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Rating: Summary: Very Clear and Informative Book Review: I bought this book hoping that it will explain to me why some painters are so highly regarded and other copy caps are not. Book basically goes over mostly Renocence pictures and tell the story behind each painting either what it depicts in terms of symbolism or history behind it or resons and financing behind it. It is a combination History book and paintings. It tells yo that for example Boticelli's Birth of Venus is first in Ronecance for nudity but it does not tell me why her feet is crooked, why anybody else who probably did similar paintings at the same time did not get this much fame. That is what I was looking and could not find. Still looking for the right book but this book by itself is very good for the purpose of its design.
Rating: Summary: Great paintings is a great book.... Review: I received this book as a gift from a friend. The pictures are superb, the paper is a nice heavy stock, and the text is interesting and at times humorous. So many times we look at a painting, but we really do not see what the artist is telling us. This book will show wonderful detailed areas of the painting for close scruntity. The pages are large so it is easier to see the paintings in detail. Whether you are an artist who paints, or have an enjoyment of the arts, you will be extremely pleased with this book.
Rating: Summary: Looking at Paintings and Seeing History Review: Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen have done their research in examining paintings throughout time and have created two extraordinary volumes that invite us into the Art Appreciation Theater of an honored university of learning. Their biographies are strangely missing from these books: we can only surmise that these two fine art historians have spent countless hours in the museums of the world. The fruit of their labor is a world of revealed details secreted within the masterpieces we 'thought' we knew. The technique: Introduce a complete painting, give a thorough background about the time in which it was created and the artist who created it, and then from isolated windows, fill the remaining pages about that painting with details that not only address the painter's technique but also make commentary on the social mores, theological and philosophical concepts often at odds with the casual audience perceptual skills, and in general open vistas of enjoyment and insight to even the most experienced viewer. The Hagens have managed to gossip a bit, chide and joke a bit, and in the end offer us insights into exactly 'what great paintings say!.' Most of the paintings scrutinized are the large panoramas of, for example, Rembrandt ('The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tulp', 'Balshazzar's Feast'), Rubens ('The Love Garden' with the foggy details of Venus milking her breats as fountains!) van Eyck ('Adoration of the Lamb') Poussin, Goya, etc. In addition to famous masters, the Hagens bring to light such lesser known greats as Francisco Pradilla y Ortiz, a "Netherlandish master," Johannes Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, and Ilya Repin to mention only a few. One of the marvels of this collection is the consummate attention paid Courbet's 1855 "The Studio" which depicts a painter at easel, his model, the commissioners of the painting, royalty and peasants - all painted with adoring detail. It definitely is a statement of the artist's political standpoint! Technically the books are rich in color, creatively designed and close to color-correct. There is much to be enjoyed here and even more to advance the understanding and appreciation of art. A true gift!
Rating: Summary: A Lively Interpretive Guide Review: The book is fascinating. The reproductions are big and good, and the text is readable and jargon-free. The authors present a painting, then provide a historical and social analysis of what the time's effects were on the artist and how to read below the surface of the picture, illustrating their points with details drawn from the work. In the few cases where I was acquainted with the works and their times, I found the interpretations spot on. This is a book that will help anyone interested in art, art history, or just plain history to develop a fuller understanding of great artists and of the times when they lived.
Rating: Summary: Beautiful, with one fatal flaw... Review: This book is a beautiful edition, and serves the purpose of explaining sybolism in art quite nicely. There is, though, one flaw: Most of the large color plates are spread across the spine of the book. This is not a problem for most, but as an art student, studying the paintings with 15% lost in the spine is a problem.
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