Customer Reviews

John La Gatta : An Artist's Life

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John La Gatta bridged the enormous gap between the disciples of the Pyle-Wyeth school and the candy box illustrators who eventually closed down a great century of American illustration. Unlike the photo-dependent noodlers who followed him, La Gatta carefully chose his models and worked directly from life, a fact clearly evident in the pieces selected for this well-crafted book. I would have liked an index and another signature or two to accomodate larger reproductions of his earlier work from the 1920s and 30s, which I feel would have more than justified a higher cover price. This book is a bargain considering the importance of John La Gatta and his place in the history of this uniquely American art form. La Gatta and his tasteful style of illustration are to art what Ellington and the American Songbook are to music.

Jill Bossert has captured the essence of this fascinating artist from his immigrant beginnings to his lavish life style at the height of his career. It's a captivating story of a time when illustrators lived the life of celebrity equal to today's most famous movie stars. Bossert's sensitive descriptions of John La Gatta's work shows she's knowledgable about the art of illustration and that she appreciates the fact that La Gatta's work is worthy of acclaim.

This book communicates an era when illustration dictated taste and artists were as famous as rock stars. I recommend it to anyone interested in American popular culture. The reproductions are first rate, very high quality.