Customer Reviews

Bessie Pease Gutmann: Over Fifty Years of Published Art

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This work, credited to Karen Choppa, makes for a nice appendix to Dr. Victor J. Christie's biography of Mrs. Gutmann titled, "Bessie Pease Gutmann - Her Life and Works." Although many of the unique works illustrating this book are quite alluring and an absolute treat to the Gutmann enthusiast, very little new information is shed within its text. In fact, the author straddles the bounds of plagiarism in repeating much of Dr. Christie's text without ever giving him the least bit of credit. As for the image context itself, there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to its order of presentation, as though the emphasis was placed on meeting a deadline as opposed to presenting an arrangement based on theme or events. As a supplement to Dr. Christie's original biography, this work is a must for the Gutmann collector if only for the images themselves. As a source of unique information on one of America's foremost illustrators of the first half of this century, it is a sad disappointment.

I have enjoyed this book very much. Mrs Gutmann was a master of capturing the beauty and charm or her subjects. Everytime I go through it I learn more.

You will love this book. The pictures are so endearing and take you back a few years. It is wonderful to see how talented she was. The art work would be very inspiring if you have any budding artists in your clan. I bought this for my darling Hannah who loves to draw.