Cezanne : A Biography [Hardcover]

John Rewald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 1986

A new edition of the classic biography of artist Paul Cezanne, the most complete, fully illustrated survey of the artist's life available, containing 118 color and 152 black-and-white illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

One master offers a beautifully written and illustrated volume on another. Rewald uses the documentary approach taken in his History of Impressionism (1961) to describe the life and work of Cezanne. The artist's character is revealed in his own words and in those of his friends, especially the novelist Emile Zola, making Cezanne accessible in a way simple narrative cannot. Adding greatly to our understanding of Cezanne's development as a painter are the 270 illustrations, many of unfamiliar works here published in color for the first time. The fact that the work was originally published 50 years ago as Rewald's doctoral thesis does not diminish its value, as the author has revised and expanded it and updated the bibliography. An essential purchase for most libraries. Patricia R. Hausman, Williamsburg Regional Lib., Va.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; First edition (March 30, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810907755
• ISBN-13: 978-0810907751
• Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 10.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-Worth The Hefty Price, December 10, 2000

By 

Bruce Loveitt (Ogdensburg, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cezanne : A Biography (Hardcover)

I have read many books on Cezanne over the past 10 years and in my opinion this is the best. For a combination of well-written text and excellent reproductions of the paintings this book cannot be beat. The text is jargon free. Mr. Rewald was a wonderful writer and he gives you a warm and sympathetic biography of a great artist and complex and difficult man. Cezanne was very neurotic. He had a fear of women and would not use nude models. His famous bather series was worked up from photographs and plaster casts, etc. He could be very anti-social: he sometimes would cross the street to avoid meeting someone he knew. He was very emotional and struggled to keep his emotions under control. This was reflected in his work. His early work was full of violence and shadows and you feel as though he barely was able to keep himself in check as he coated the canvas in a thick impasto. The later, carefully controlled and beautifully harmonized works are the more familiar to the general public. The cover gives you some indication of the beautiful reproductions which are inside this book. This is a great addition and in my opinion a must have for anyone's art library.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book, May 30, 2007

By 

Art-fan (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cezanne : A Biography (Hardcover)

Rewald's biography of Cezanne is a very fine piece of work. It is beautifully written with substantial information about the artist & his work. As for all reputable art books, the paper quality is very good to render lovely reproductions of the paintings.
It is very nicely presented & a pleasure to read. . . or just look at the paintings.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo! Bravo!, May 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Cezanne : A Biography (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this wonderful book about a wonderfully delightful artist. I would recommend reading it if you are a Cezanne admirer, absolutely a wonderful book!