Customer Reviews

Euan Uglow: The Complete Paintings

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Contrary to the book description provided by Amazon this is not the first Uglow book, although it is by far the superior due to the increase in material. Uglow is relatively unknown in the US primarily due to his success in Great Britain (virtually his entire ouevre is in the hands of private collectors). He tended to work very slowly and often revisited a painting over many years. Recently, art students interested in figurative representation have been discovering his work. They (the pictures) have a kind of directness of intention and clarity of paint application that appeals to artists looking for integrity in approach. They are refreshingly devoid of post-modern myth making, avoid the hagiography and bravura that accompany so much of contemporary art (e.g. Damien Hurst, Jeff Koons, et.al.) And yet they are unquestionably dense with seriousness and meaning. This is one of the great painters of the 20th century, and this book will undoubtably gain at least five times its current price over the next ten years. Both an aesthetic and economic investment.

This handsome volume opens with two essays. The first essay looks at the young artist and his development; his time at art school, first Camberwell and then The Slade, and considers those who influenced him, especially William Coldstream. The second essay looks more particularly at the artist's main body of work, and considers again the influences.

The fully illustrated catalogue section provides much additional information about the individual pieces, many being accompanied by detailed descriptions and interesting facts about their production, often including the artist's own comments. The reproductions vary is size considerably, there are a good number of full-page or near full-page images, but at the other end of the scale a large number are very small. In total there are well over 400 of the artist's works illustrated, according to the publishers this includes every known oil painting, about 80 of which are reproduced here for the first time. In addition to the paintings there are also a number of representative drawings, designs, and a few rather personal more suggestive pieces.

The book includes a chronology, bibliography, and exhibition history for each work.

A quick glance at the content might suggest there is very little information about the man Euan Uglow, but careful reading gradually provides some insight in an almost incidental manner. We learn about the man from his work, and not about the work from the man.

Having the full body of Uglow's oeuvre to consider it becomes immediately apparent where his interests lay; the female nude predominates, still life features strongly too. There are landscapes but nothing like the quantity of the former two, mostly produced during summers away. What comes through strongly from all forms is Uglow's strongly analytical approach, his single minded interest in his subject and his striving for perfection; yet the work is never laboured.

It is a splendid book. The essays are well written and warmly appreciative of the artist and his work. It well designed and superbly illustrated in colour almost throughout, the only complaint being that some of the images are too small.

This is a very fitting tribute and long over due. Uglow is one of the great artists of our century. He does not get the press of Freud but is as good if not better. (Personal preference.) The images as reproduced are sometimes a wee bit small. Having been spoiled with so many great art books with large reproductions, there is little excuse in our day to put out anything less. It still gets 5 stars because I will take whatever I can get. The essays are top notch. The Browse and Darby book is still available from the gallery and reproduces many of his best works at a more appropriate size, but with far fewer paintings. On top of all that, get the book "Some Memories of the Painter" by Susan Campbell which is also available from Browse and DArby. Great anecdotal info on Mr. Uglow.

This book is on the shelf with the favorites. I was ecstatic to hear a complete survey of Uglow's work was being published and I am not disappointed. Some of the images feel dark and maybe kind of small. But there are several hundred in one book. Many of the paintings have descriptions and anecdotes revealing the process or life of the piece. If you're a fan of Uglow, like British figuration, and love painting, it's worth purchasing this.

Euan Uglow was somewhat of an hermetic character with his art. Not inclined toward exhibitions or even interviews during his lifetime, his brilliance as a painter is only now being widely acknowledged by a more international public. This splendid monograph offers intelligent essays by both Richard Kendall who delves into the pertinent period in the artist life - 1950 - 1970- while Catherine Lampert surveys the content of Uglow's paintings and his gradual involvement in his appreciation for color and light that made his later works even more refined than the earlier (and at times more fascinatingly introspective) paintings.

But the glory of this fine book from Yale University Press is the inclusion of ALL of the known paintings of this phenomenal artist - a feat rarely achieved in monographs of contemporary painters. Euan Uglow was equally at home with landscapes and his luminous still lifes as he was with the figure. But for this viewer it is his cascade of eloquent yet quietly simple nudes that remain in the mind's eye, acting as a reference point when viewing the work of today's figurative artists. The authors are wise to emphasize such masterworks as the early 'Standing Nude', a female model standing next to a geometrically interesting heater that Uglow somehow uses as a reference point for his observation of the chunks of the body; his pastoral 'Musicians' that incorporates his love of landscape painting with his appreciation of the figure; his 'Slade Nude against Green Screen'; 'Nude of an Italian Girl' described by the artists' friends as 'one of his grandest and most sensual nudes'; and his incomprehensibly beautiful 'Beautiful Girl Lying Down', a painting where all of his palette knife like brushstrokes give way to smooth molding of the skin producing one of the finest nude portraits in his career.

Yet his landscapes and still lifes have a special resonance peculiar to Euan Uglow's vision. Compositionally these works create questions in the viewer's eye while satisfying the celebration of color and form ('Peach with Blue Vase' is an excellent example). This well designed and conceived book includes sketches for his paintings and the little bits of evidential inspiration that help us to appreciate more fully just what a master was Euan Uglow. This is one of the finest monographs yet published about a 'contemporary' painter and it destined to become a collectors' item. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 10

This book should be read by every serious student of painting. One of the most treasured books in my extensive art library. Will be a deep source of inspiration for many years to come.As a retired Fine Arts teacher and now full-time painter I cannot recommend it enough to young aspiring students.

This book brings together a complete study on the life and work of Euan Uglow. Excellent the choice of works and great print quality. I am very happy to have this wonderful book.

This is a must have for any fan of Uglow! The images or beautiful. The book is really well done. Totally worth the money. I highly recommend.

A comprehensive catalog that is expensive but well worth the money. If you enjoy even one of his paintings, buy the book. You will not be disappointed.

I ordered and paid for this item on December 7, 2010 and have not received the item to date - January 11, 2011. It was intended as a Christmas present for my daughter! The money has been taken out of my bank account and I still don't have the book. I have asked for a tracking number so that I can track the package and was told there was no tracking number. I have received 3 other book orders that I placed from other vendors on Amazon.com much later date than this order and am very pleased with those vendors. Will anyone help track this shipment for me? Thanks.