Beyond the Easel: Decorative Painting by Bonnard, Vuillard, Denis, and Roussel, 1890-1930 (Hardcover)

by Gloria Groom (Author), Nicholas Watkins (Author), Jennifer Paoletti (Collaborator), Therese Barruel (Collaborator)
Key Phrases: vertical monogram, distemper technique, overdoor panels, Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Edouard Vuillard (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Accompanying an exhibition at The Art Institute of Chicago and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this attractive catalog is the first study to focus on the decorative painting of French artists Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Maurice Denis, and Ker Xavier Roussel, members of the Nabis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Curator Groom chronicles the formal development of each artist's style as well as the involvement of patrons who commissioned murals and screens for their homes. In his essay, scholar Nicholas Watkins demonstrates how the four artists applied the aesthetic principles of the mural to all types of painting, thus subverting the academic hierarchy of the fine and decorative arts. Drawing parallels with William Morris's Arts and Crafts movement and acknowledging the influences of both Japanese art and the 18th-century French rococo style, Watkins traces the absorption of these artists' abstracted decorative style into early 20th-century modernism and post-World War II avant-garde painting. With beautiful illustrations and a thoughtful text, this book is recommended for all libraries with art collections. Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Coll. Lib., MA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Well produced. . . . highly recommended." -- Choice

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 289 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300089252
• ISBN-13: 978-0300089257
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #157,795 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maurice Denis... Little known but wonderful painter!, January 10, 2009

By	CVP (United States) - See all my reviews

This book is focused on 'decorative arts' but shows many paintings by Maurice Denis in it. The first time I saw a Maurice Denis painting at a museum I was enthralled - and recommend the book based on it's beautifully included reproductions of many Denis paintings. Although he is not considered a "GREAT" painter his work is stunning and worth reading more about. Wonderful find for any art historian or anyone with a general interest in painting/decorative arts.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With an informative essay by Nicholas Watson, May 17, 2001

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Co-published with the Yale University Press, Gloria Groom's Beyond The Easel: Decorative Painting By Bonnard, Vuillard, Denis, And Roussel, 1890-1930 is an exhibition catalog which is profusely illustrated with both color and black-and-white reproductions. With an informative essay by Nicholas Watson, and additional contributions to the text by Jennifer Paoletti and Therese Barruel, Beyond The Easel is a magnificent, very highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library art history collections.