This chronological anthology of 50 master artists and their pivotal works spans six centuries and provides reproductions of stunning masterpieces by such greats as Matisse, Picasso, Edward Hopper, and Leonardo da Vinci. 250 illustrations.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
A benchmark for intelligent, engaging nonfiction, this superbly designed book is written and illustrated with a lushness that takes the breath away. Robert Cumming is chairman of Christie's education department: he knows his art history. But he also knows how to seduce you with the sheer beauty of the material, and the well-placed pointer to telling details. Fifty double-page spreads cover artists from da Vinci and Rubens to Monet, Picasso, and Pollock. Each spread is a concentrated master-class on the life, the style, and the influence. Check out the luminous full-color reproductions of "Bacchus" and "The Conversion of St. Paul," then read the opening sentence above them--"One of the few great artists to have a criminal record, Caravaggio was violent, loutish, and frequently under arrest"--and see if you can resist the temptation to read on. Great Artists is a dream of a book that adults and their older children will fight over. (Ages 12 to adult) --Richard Farr
From School Library Journal
YA-Facts on 50 famous painters are presented in chronological order and accompanied by large, full-color reproductions of their best-known works. The individuals' impact on the art world and the techniques they used are explained and described in detail. The text includes quotes by critics, historians, the painters themselves, and other artists of the time. Observations and explanations are provided concerning the subject, paint techniques, purpose, and symbolism of each piece. Details of sections of the works are enlarged and analyzed. The index provides links not only to artists' names, but also to time periods, styles, and major works. With its open and inviting layout, this book has great browsing appeal.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gorgeous and informative book!,
By
This review is from: Great Artists: The Lives of 50 Painters Explored Through Their Work (Hardcover)
This oversized book has dovoted 2 pages to each important artist from the 1400's to Jackson Pollock. As with all D-K books, the reproductions are wonderful and the information is fascinating. The arthor gives a mixture of facts about the artist's life, painting of the period, key works of the painter, and other events happening in the world at the time. I love this book!
34 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Attractive Overview,
This review is from: Great Artists: The Lives of 50 Painters Explored Through Their Work (Hardcover)
Teachers commonly say that they learn more about a subject from teaching it than from being a student. In part this is because so much of what we practice is unspoken and intuitive, while teaching requires a certain explicitness and may be most effective when the essence of a subject is portrayed in a simple, impassioned, and powerful way. As a result, one can often learn a lot from brief, introductory overviews of a subject, as is the intention of this attractive, large-format picture book. Several years ago, the author (who is head of the education division at ChristieÕs) wrote Annotated Art (1994), a companion volume in which diagrams, close-ups, and marginal notes were used to analyze 45 key paintings; and, since then, a similar book was produced by the same publisher about the history of architecture (Neil Stevenson, Architecture (1997)). In this third volume in the series, 50 more paintings (different from those in the earlier book), are arranged chronologically, displayed, and discussed in annotations, using introductory paragraphs, marginal notes, biographical highlights, related works, quotes by and about the artists, and short lists of non-art concurrent events. While the result is necessarily superficial, it is also a welcoming, valuable way to be introduced to art history. (Review from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol 14 No 2, Winter 1998-99)
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not for elementary children,
By Frazzled (Milky Way Galaxy) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Great Artists: The Lives of 50 Painters Explored Through Their Work (Hardcover)
Take the Young Adult age recommendation seriously. I purchased an updated copy of this book at an elementary school book fair. I'm not squeamish about nudity in art, but the text includes lots of words like "erotic", "homoerotic", "prostitute", "ravished", and "rape". Be aware that this could create a lot of questions that you may not be ready to answer, and your child may not be ready to hear. On the other hand, I quite enjoyed it and would recommend the book for older teens, college students, and adults.
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