No comments about Correspondence: Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein (French List Series).

No comments about Picasso Paints a Portrait.

No comments about Picasso: The Blue and Rose Periods (Crown Art Library).

1 comments about Picasso Painter and Sculptor in Clay.

1. WACK!!?? The author could of told more about him then ,rather what the man then did in his life !! But dont get me wrong it wont so bad . But the author should try again.

   I'm out...... Rashawnna

2 comments about Georges de La Tour and His World.

1. That only taxes and death are certain would sum up what we know for sure about GEORGES du Mesnil DE LA TOUR AND HIS WORLD. Just as his native Lorraine lost its independence to France, so was he factored out of the art world during the 250 some years after he died in 1652. His "flea catcher"; "hurdy-gurdy player," variously mistaken as the work of 17th-century Spanish masters Herrera the Elder, Maino, Murillo, Rivera, Velazquez, and Zurbaran; and my favorite, Jacques Callot-type "newborn child" have been recognized as the most beloved of his art of Dutch- and Flemish-type earthy realism and luminously softened colors, eerily flickering light and spectacular lighting effects, finely drafted clothing and hair, highly focused and tensely concentrated mood, and minimal expressions, forms and gestures subtly cluing character. He excelled in not only the theatrically controlled daylight manner, with the henpecked "old man" and thin-lipped "old woman" of the piercing eyes and the careworn "old peasant couple eating" in worn clothing with pulled stitches accented by light brushstrokes and rubbed-thin paint, but also the deeply shadowed and dramatically night-time style, with "denial of St Peter" and "dream of St Joseph." His subjects ranged from the everyday life of ordinary people, as in his boys blowing on a charcoal stick and a firebrand, "girl blowing on a brazier," and my favorite "payment of taxes" with a Jacques Bellange-styled unsettling atmosphere of crowded space, deeply shadowed eyes, meticulously folded drapery and unusual candle-cast shine to arms and faces; to music, with "cornet player," "musicians' brawl" of gesturing arms and gnarled hands around beautifully painted musical instruments and lively highlighted weather-cracked and wrinkled faces, Jean Appier aka Hanzelet-type "woman playing a triangle," and "young singer"; to nonreligious moralizing with all the furtiveness and sideways glances by cheats with the aces of clubs and diamonds in Fontainebleau school-styled solidly brushed half-length figures and Simon Vouet-type colorfully light fine materials, "dice players," and my favorite "fortune-teller"; to religious meditations with "adoration of the shepherds," Job with his broken bowl for scraping sores and his Jacques Bellange-styled highwaisted wife, and such Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio- and Hendrick ter Brugghen-type ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events as saints Alexis, Andrew, Anne mothering Mary and grandmothering Jesus, Francis in ecstasy, James the Less of the brushy arthritic hands, Jerome the scholarly ascetic with a bloodstained knotted rope against self-indulgence, John the Baptist in the wilderness, Jude Thaddeus, Mary Magdalene sorrowing over her sins, Philip of the crystal buttons ingeniously refracting light onto his jacket, Sebastian tenderly cared by Irene and her tearful assistant, and Thomas transformed from doubt to toughly unflinching faith. I particularly like the way he showed children behaving goodly with "Christ with St Joseph in the carpenter's shop" and "education of the Virgin." Ever since reading Aldous Huxley I have wondered which three books I would take to a BRAVE NEW WORLD: chances are that one would be editor Philip Conisbee's carefully written, gorgeously illustrated and well-organized book, because I have loved de La Tour's art ever since learning about him from my artist mother and sister during my student years and because this one-of-a-kind, reader-friendly book plants his first American exhibition so firmly in the art world that, what with GEORGES DE LA TOUR in French by Paulette Chone, Pierre Rosenberg and Bruno Ferte, and Jacques Thuillier and what with David Huddle's upcoming LA TOUR DREAMS OF THE WOLF GIRL and Christopher Wright's THE MASTERS OF CANDLELIGHT, he should never be dislodged again.



2. This book shows thirty great paintings by what I consider the second-best French painter of the seventeenth century (to me, but to very few others, Simon Vouet was the best).
   
   Those who haven't seen Georges de La Tour's paintings will be struck by the fact that the backgrounds are typically dark black. That was his style. He'd paint the design, starting with the light colors. Then he would add darker colors to it. And he'd finish up with a very dark background.
   
   We see people paying taxes. We see a peasant couple. A hurdy-gurdy player. Brawling musicians. Dice players. There's a great work showing someone cheating at cards. In the version in the Louvre, the cheat has the Ace of Diamonds behind his back. La Tour did a copy of the painting, which is in the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, but in that one, the cheat holds the Ace of Clubs!
   
   Some of the paintings have religious significance. Three of them involve Magdalene and a skull. Another shows Irene tending to the wounded Saint Sebastian. And there are paintings of the Holy Family. One is of Jesus and Saint Joseph in Joseph's carpenter's shop. Another is of Saint Anne (Mary's mother) teaching Mary to read. One more is of Anne and Jesus. And yet another is of Anne, Mary, and Jesus.
   
   The detail in all these paintings is stunning. And the expressions on the faces of La Tour's characters are remarkable.
   
   I recommend this book.

5 comments about Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973: Genius of the Century (Basic Art).

1. An abundance of full-color plates and numerous black-and-white photographs made this book worth the modest price. The text is awkward. It sounds as if English is not the author's first language and certain elements of carelessness in the writing suggest that the author was more concerned with the manuscript deadline than scholarship. Picasso's own words, appearing as blocked quotes in the margins are not dated, nor sources given. The reader is not able to chronologically trace the change in philosophy reflected in his words. The text also suffers from an inordinate number of typographical errors. Walther's poorly disguised gut reaction of disgust in describing some of Picasso's work may reflect the reaction his early critics felt in viewing some of his paintings. Walther uses words such as "horror," "grotesque," "misshapen," and "ugly," at one point writing, "Picasso wanted to destroy absolutely everything."



2. For anyone who is seeking a decent overview of Picasso's work, this is a good bet for the modest price. Granted the writing may seem a bit akward, but it's perfectly readable and not misrepresentative. I admit, I haven't finished reading the book entirely, but there is a fairly concise chapter concerning each stage of his artistic career, and plenty of good color and B&W reproductions that are a good sample of his incredibly large and varied body of work. Anyone who is more than superficially interested in Picasso could never get by on just one book anyway, and this is a very good primer. The best Taschen published art book I have seen.



3. A very successful introduction to Picasso's work and life! Whether you just want to admire his paintings or try to learn from him, this book is a good choice. Some people don't understand Picasso and are insulted by astronomic prices of his "childish" looking paintings. In this book Ingo F. Walther sheds light on the phenomenon of this genius by presenting all the phases of painter's development that naturally resulted in the spontaneous expressions of his imagery. Or with the artist's words: "When I was as old as these children, I could draw like Raphael. But it took me a lifetime to learn to draw like them!" Thus we can follow Picasso from his youth, blue and rose periods to his invention of cubism and all the way to his late works. In addition there are chapters on his sculptures, posters and ceramics.
   
   The book also gives a rich selection of interesting aspects of Picasso's life. An enormous publicity was haunting him as well as helping him test his brave inventions. Whatever he touched turned to gold. When he finally grew tired of publicity and decided to move from Paris to a provincial village of Ménerbes, he was given a chalet in exchange for a still life.



4. This is a very nice introduction to the works of Picasso. In the early nineties this book was a gift to one of my sons who was a mere child then. It is quite appropriate for young readers as there are many pictures . The parent or teacher can cultivate or nourish a young persons interest in art with these nice reproductions. The early period of Picasso's works, most notably his Cubist period seems to particularly intrigue young artists as they seem to relate to the "disfigured" human anotomy etc. In the case of my son he liked these pictures very much and as a result has a pretty good eye and hand for art that translates into interesting drawings and graphic arts. I believe this is in part a result of his early exposure to this Picasso book. Although the text is ackward at times it can be modified or paraphrased for youngsters. This is good stuff for the budding Picasso in your household and of course the price is right.



5. 
   (A review of the papeback editon)
   
   The two volume book is arranged in seventeen chapters concluding with a considerable Chronology illustrated with numerous black and white pictures, mostly photographs with many of the artist, Notes, a Bibliography which includes exhibition catalogues, and a rather brief (one page) Index of Names.
   
   The opening Chapter reminds us of the stature of the man, and of his prodigious output; briefly summarising his career. The subsequent Chapters chronicle Picasso's progress starting with his childhood efforts, through the Blue and Rose Periods, Cubism, "Guernica" to mention just a few and concluding with "The Legend of the Artist". It is intelligently written, accessible and makes very interesting reading. The illustrations run with the text and are usually within a page or two of the relevant reference.
   
   Produced in two paperback volumes in a cardboard slipcase Taschen's 25 anniversary edition is an impressive effort. It is superbly illustrated throughout with approaching 1,500 images mainly in colour but with a few back and white (usually drawings or photographs). The smallest pictures are just thumbnails, the largest full page and the occasional double page spread, with every size between; but there are plenty of good sized pictures with whole sections of colour plates, it certainly makes an impressive array. Overall the pictures far outweigh the text.
   
   At such good value for money it is hard to be critical of this two volume set, but I fear I have two concerns. Firstly the Index seems wholly inadequate, an Index of Names which amounts to one page; finding a particular painting or anything else might prove difficult. Secondly, while the two volumes come protected in a slipcase, the card covers (paperback edition) to the individual volumes feel very slight; with each approaching 400 pages one feels one has to handle them with great care for fear of damaging the binding. It is however a very worthwhile set, one would be hard pressed to find so many reproductions of Picasso's work elsewhere for the money, and would not hesitate to recommend it.

No comments about Pablo Picasso (Reaktion Books - Critical Lives).

No comments about Picasso and Jacqueline.

1 comments about Picasso: Painting Against Time.

1. As an artist and art book collector I carefully examine a book before I buy it. I saw a damaged copy of this book at a Barnes & Knobles Book store in Seattle and really liked the pictures but even more so I enjoyed the way the author explained what they thought Picasso was thinking towards the end of his life. My favorite part is about the two hundred paintings Picasso did in the last three years of his life, pretty extraordinary. The pictures of Picasso's work are clear and clean. An outstanding well done job. If you enjoy Picasso and/or art, then secure yourself a copy of this fine book. You won't be dissapointed.

No comments about Pablo Picasso.