Great Housewives of Art [Mass Market Paperback]

Sally Swain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

Everyone knows that behind every great artist stands the wellspring of his genius--the woman of his life. But for years, the lives of these women have remained shrouded in mystery. Here, artist Sally Swain gives them their due, capturing them at their many household chores. 42 color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Why don't art galleries display more images of modern woman's daily domestic grind?" Forty-two color pictures elaborate on the above question and similar ones raised in this witty visual spoof of "great" art, i.e., art made by men according to male esthetics. Thus, a composition whose neat geometry recalls Mondrian demands a second look: the apparently abstract configuration depicts a robotic woman ("Mrs. Mondrian") wielding a mop. Another woman (with blood trickling from an amputated ear) makes the bed of Van Gogh's famously awry room. And in this Dejeuner sur l'herbe , the female picnickers wear business suits while a man reclines in abashed nudity. The jokes are pungent and readily accessible--no arcane allusions here. Several gags misfire: "Mrs. Pollock Can't Seem to Find Anything Any More" (the image of a woman tearing her hair is embedded in blithely swirling strokes of color) obscures the historical "Mrs. Pollock," the noted painter Lee Krasner. Swain, an Australian, is a self-taught artist and illustrator.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; 1st edition (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140115862
• ISBN-13: 978-0140115864
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #910,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very funny parodies of famous paintings, April 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Great Housewives of Art (Mass Market Paperback)

Sally Swain's Great Housewives of Art and ditto Revisted are hilariously funny parodies of famous paintings, and a very sophisticated form of humour in that if you do not know the original paintings you are at a loss as to why other people are rolling in the aisles. Women find them funnier than men, but men are the ones being sniped at by Ms Swain's brush. What she does is take a famous painting, like Munch's "The Scream" and alter it ever so slightly so that it becomes "Mrs Munch bemoans the tomato sauce stains on the wall". So you have Monet's "Waterlillies" becoming "Mrs Monet vacuums the pool" and Rembrandt's "Woman Bathing" Mrs Rembrandt defrosting the Fridge. A good book to keep in the bathroom, but if you are having a large party remove it or people stay there too long!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully inventive as well as humorous., July 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Great Housewives of Art (Mass Market Paperback)

Sally Swain has taken the time to find the key which can unlock all those frustrations ordinary people have with the arcane manner in which MOST critics deal with art. It is such a baloon burster that it dare not be missed by all serious students of art.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book, January 8, 2012

By 

elle'n - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great Housewives of Art (Mass Market Paperback)

Have had my copy since this was published eons ago. Even someone with just passing knowledge of the most well known painters and a sense of humor will enjoy it. Gave as a gift this year to a part-time artist/full-time housewife who desperately needed a laugh. Success! Really clever book.