Customer Reviews

Degas and the Dance

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I see the other reviewer has reviewed AMAZON's delivery service and not the actual book... Which is a pity. Because the book is truly gorgeous and an amazing source of knowledge to those who's interested in Degas. It has an incredible amount of picture documentation, as well as tons of interesting written material. It shows in particular how Degas to some extent understood the world of ballet so well he was able to correct the petite ballet rats if they showed an imperfect technique...

It also displays much interesting info about the two old Parisian opera houses Rue Peletier (destroyed in a fire) and Palais Garnier (still existing and in use).

And last, but not least, it shows Degas's various motifs, techiques and ideas. I love this book most of all the arts book I have, and though sligthly expensive I found it to be worth every penny.

The copy I saw didn't show evidence of poor color separations, nothing that I could detect at any rate...I especially appreciated the degree of attention paid to Degas' drawings...some publishers seem to think that finished paintings are the only things worth reproducing in color. Next paycheck, I'm buying this one! I also thought that the reviewer's crack about a typically rough American approach was uncalled for (and I'm not an American). Ever hear, for example, of Yale University Press?

This book has neither fulfilled my expectations on Degas nor provided his most distinguished paintings. The dance theme is not properly supported with the paintings. Additionally the quality of colour separations is very poor. I have also found the page designs unsatisfactory. A typical rough American approach to European Art.