New Art Books / Videos
Compiled By RAYMOND J. STEINER
ART TIMES July/August 2006

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS: Art, Design, and Architecture in Central Europe 1890-1920 by Elizabeth Clegg. 356 pp.; 8 ¾ x 11 ½; 300 Illus., 50 in Color; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index. $75.00 Hardcover. Author Elizabeth Clegg takes on the enormous task of integrating the cultural heritage of one of Europe’s most wide-ranging political and social complexes, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Erudite and comprehensive, Art, Design, and Architecture in Central Europe 1890-1920 traces the action and interaction between the various ethnic groups found in the Empire’s main cities of Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, and Zagreb. A major contribution. *****
Bellini, Giorgione, Titian and the Renaissance of Venetian Painting by David Alan Brown, et al. 352 pp.; 9 ½ x 11 ½; 162 Color, 31 Halftone Illus.; Bibliography Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Published in conjunction with a major exhibition presently at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (thru Sep 17) and traveling from there to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (Oct 17 thru Jan 7, 07), this gorgeously produced catalogue interrelates the lives and works of 16^th-Century Venetian artists. Eschewing the usual art-historian approach of viewing each artist as a separate entity, Bellini, Giorgione, Titian rather approaches these painters as parts of a seamless tapestry of artistic development. A major study that is sure to be a standard for some time to come. *****
Albers and Moholy-Nagy: From the Bauhaus to the New World by Achim Borchardt-Hume, et al. 192 pp.; 9 x 10 ¾; 190 Illustrations, 170 in Color; Chronology; Selected Bibliography; List of Exhibited Works; Index. $60.00 **** and Joseph Albers: Poems and Drawings (Introduction by) Nicholas Fox Weber. 80 pp.; 9 ½ x 8; 22 B/W Line Drawings. $19.95 Softcover. Both of these books are published in conjunction with a traveling exhibition presently at London’s Tate Modern (thru Jun 4) which will then open in Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Germany (25 Jun—Oct 1) and close at the Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC (Nov 2—Jan 21, ’07). Albers and Moholy-Nagy explores how these two modernists both influenced and played off each other; Poems and Drawings shares a number of Albers’s poems (some published here for the first time) alongside a number of his simple, geometric drawings. The first is well-illustrated with excellent reproductions; the second of interest to those who care to share Albers’s more whimsical side. ***
Raqqa Revisited: Ceramics of Ayyubid Syria by Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, et al. 260 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; 308 Illus., 119 in Color; Concordance; Bibliography; Index. $60.00 Hardcover. This beautifully illustrated catalogue accompanies an exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art that highlights the extraordinary ceramic artwork unearthed in the early years of the 20^th-century. Excellent reproductions. ***
Raphael at The Metropolitan: The Colonna Altarpiece by Linda Wolk-Simon. 76 pp.; 8 & frac12; x 11; 80 Illus., 40 in Color. $19.95 Softcover. The little volume is published in conjunction with an exhibition of the Colonna Altarpiece presently on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (thru Sep 3). A wealth of illustrations — including close-up details — accompanies a comprehensive overview of Raphael’s career and work, including his relationships with such other Renaissance artists as Perugino, Fra Bartolommeo, and Pinturicchio. A wealth of information for a modest price. *****

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS: Selected Writings on Aesthetics: Johann Gottfried Herder (Ed./Translator) Gregory Moore. 455 pp.; 6 ¼ x 9 ½; Notes; Bibliography; Index. $65.00 Hardcover. Herder, a major figure in 18^th-Century Germany’s burgeoning studies in aesthetics, is here given ample scope on which to base critical judgment. Moore’s Johann Gottfried Herder presents excerpts from some of Herder’s most important writings, much of it translated into English for the first time. An important contribution to our knowledge of the history and origins of aesthetics. *****

PRESTEL: Encountering Eva Hesse by Griselda Pollock and Vanessa Corby. 224 pp.; 6 ½ x 9 ¼; 120 Color Illus.; Selected Bibliography; List of Plates; Index of Names. $60.00 Hardcover. A premature death at the age of thirty-four, an impressive contribution to the minimalist art of the ‘60s, and a prolific producer, all have transformed the German-born artist, Eva Hesse, into a major cult figure. Lavishly illustrated, Encountering Eva Hess includes a comprehensive overview of the artist and her work by an international roster of artists, art historians, and curators familiar with her work. ****
I, Titian by Norbert Wolf. 144 pp.; 9 ½ x 12 ½; 135 Color Illus.; Biography; List of Works Illustrated; Selected Bibliography; Index. $49.95; Slipcased Hardcover. Among one of the world’s first artworld “stars”, Titian is here given full treatment as author Norbert Wolf presents a comprehensive overview of the man, his innovative work, and his life. The latest in Prestel’s “I” series, this latest volume continues in the series reputation for handsome format, excellent reproductions (many with details), and a fair mix of the artist’s words alongside that of the historian. A perfect gift for the connoisseur. *****

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS: Charles Sheeler: Across Media by Charles Brock. 240 pp.; 8 x 11 ½; 135 Illus., 55 in Color; Chronology; Appendix; Select Bibliography; Index. $45.00 Hardcover. Published to coincide with a traveling exhibition of Sheeler’s work presently at the National Gallery of Art (thru Sep 4; thence to the Art Institute of Chicago, Oct 15-Jan 7, ’07, and the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Feb 20-May 6, ’07), Across Media presents an overview of the multi-talented, modernist painter/photographer/filmmaker Charles Sheeler. Handsomely produced and lavishly illustrated. *****
Artists at Continent’s End: The Monterey Peninsula Art Colony, 1875-1907 by Scott A. Shields. 357 pp.; 8 ½ x 11; 160 Illus., 120 in Color; Biographies; Notes; Selected Bibliography; Index. $34.95 Softcover. Because our attention is focused on East Coast artists and institutions, we tend to sometimes overlook what the rest of our country has to offer. Since 1875 — the year that the Art Students League of New York first set up shop — California’s Monterey Peninsula has attracted artists to set an art colony in an effort to capture its natural beauty. Artists at Continent’s End chronicles the art and artists of some thirty years of its ongoing history. Fully documented and well-illustrated. ****

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS: Uninterrupted Flow: Hedda Sterne, A Retrospective by Sarah L. Eckhardt, et al. 134 pp.; 8 ½ x 12; 152 Illus., 127 in Color; Chronology; Exhibition Checklist; Bibliography. $30.00 Softcover. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name that opened at the Kramer Art Museum and will move to the University of Virginia next year (Jan 12 – Mar 11, ’07), this catalogue presents a retrospective overview of the life and work of Hedda Sterne. The only woman included in the once-famous Life Magazine photo in 1951 of the “Irascibles”, a group of abstract expressionists that included (among others) Pollock, Newman, and Rothko, Sterne’s work evokes the social realism of her time. A nostalgic review of the work and personalities during the heady times of the ‘50s. ***

THE GROUNDWATER PRESS/ALBANY INSTITUTE OF HISTORY & ART: The Autobiography of Bill Sullivan by Jaime Manrique. 103 pp.; 11 x 8 ½; B/W & Color Illus. $30.00 Softcover. Published in conjunction with a retrospective of the artist’s work presently at the Albany Institute of History & Art, this is the first autobiography I’ve come across that has been written by someone other than the subject. Whatever its mysterious implications, the book features the reproductions of some sixty city- and landscapes of Sullivan, hailed in the Institute’s press materials as “the painter of the Hudson River”. ***

PHAIDON PRESS LTD.: The Preference for the Primitive: Episodes in the History of Western Taste and Art by E.H. Gombrich. 324 pp.; 9 5/8 x 6 ¾; 230 B/W Illus.; Appendix; Notes; Index. $29.95 Softcover. As only Ernst Gombrich can, The Preference for the Primitive presents an exhaustive study and analysis of the long evolution of Western taste in art and artists. As usual, his comments and insights are both perceptive and lucid. A must for anyone who aspires to see beyond his/her own prejudices. Masterful. *****
Byzantium Rediscovered by J.B. Bullen. 240 pp.; 9 7/8 x 11 3/8; 250 Illus., 220 in Color; Bibliography; Notes; Index. $29.95 Softcover. Its art and culture long neglected as “primitive” by Western artists, the Byzantium Empire was “rediscovered” in the 19^th-century, its arts, crafts, and architecture suddenly all the rage as scholars and artists sought new ideas and inspiration. Byzantium Rediscovered retraces the movement through the lenses of the politics, religion, literature, and art of several countries. Lavishly illustrated, this study is a major contribution to art history. *****

ABRAMS: Human Anatomy: From the Renaissance to the Digital Age by Benjamin A. Rifkin and Michael J. Ackerman. 344 pp.; 6 x 9; 276 Color Illus.; Index. $29.95 Hardcover. As its title suggests, Human Anatomy presents a review of anatomists beginning with Vesalius and ending with the latest contributions of present-day digital artists. Includes the work and lives of over twenty anatomists. A useful reference for anyone interested in human anatomy. ****

BLOOMSBURY: I Was Vermeer: the Rise and Fall of the Twentieth-Century’s Greatest Forger by Frank Wynee. 288 pp.; 5 ½ x 8 ¼; 8-Page Photo Insert; Bibliography; Index. $24.95 Softcover. An engrossing story of the Dutch art forger Han van Meegeren who duped the art-loving Nazi Hermann Göring and others, making over $50 million (today’s equivalent) in the process. A good read. ****

GIVINITY PRESS: Progressive Painting: Your Creative Journey by Ellen Jean Diederich. 104 pp; 5 ½ x 8 ½; Color Illus. $18.95 Softcover. Author Ellen Jean Diederich offers a welcome approach to the business of making art in her newly-published Beyond Paint. Presents solid nuts-and-bolts information and guidelines while still holding precious the delicate impetus that gives rise to creativity. A great gift for that budding artist. ****

THAMES & HUDSON INC.: American Art & Architecture by Michael J. Lewis. 336 pp.; 5 7/8 x 8 ¼; 232 Illus., 143 in Color; Glossary; Select Bibliography; List of Illustrations; Index. $18.95 Softcover. From colonial homes to towering skyscrapers, from Thomas Cole to Matthew Barney, American Art & Architecture is a comprehensive, fact-and-picture-at-the-fingertip reference book that can guide you through the 1600s to today. A must for school libraries and scholars of art and architecture. *****

DOVER PUBLICATIONS: Freehand Perspective and Sketching by Dora Miriam Norton. 175 pp.; 6 1/8 x 9 ¼; 263 B/W Illus.; Solutions of Problems; Index. $14.95 Softcover. Great Drawings of Women: From the Renaissance to the Twentieth Century by Carol Belanger Grafton. Over 100 pp.; 8 3/8 x 11; 102 Illus., 16 in Color; List of Plates. $12.95 Softcover. Learning to Draw: A Creative Approach by Robert Kaupelis. 144 pp.; 8 3/8 x 11; 134 B/W Illus.; Glossary; Bibliography; Index. $12.95 Softcover. Theory and Practice of Perspective by G.A. Storey. 272 pp.; 5 3/8 x 8 ½; 301 B/W Illus.; Index. $11.95 Softcover. The latest releases of Dover Publications’ How-To and Reference Books, these follow in their long-standing tradition to providing modestly-priced handbooks for beginning and established artists. Always a wealth of information that proves to be a considerable bang for the buck.

Compiled by Raymond J. Steiner

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