No comments about Watercolour Greeting Cards (Greetings Cards series).

1 comments about Glory of Creation (Thomas Kinkade's Lighted Path Collection).

1. Thomas Kinkade is the name of a painter, and now an industry, that produces highly colorful, saccharin kitsch that is found decorating all sorts of objects. I first encountered Kinkade's work as elaborately framed "paintings" displayed in a gallery at the front of a local furniture emporium. I was shocked to see four-figure prices attached to pieces that were obviously some sort of reproduction. These prices led me to suspect a scam was under way, especially when I noticed blobs of white pigment standing in bas relief from the surface, obvously meant to give the illusion of a hand-painted work. When I asked a hovering saleslady whether she was aware the pieces were reproductions, she readily admitted they were. And recently, an ad in the local paper invited all and sundry to come watch an expert from the Kinkade factory apply these white "highlights" to the lithographs, which are apparently shipped without them. I would suggest that the lithos be sold with a tube of paint so the buyer can apply his own "highlights" and thus create a real original. For the prices asked, you should get at least enough paint to do your living room, too.

No comments about Salvador Dali, or the Art of Spitting on Your Mother's Portrait.

5 comments about Portrait of Dr. Gachet : The Story of a Van Gogh Masterpiece : Modernism, Money, Politics, Collectors, Dealers, Taste, Greed, and Loss.

1. While reading about the history of the Sotheby's and Christie's Auction Houses the story of the highest priced paid for a painting at auction was quite a tale. I qualify my comment with an auction sale, as the possibility exists that somewhere an individual may have spent more. Based on what I have read I doubt it, for even with all the deception in the art world, secrets are not particularly well kept.

   Ms. Cynthia Saltzman has written a scholarly work that is readable by anyone who enjoys well-written history, or even a novel. The course this painting has taken in a bit more than 110 years is as extraordinary as the price paid when it was last sold.

   Vincent Van Gogh was a troubled man who managed to produce a rather large body or work before tragically taking his own life. There are dozens of speculations as to the manner of disease he suffered, but suffer he did. Van Gogh did not live to see any appreciation of his art, and even for years after his death his work was not of any renown nor sought after. This final portrait that he was to paint did not sell for 7 years after his death, and even then the purchase price was $58 in US currency.

   Over the next 14 years the painting would again change hands 4 more times, and with the last of the 4 sales became a museum piece for the first time. The locale was Frankfurt, the year 1911, and the price $3861. It was this last move that was to place this painting and hundreds of others into a collection of Art deemed "degenerate" by the Nazis of Hitler's Germany. The piece also was in the possession of Herman Goering briefly. Fortunately for the painting it was sold outside of Germany, where a new owner would hold it for the next 52 years. The Germans may have thought it degenerate for propaganda purposes, but money was another matter. While the painting was confiscated, when sold in 1938 the passing 17 years brought the value to $20,000.

   Until the next and final sale the painting would be hung in a home in New York City, the property of private collectors. When the "crazy years" of the art market arrived impressionist work was in great demand, much of which was generated from Japan. For in 1995 Mr. Saito paid $82.5 million, and then 2 days later another $78.5 million was spent by the same man on a Renoir. What has happened since then really has to be read as it would make a great novel were it fiction.

   Ms. Saltzman has done an amazing job of documentary work, and added the history of the times surrounding the work, as well as those who sought the piece, and the personalities of those who came in contact with, or were the temporary custodians of the work, "The Gachet".

   A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys a good story written with consummate skill and style.




2. It was very interesting story for me to know this masterpiece's history. However, it was too much skipped the history in Japanese period and sometimes I did feel that she has a prejudice against Japanese culture. She investigated history in Europe very well but less investigation in Japan ! I wanted her to investigate it more. Anyway, it was very interesting and I want to recommend it very much.



3. She veers off into things that really don't pertain to the needed info about Vincent V. Too much like a history lesson on WW2! How about some info on other masterpieces and there values like, is Starry night worth more than Dr.Gachet? Some art experts put it over that and the value of the Mona Lisa(125,000,000!)Also where is the painting at now and go into why Saito kept it away from the public!?The book in my opinion was done too early!Hey, why don't I write the sequel I could do alot better job in my opinion!



4. The history of a single work of art from conception, several owners, war, and fame as the record-holder for highest price for a painting at auction, this book is nothing short of amazing. Cynthia Saltzman's concept is fresh and her writing ludcid. This is a book you won't be able to put down. It has everything a good story should have; suspense, tragedy, triumph, and action. I found myself holding my breath, though I knew the outcome, as I read about the auction of the Portrait of Dr. Gachet.

   This is a book I heartily recommend, and so far, everyone I've leant it to or purchased it for has loved it just as much as I have.




5. The stories of the owners and caretakers of the portrait, from its beginning to present, create a colorful tapestry of their own. For someone who is not intimate with the negotiations of the art world, the book is informative and surprising. It may not have been the author's intention, but I also felt a thread of sadness and melancholy, as though the artist and the subject still have an investment in the future of the canvas. Perhaps it is the awareness that all the owners eventually gave it up and that the current owner has removed it from sight. The author of this book has given us the facts, but has also invested those facts with meaning which speaks clearly about the impact of the artistic process, if one is willing to consider beyond the obvious.

No comments about El Greco.

4 comments about Paintings in the Hermitage.

1. Context: I'm not an academic or a scholar; I'm a regular guy who likes visiting museums when I travel and I wanted to do a little researach before I left. This book worked well for my daughter and I to determine which parts of the museum deserved the most time (on a short trip) and to get a better understanding of the works. I'm not qualified to evaluate it from an academic perspective, but as a layman it was exactly what we needed.



2. I sent this book to my mother after we toured the Hermitage this summer. She loved it. Lots of narrative, which she may not take time to read, but the pictures are great.



3. Outstanding photography

   I sent this book as a gift to my brother, who is a printer. He thought that pains had been taken with the photography to produce such fine prints. He compared it to another book of Restoration painters that he had once bought at the Guggenheim, having been thrilled with the original exhibition, but said that the Restoration photography had been careless and therefore did not print well, whereas the Hermitage collection exhibited outstanding photography. I didn't buy books that were available in St. Petersburg at the Hermitage because they didn't look good, but these were both beautiful and plentiful. I can't comment on the accompanying text, as I didn't read it.




4. I had very high expectations from "Paintings" when I ordered it, and they were all met! The volume contains beautiful fine quality, mainly full-page reproductions from the famous collection. "Paintings" is a beautifully designed, very substantial size volume which also offers Colin Eisler's very informative yet not imposing style of writing with which she guides us through the many periods of western art and the history behind Catherine the Great's collection. I, a Russian, can only appreciate the thoroughness with which the Hermitage collection is compiled in the "Paintings." I bought it along with "Paintings in the Louvre," both volumes are of the same format as if in the same series and will always be our priceless source for admiring some of the world's most treasured canvases.

5 comments about Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery: Solutions for Drawing the Clothed Figure.

1. I purchased this book to get an idea of how to sculpt realistic wrinkles on 3D clothing using software like Mudbox and ZBrush. Some of the illustrations show rather exaggerated wrinkling to get the point across, but I think that if you use this book along with photo reference of actual wrinkling, you can achieve very realistic effects. Copiously illustrated, great tips, high quality paper and reproduction. Often available at a reasonable price on the used market, a valuable addition to to the library of any artist who has to portray realistic clothing on the human figure.



2. Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery by Burne Hogarth is another must have for any artist, as are all of Hogarth's books. The way shoes crease over the foot of a figure dancing, how shirts gather at the armpits when the figure is twisting, these are just a miniscule example of what you will find in this book. Whether it is cloth hanging on a window, a cape blowing in the wind or a woman's long skirt Hogarth shows how to draw it. The sketches are wonderful in themselves, but also invaluable as quick references as to how external materials behave when they are static or in motion. Rags, uniforms, gowns, togas, bundles, men's three piece suits, these are just a few of the things Hogarth uses to illustrate how things look. His no nonsense explanations and instructions are to the point, without being stark or clipped. What he says is not only interesting, it makes sense. Many of the drawing have arrows showing the direction of force being applied to material so the artist can learn to anticipate folds and drapes in other compositions. For an artist in the throes of creating a quick look at Hogarth's motion arrows can be the greatest of helps when you are suddenly fuddled by how some external should fall or drape. Some of the sketches in this book have partial backgrounds and these give context to the figures movement. The drawings span the spectrum from inspiring to mysterious and are wonderful in themselves as artistic renderings.



3. I flipped through the book after ordering to see what kind of art tool/reference I had gotten my hands on. Turns out I got a gem. (Well as far as I am concerned)
   
   Who knew that wrinkles in cloths, could make such a HUGE (I cannot emphasize this enough!!!) difference. All of this artist characters look so lively and realistic.. and some of the ladies in the book actually look voluptuous and the guys look all rugged and manly. And' its really the outfits and the way there drawn out, that make all the difference in the world.
   
   Honestly from flipping through front to back, this looks like it will be an extremely useful tool for myself if I put my nose to the grind stone. I am truly impressed by the artist work. Mr. Burne Hogarth really kicks some butt and knows what he is doing.(The back of the books cover tells of what hes currently up to, and about some rewards he has received) I will definitely be checking out his other books after seeing this.(When I get the cash...) Because I feel like even though I draw just for the fun of it, I feel like I would be doing myself wrong by not looking at the others. This book is just that good. (From the Images)
   
   I have not read the book yet. But drawing is about visuals, so that is what I am going from. There is about an equal amount of text vs art.
   You will have to check out the other reviews as far as how good things are explained in the book.



4. A very nice book, with a lot of important notes about the subject, but the drawings look a bit like comics.



5. Burne Hogarth was one of the very first artists I came across when I began teaching myself to draw, and Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery is one of the very first of his books that I purchased. Very few books that I have come across deal with the folding and wrinkling of cloth and other materials in so meticulous and compendious a manner as does Hogarth. Wirtten less as a 'how-to' and more as a series of well-designed examples, Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery covers nearly every kind of clothing wrinkles one might think of, and provides exceptionally detailed illustrations to show you how you can apply these lessons to your own work. While other books give short shrift to drawing realistic-looking clothes, this one is simply THE only source you will need on how to give your characters' costumes that extra pop of realism. An indispensible book, and highly recommended.

1 comments about Jean-Leon Gerome.His Life, His Work (PocheCouleur N° 21).

1. i was a little surprised when this arrived in the mail, and i found it was only five by seven and a half inches. to my mind this defeats the purpose of an art book, especially on someone like gerome. its a dense little book with plenty of illustrations, and to my knowledge, the only affordable book on the artist, but if i were you, id kick down another twenty bucks and buy 'the orientalists' by kristian davies instead.

No comments about Avigdor Arikha.

No comments about Painting with Oil (Beginner Art Guides).