close and illuminating study of the paintings Steadman concludes that Vermeer did use the camera obscura and shows how the inherent defects in this primitive device enabled Vermeer to achieve some remarkable effects--the slight blurring of image, the absence of sharp lines, the peculiar illusion not of closeness but of distance in the domestic scenes. Steadman argues that the use of the camera also explains some previously unexplainable qualities of Vermeer's art, such as the absence of conventional drawing, the pattern of underpainting in areas of pure tone, the pervasive feeling of reticence that suffuses his canvases, and the almost magical sense that Vermeer is painting not objects but light itself. Drawing on a wealth of Vermeer research and displaying an extraordinary sensitivity to the subtleties of the work itself, Philip Steadman offers in Vermeer's Camera a fresh perspective on some of the most enchanting paintings ever created. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Detective Story for Vermeer Lovers
This treasure is actually a mystery novel in the guise of an art book! Steadman cleverly examines the long-held debate over Vermeer's alleged use of camera-like inventions to help create his masterworks. He does so by constructing models of the rooms, examining long-overlooked clues and engaging in some very pragmatic thinking. At times Steadman almost comes across as art history's answer to Lt. Colombo, which is a compliment. This is a very readable and enjoyable book for any art lover who also loves a good mystery, brain teasers, and practical application of optics. My only quibble is that additional illustrations and plates would have helped Steadman make his point better.

Did He or Didn't He?
Did the famous Delft artist, Johannes Vermeer, use the camera obscura to create his remarkably photographic paintings? People have been asking that question for a century or more. To help answer it, Philip Steadman has written this great little book. It is truly an enjoyable investigation of Vermeer's acquaintances, studio, and style. My favorite parts of the book are Steadman's photographic reconstructions of Vermeer's paintings. Did Vermeer use the camera? If he did, would that make him an artistic cheat or a visionary? I like a book that leaves me with some things to think about, and this one does the job. ... Read more

Book Description

Generally regarded by as "America's Painter," realist Andrew Wyeth is perhaps the most well know of the artistic Wyeth family dynasty which includes his father N. C. Wyeth, sister Henriette Hurd, and son Jamie Wyeth. Although most recent explorations of this artist have focused on his family and on the Helga pictures, this unique publication chronicles seven decades of an under-appreciated yet historically relevant aspect of his relationship to home and community. Andrew Wyeth: Close Friends is the first critical look at a significant body of paintings and works on paper depicting Wyeth's African-American friends and neighbors in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, a quaint village on the Brandywine River where he has lived since birth.

Beginning in the 1930s, many of Wyeth's African-American neighbors served as his models both in and out of the studio. Images of over 20 individuals are included, as well as depictions of their homes, farms, and meeting places. Wyeth's own words annotate the reproductions of his paintings and drawings and offer a rare glimpse into the mind of this truly individual artist. In her brief introduction, the artist's wife and collaborator, Betsy James Wyeth, recounts her arrival in Chadds Ford as a young bride and her immediate connection to the community she found there.

Andrew Wyeth: Close Friends includes over 100 color reproductions of major tempera and watercolor paintings and numerous black and white images of graphite drawings. Works reproduced are drawn from public and private collections, with a large number from the personal collection of the Wyeths. In addition to a foreword by museum director R. Andrew Maass, the book includes family photographs and facsimiles of personal correspondence. ... Read more