Vermeer: Colour Library (Phaidon Colour Library) (Paperback)

by Martin Bailey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A study of the 17th-century Dutch master, Jan Vermeer, best known for his domestic interiors depicting men and women reading, writing, drawing or playing musical instruments.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (October 19, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068146285X
• ISBN-13: 978-0714834634
• ASIN: 0714834637
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #699,783 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These solve the problem and enhance the reading experience, October 2, 2000

By	taking a rest - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

There have been several historically based novels, as well as Biographies of noted artists in the last year. A common complaint has often been the lack of illustrations in general, and the very few color plates in particular. Full color plates are extremely expensive, and are often scarce in a work for that reason alone. Major books on an artists works can be extremely expensive, and almost prohibitively so, when what is desired is a companion reference to another book.

The volume I comment on here pertains to Vermeer as it makes books like "Girl With A Pearl Earring", "The Music Lesson", and "Girl In Hyacinth Blue" more enjoyable. This comment is not meant to detract from any of the works mentioned. These great reference works allow the reader to quickly find full color illustrations of the paintings mentioned in the books, together with additional information on the pieces themselves. These books add to the reading experience, they supplement, they do not replace.

There are dozens of these available on a variety of Artists. Caravaggio is another painter who has been written about extensively, and the books, even when they did have color plates, only a fraction of what was referred to in the book was shown. Often illustrations are offered in black and white, and while better than nothing, they are barely that, for these artists chose color, and to appreciate/understand their work, color is a prerequisite.

The alternative is either very expensive coffee table books, or handfuls of airline tickets to globe trot to the location of the works. The latter is certainly the best, but for just under $10.00, these are much more efficient.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A visual treat, March 29, 2006

By	Neutiquam Erro (Isles of Llyonnesse) - See all my reviews

This slim volume on Vermeer contains all of his known paintings while excluding the well-known forgeries. Following a brief but informative introduction, each plate is presented in full colour, filling an entire page. A short description of each painting is provided on the opposite page, usually dealing with relevant history and technique but not providing over-much analysis.

I would strongly recommend this book as an introduction to Vermeer's work. It provides background but does not attempt complicated analysis of the artist or his paintings, leaving the reader free to formulate his or her own ideas about what the artist is saying. The quality of the prints is excellent. I can not speak to the quality of the colour reproduction (as does another reviewer) because I do not have the originals for side-by-side comparison but paintings such as A View of Delft, or The Milkmaid are sharp and vibrant.

While an art scholar might appreciate a more in-depth approach to this subject, I strongly recommend this to the casual reader or lover of art. For a very small price one can bask in the visual splendors of a master.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for its price, September 29, 2005

By	Eugene Tenenbaum "reluctant reader" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

ISBN: 0894682199 may be a better choice, because it was highly prized and awarded like no other book about Vermeer. Colors here are rendered not very accurately. This book tends to show the light background in the upper left hand corner of the "Woman in Blue Reading a Letter" painting as yellow. In fact, that background is multicolored in a kind of pinkish summary tone. Similar problems have other pictures, though all Vermeer's paintings are reproduced as plates.