Rating: 
Summary: More Visual Treats
Review: This is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the history of art. Not only intelligently organized (alphabetically), but colorful & detailed. 500 artists from Agasse to Zurburan, each with one representative work and brief paragraph on art and artist, with the vital statistics as a footnote. Browse it and enjoy the gallery-like quiet of this well-designed book.
Rating:
Summary: Portable and Perfect
Review: This miniature edition of the classic hard cover book is perfect for anyone who is arrested by art works of any sort. In a phrase: art lover's heaven.
Rating:
Summary: diminutive in size but not in value
Review: This valuable little book, at approximately 6-1/2 by 5 inches, packs a lot of information and pleasure into a little package. Five hundred artists, from Agasse to Zurbaran, are represented. Each painter or sculptor gets one page that features a full-color print (covering about two-thirds of the page); a paragraph of text that discusses the artist's work in general, the specific work depicted, and cross-references to similar artists; information about the artist and the piece, including the artist's place and year of birth and death, the work's title, date, medium/materials, physical dimensions and current location.Presented alphabetically, rather than chronologically, this dynamic little tome makes great browsing, and helps you to look at art in a way we don't usually -- outside of its historical context. The paper and color plates are of the first quality and the text is informative. It's fun to see which work was chosen as typical of your favorite artists, and it's fun to try and guess the period in which an artist worked before you read the information. Because so much is fit into such a small volume, some readers may be frustrated at the small print, though the font is quite clean. The book closes with glossaries of technical terms and artistic movements and a directory of museums and galleries, organized by country, that includes address, phone number and a list of the book's works that they own. (Maybe the next edition will also include web sites?) Phaidon Press has done you a service by publishing this pithy treasure. Buy it now!
Rating:
Summary: diminutive in size but not in value
Review: This valuable little book, at approximately 6-1/2 by 5 inches, packs a lot of information and pleasure into a little package. Five hundred artists, from Agasse to Zurbaran, are represented. Each painter or sculptor gets one page that features a full-color print (covering about two-thirds of the page); a paragraph of text that discusses the artist's work in general, the specific work depicted, and cross-references to similar artists; information about the artist and the piece, including the artist's place and year of birth and death, the work's title, date, medium/materials, physical dimensions and current location. Presented alphabetically, rather than chronologically, this dynamic little tome makes great browsing, and helps you to look at art in a way we don't usually -- outside of its historical context. The paper and color plates are of the first quality and the text is informative. It's fun to see which work was chosen as typical of your favorite artists, and it's fun to try and guess the period in which an artist worked before you read the information. Because so much is fit into such a small volume, some readers may be frustrated at the small print, though the font is quite clean. The book closes with glossaries of technical terms and artistic movements and a directory of museums and galleries, organized by country, that includes address, phone number and a list of the book's works that they own. (Maybe the next edition will also include web sites?) Phaidon Press has done you a service by publishing this pithy treasure. Buy it now!
Rating:
Summary: diminutive in size but not in value
Review: This valuable little book, at approximately 6-1/2 by 5 inches, packs a lot of information and pleasure into a little package. Five hundred artists, from Agasse to Zurbaran, are represented. To each painter or sculptor one page is devoted, featuring a full-color print (covering about two-thirds of the page); a paragraph of text that discusses the artist's work in general, the specific work depicted, and cross-references to similar artists; information about the artist and the piece including the artist's place and year of birth and death, the work's title, date, medium/materials, physical dimensions and current location. Presented alphabetically rather than chronologically, this dynamic little tome makes great browsing, and helps you to look at art in a way we don't usually -- outside of its historical context. The color plates and paper are of the first quality, and the text is delightful -- as if you had a very smart and articulate mentor who could describe an artist or a movement in a way that actually makes sense. I've read several books on artistic aesthetics, hoping to find a better appreciation for the art that I mainly enjoy viscerally and IMHO, these pithy remarks do as well or better than those whole books. It's fun to see which work was chosen as typical of your favorite artists, and it's fun to try and guess the period in which an artist worked before you read the information. Just the kind of book to leave out when guests are over, and the price is so reasonable and the size so manageable that this is an art book I can leave out for kids to enjoy too. Because so much is fit into such a small volume, some readers may be frustrated at the small print, though the font is quite clean. The book closes with glossaries of technical terms and artistic movements, and a directory of museums and galleries, organized by country, that includes address, phone number and a list of the book's works that they own. I hope the next edition will also include web sites. In this fast, fast, faster world, it might be good to take a few minutes and look at some pictures, eh? Phaidon Press has done us a service by publishing this little treasure. They have worked a little miracle to do so at such a great price. Buy this book! Highest recommendation.
Rating: 
Summary: Juxtaposition at its Best
Review: What some books take volumes to convey, this book often provides in a page long description. Listing the artists alphabetically provides a lovely contrast; seeing two random works side by side will often offer all the explanation necessary. If one wishes to see the works of another artist that may further clarify a description, with each work is provided several suggestions for comparision. Occassionally, the example shown does not seem to be definitive of the artist's style (the work by Frank Stella, for example), but overall I found the book really entertaining and informative--and it looks great on the coffee table.
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