Customer Reviews

Antonio Lopez Garcia

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of the many, many art books in my library this is by far my favorite

if you can find it, buy it

This book with its superb images, far better than the ones from the Boston museum show, is worth more than any art school "education" for anyone being an artist or a former art student....... thus it must be worth in the neighborhood of $200,000.

In case you are not wholly familiar with the artist, he was born in Spain in 1936, paints at a level equal or superior to Vermeer, Velasquez, Rembrandt, El Grecco, Degas, and Bonnard (in other words the all time greats). In 1990 at the time of his Marlborough show he spoke no English, nor did he drive.

His 2009 Boston Museum of Fine Arts show was ignored by the arts media outside of Boston. The New York Times devoted it a half sentence in a related Kimmelman review.

Lopez Garcia had stood up to the Modernist Beurocracy in Spain and seems to have been blacklisted worldwide.

His pencil drawings are the greatest drawings ever made. Catherine Murphy's stove at Knoedler did come close and Jeffrey Ripple's still life paintings can be shown together with the work of Lopez Garcia.

ANOTONIO LOPEZ GARCIA is profoundly respected in Spain and occupies rooms in the museums in Madrid. Known primarily to atists and art historians in this country, Antonio Lopez Garcia is a painter who deserves world acclaim. His style is representational with patience of observation of an object over long periods of time that imbues his work with an honesty that places him among the masters. So true is his perception that a fine film has been made of his prolonged painting of a Quince, proping up the branch of the selected fruit as its weight increases with maturity solely for the purpose of completing his thoughts and painting without resorting to in-studio alterations.

Any book obtainable about this artists would be a must for every sensitive artist and collector. The finest collection of his work is found in the catalogue of his exhibition in Madrid in 1993 and the elements of writing and reproduction are closely seconded by this volume.

Antonio Lopez Garcia paints cityscapes, landscapes, protraits, still lifes, and large canvases that include some surreal elements. His palette is subtle, and his degree of observation is uncanny. If only someone would represent this artist in the Americas! Until then, do what you can to obtain any book about his work. Highly recommended.

Grady Harp, January 10

This book is by far the best book out there on Lopez Garcia in English or Spanish. The book includes many large images and close-ups of Lopez's drawings, paintings, and sculpture. Francisco Calvo Serraller's essay discusses themes in Lopez's magical realism, many of which can be traced to his later realism. Edward Sullivan's essay focuses on Lopez's realist sculpture. Many of the ideas he includes are transferable to Lopez's realist paintings. Also included is Michael Brenson's extensive interview with the artist, where Lopez's views on politics, art, and Spain are revealed. Any questions you may have had about Lopez are likely addressed in the comprehensive dialogue. If I had 2,000 dollars I would totally buy this book. For now, it is in my local library.

I have been looking for this book for a long time and just got the chance to see it. The book has more reproductions than the thin book on Lopez, but I have to say given what was in the book it wasn't that amazing, and I certainly don't believe it to be worth more than $200.Pricing this book at more than $200 is robbery. I suppose that because this book is no longer in print its value has risen, but $2,000?, thats just ridiculous. My suggestions is to buy the new Lopez catalogue from the MFA show, and the other less expensive book and you have a comparable resource at way less then a 1/4 of the cost.