Winslow Homer: The Nature of Observation (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Esteemed author Johns (emerita, history of art, Univ. of Pennsylvania; Thomas Eakins: The Heroism of Modern Life) manages to separate this work from the pack of scholarship on quintessential American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910) by analyzing his life and work from the perspective of developmental psychology. In doing so, she eloquently and caringly traces Homer's art across the psychoanalytical lines of a man evolving from young to middle to late adulthood. Using the developmental theories of Erik Erikson and Daniel Levinson and drawing heavily from Homer's correspondence and the critical responses to his work, Johns offers insight into aspects of Homer's life that informed his art. Johns's analysis cover Homer's illustrations as well as his oil and watercolor paintings but focuses on over 100 images that represent turning points in his life-images that reveal the development of Homer as a person. Though art historians may not agree with all of her interpretations, it is obvious that Johns has opened up new avenues for Homer scholarship. Recommended for academic and museum libraries.-Kraig A. Binkowski, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Once again Elizabeth Johns has created a paradigm shift in our understanding of one of America's greatest painters. Peering behind the curtain that Homer drew over his private life, Johns offers a bracing, provocative, and sensitive reading of his works in light of his personal journey and his relations with his close-knit family. Her vast knowledge, profound insight, and breathtaking originality illuminate every page." - H. Barbara Weinberg, Alice Pratt Brown Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (November 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520227255
• ISBN-13: 978-0520227255
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #184,366 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Adjunct to the Art of Winslow Homer, November 25, 2005

By	Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Considered by most art historians to be one of the more important American artists, Winslow Homer was essentially self-taught and that fact informs his prolific span of works as much from the progressive technical maturity of his paintings and drawings as from the intuitive approach to his subjects that, at time, 'over-schooling' can flatten.

Elizabeth Johns has written an engrossing study of how Homer's life and psychological development are evident in the various stages of his work. Never cloying or intrusive in demeanor, Johns intertwines facts gleaned from correspondence and from criticism and Homer's responses to same to paint her own portrait of a man at odds with the world in some ways and in other ways as an integral observer of such phenomena as his passion for the sea.

Johns' writing is so facile that the book could comfortably exist without illustration, but add to the power of her writing the fine reproductions of both black and white and richly colored plates of Homer's paintings and this becomes a book that will satisfy even those who have questioned Homer's importance in American art history. A fine read. Grady Harp, November 05

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Winslow Homer, March 8, 2007

By	H. Alsabrook "sissy" (Del Mar, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the most instructive books on painting that I have read. I could understand the concepts so well. Now I hope I can make use of them. Beautiful!