Reviews (3)

A beautiful book
The photography and the text of this book has been described in other reviews, but I want to add that this is now one of the most beautiful books that I own. The typesetting is flawless, the paper is of a much higher weight than I have seen in other monographs, and, of course, the reproductions are class. These points are magnified by the sheer size of the book-- check the dimensions given in the details above. The book is a work of art.

"The Meaning of the Idea Photography" -- Alfred Stieglitz
This book clearly deserves many more than five stars.It is one of the most remarkable expressions about and by an artist in any genre that I have ever seen. Wonderful collection of his writing and photographs
This is far more than a picture book; it contains 73 high-quality plates and its real treasures can be found is the twenty page introduction and the fifty pages of selections from his writings about his work and views onphotography.As a full time artist, I found this book to be both rich andinspiring.If you have lost sight of why you shoot pictures, try this as areminder of clearer moments. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1864-1946    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Exhibition Catalogs    4. Exhibitions    5. Individual Photographer    6. Photo Essays    7. Photoessays & Documentaries    8. Photography    9. Photography, Artistic    10. Stieglitz, Alfred,    11. Biography: general    12. Individual artists    13. Photographs: collections    14. Photography / Photo Essays    15. Stieglitz, Alfred   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Fine Arts    4. Individual Artist    5. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    6. Catalogues raisonnes    7. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    8. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (21)

This book is a magic book--absolutely essential.(NOT recent editions, though).
I've always thought of THE FAMILY OF MAN as a magic book, ever since discovering it on the family bookshelves when I was a young child.The thing was (above and beyond the book's excellence and power to move anyone with a heart), for many years it seemed that every time I would delve into this book, there would be at least one new picture, one I could swear I'd never seen before.I still sometimes have that experience (although nowadays I tend to attribute it to an aging mind).I do remember at first being most impressed and guiltily fascinated by the powerful pictures of birth, which my siblings, our friends and I would look at, giggling in horrified wonder, and by those "nasty" (actually, beautiful) pictures of breastfeeding.I still remember our mom explaining that there was nothing "nasty" about any of those pictures, that they were true and lovely.That was only one of many life lessons she taught us, using images from this book.
A Timeless Classic
I first purchased this book over 30 years ago as a budding photographer.It inspired and uplifted me then and does today.As I finished my term as president of a state professional photographers organization, this was the gift I selected to give to the members of my Board of Directors.
The Family of Man
We received this book many years ago as a gift upon becoming parents.It is a wondeful reminder that families are the same the world over.Photographs capture the ups and downs of life ... joyful weddings, the awe of new life, the struggle of living, and the sorrow of death. We have continued to give this book as a wedding gift ... as a new family begins. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. General    3. Photoessays & Documentaries    4. Photography    5. Poetry    6. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    7. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (8)

This book shows what is great about Cindy Sherman
At first glance, you might see ordinary, banal photos that resemble out takes from studio stills.Look deeper and you will see works of genius that expose a new way of seeing and exploring the inner self that have been highly influential in the art world. This book has the images that started it all for Cindy Sherman and for that reason, you should start with this book if you want to learn about this artist.
Untitled Film Stills
This book along with the "Centerfolds" hardcover exhibition book provide the essential Cindy Sherman images. The film stills presented here are all in black and white, and her next project "Centerfolds" were all in color. Taken together you get the complete picture on Cindy Sherman.

Great Buy
This is a GREAT book.The pages are large and sturdy and show off her artwork well.A huge plus is the introduction written by Sherman...it gives you an inside look at some of the stories behind and the inspirations to some of the photographs.The book features a variety of her work through time.It is arranged very well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. Individual Photographer    3. Photo Essays    4. Photography    5. Individual photographers    6. Photographs: collections    7. Photography - Individual Photographer   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (6)

Great recipes, easy steps, wonderful results.
This book puts you on the fast track to grafting the styles of famous artists into your own work through more than five dozen easy-to-follow recipes. Not surprisingly, you'll find yourself learning more than you originally expected to about Photoshop.

not-so-fast ...
Earlier this year I reviewed what many will see as the companion volume to this book ("Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook for Digital Photographers"), written by the same author. Unfortunately, the newer publication is less useful. It seems to have been written on a pretext that it's clever to be able to duplicate what traditional artists can do. This seems - from my own personal viewpoint - to be greatly undervaluing the power of Photoshop (and similar software). Practitioners of digital fine art should (really, constructively) be looking to explore what the principles of prior and traditional art can mean within a new domain.
Excellent!
Wonderful effects for the artistically inclined.The recipes in this book truly are easy to reproduce.You can apply these techniques to any of your digital photos. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - Design    3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    4. Computers    5. Computers - Other Applications    6. Operating Systems - Macintosh    7. Operating Systems - Windows    8. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    9. Computers / Other Applications    10. Computers/Operating Systems - Macintosh    11. Computers/Operating Systems - Windows    12. Digital techniques    13. Image processing    14. Photography    15. photoshop, adobe, digital photography, digital effects, photoshop effects, artistic forgery, artistic effects, daguerreotypes, calotypes, tintypes, pre-raphaelites, muybrudge, stieglitz, man ray, lissitzky, paul strand, edward weston, walker evens, dorothea lange, answel adams, bill brandt, henri cartier-bresson, brassai, cecil beaton, yousuf karsh, irving penn, arnold newman, angus mcbean, ernst haas, les krims, don mccullin, jerry uelsmann, david bailey, robert mapplethorpe, annie liebowitz, david hockney, sebastiao salgado, martin parr, mick kent, mantegna, da vinci, durer, caravaggio, el greco, rembrandt, vermeer, turner, caspar david friedrich, impressionism, seurat, van gogh, gauguin, cezanne, whistler, munch, hokusai, chagall, modigliani, picasso, futurists, salvador dali, hopper, o'keefe, grant wood, diego rivera, warhol, lichtenstein   

Reviews (1)

Major Reviewers Rave About Guberman's "Stella"
San Francisco Chronicle: "Guberman's affable style and his fund of New York art world reminiscencesand gossip make the book fascinating to anyone interested in the hurly-burly of 20th centuryAmerican art."Kenneth Baker, January 28, 1966Read more

Subjects:  1. Artists, Architects, Photographers    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Individual Painters - Contemporary    6. Painters    7. Stella, Frank    8. United States    9. Art / Individual Artist    10. Biography & Autobiography / Artists, Architects, Photographers    11. Biography: general    12. Individual artists   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    4. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    5. Individual Artist   

Reviews (10)

Not the Definitive Jock Sturges.
The true beauty and power of Jock Sturges' work is not found in this, or any other book yet published.I have been a fan of Sturges for many years but only recently did I visit an art gallery to view Jock's full sized limited edition prints.It was a revelation.The size, detail and contrast of the 16 by 22 prints made the reproductions seen in his books look small and flat.
But is it Art?
Jock Sturges is well known in photography and legal circles. His pictures of mostly young women have netted him praise and legal action. In this book, he explains how and why he makes these pictures. There are also comments from some of his subjects, many of whom have posed for him numerous times over the years. They uniformly seem to have been benefitted from the experience, and Mr. Sturges shares his beliefs about the nature of photographing people in the nude.
Sturges continues a fascinating documentation of nudism
Jock Sturges' latest book, Notes (Aperture, 2004), is both an appealing social document and an informative guide to his artistic methods. If the claim that he is `deeply interested in the lives of the people in my pictures' is to be taken seriously, then thinking about Sturges' images should involve thinking about naturism and the kinds of people who are naturists.
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Subjects:  1. Individual Photographer    2. Photo Techniques    3. Photography    4. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    5. Individual photographers   

Reviews (568)

So many problems...

Interesting Verdict
Cornwell presents a good case, although not without flaws, for whom she believes the killer to be.This book took a lot of criticism when it was first released, but it is very well researched and documented.Definitely worth the read by any true crime fan.

Case Open
This book is a classic instance of someone wanting the evidence to fit a predetermined "proof". Still, the book is an interesting read. I would recommend that readers interested in Jack the Ripper read Philip Carraher's "The Adventure of the New York Ripper. In that book Jack has gone from London to New York City to kill again. While it's a work of fiction, the underlying "Ripper" facts are accurate and the analysis of the Ripper's London crimes quite good. Also the conclusion seems at least supportable under the facts and circumstances surrounding Jack the Ripper's crimes. It might be that Carraher comes closer to "solving" the Ripper crimes than does Cornwell. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1860-1942    2. 19th century    3. England    4. History    5. Homicide    6. Infamous Crimes And Criminals    7. Jack,    8. London    9. London (England)    10. Murder - General    11. Murder - Serial Killers    12. Serial murders    13. Sickert, Walter,    14. True Crime    15. True Crime / Espionage    16. the Ripper    17. True Crime / General   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    4. History - Abstract    5. Individual Artist    6. Catalogues raisonnes    7. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (3)

inspirational and informative
I bought this book because, like most photography students (I'm getting my MFA), I've always been fascinated by Cindy Sherman and also because I've recently found my own work stumbling into the terrain of feminity and the aesthetics thereof. I thought this book would probably be oversimplistic in the analysis of Sherman's work and mainly bought it to have an index of her images, but the text is actually refreshingly concise and clear compared to most of the photographic theory I've read elsewhere. As a seasoned photography student and a relative novice in Shermanland, I highly recommend this book.

Good Introduction to this Remarkable Artist
This short book can serve as a wonderful non-technical introduction to the work of Cindy Sherman.The book is filled with reproductions of her work from various periods in her stylistic evolution.Wisely, the author doesnot seek to didactically interpret Sherman's work for the reader-- insteadshe presents the material while raising a number of issues for the readerto contemplate. A great photographic work.
I was just surfing around and stumbled in here.I've read this title, Anyone unfamiliar with the model in question should get this and anyone familiar should read this as it is one of the greatest books on her.Theonly reason this does not get 5 stars is pieces of it I thought were wordyand a bit belaboring.Overall a great read however. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    4. Individual Artist    5. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    6. Biography & Autobiography / Artists, Architects, Photographers    7. Individual artists    8. Photography & Photographs   

Reviews (8)

Drawings or Sketches?
I was a little disappointed in this book.I expected detailed, color drawings.This book contains nice sketches of portraits that Sargent perhaps later painted.The reproductions are a little blurry, also.It is still a nice, inexpensive reference book to own.

Must have for Sargent lovers
Excellent plates - This book is a must have for any John Singer Sargent admirer!

VeryEnjoyable Collection
This book is one of the best among those in the Dover Art Library.I really like this book because the selection includes many beautifully executed portraits.Sargent's style is at once both romantic and incisive.The portraits are so highly expressive that one is compelled to assume accurate likeness.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1856-1925    2. Catalogs    3. General    4. Individual Artist    5. Photography    6. Sargent, John Singer,    7. Techniques - Drawing    8. Art / Fine Arts    9. Individual artists    10. Painting & paintings    11. Sargent, John Singer   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    4. Conceptual    5. Dadaism    6. Exhibition Catalogs    7. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    8. Individual Artist    9. Catalogues raisonnes   

Reviews (28)

This is one of the few negative reviews you'll read of this book.
While Jock Sturges has almost flawless control of the technical aspects of the photographs in this book (excellent exposure and placement of the subject matter): the moments it captures leave much to be desired.
The early Jock Sturges
I first came across this book about ten years ago and when I did I instantly became a Jock Sturges fan.But it wasn't until resonantly that I realized just how powerful and deep his art can be.Visiting an art gallery I was stunned by the detail, contrast and the three dimensional quality of Jock's full sized prints.The images you see in his books might have been taken with a medium format camera such as a Hasselblad.Viewing his full sized images, with all their extraordinary detail, you become aware of just what an 8 by 10 view camera can achieve in the hands of a true master.The models seem almost alive.
Outstanding works of art!
Read my review on "The last day of summer" if you are looking for a book to sexually excite you. In my opinion this is his second best book, maybe is the fact that the book is not as "complete", as it covers too many different surroundings. It still is a 5 star work of art, go ahead and buy it, you'll be pleased! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children    2. Individual Photographer    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photography    5. Photography of children    6. Photography of the nude    7. Photography, Artistic    8. Portraits    9. Photographs: portraits   

Reviews (2)

Outstanding set, fine quality reproductions
This is a major contribution to the field of artistic photography and art history, and frankly, I am not sure what the previous reviewer was looking at or for when giving this award-winning set one out of five stars (it was rated "outstanding art publication of the year" by the Art Libraries Society of North America in 2002).
Waste of paper
These two huge volumes are mostly white space. A typical page has two wallet-size photos and a few words of text. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1864-1946    2. Art museums    3. Catalogs    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    5. Individual Photographer    6. National Gallery of Art (U.S.)    7. Photo Essays    8. Photoessays & Documentaries    9. Photograph collections    10. Photography    11. Photography, Artistic    12. Stieglitz, Alfred,    13. Washington (D.C.)    14. Individual photographers    15. Photographs: collections    16. Photography / Individual Photographer   

Editorial Review

Famous for his dreamy 1960s paintings of cakes, Wayne Thiebaud began his career as a commercial artist and cartoon illustrator like many other artists of the period, including Andy Warhol. And like Warhol, Thiebaud became tied to pop art since he was making images of popular American products like food, lipsticks, and toys. Yet unlike many of his pop peers, Bay Area-based Thiebaud wasn't interested in poking fun at the establishment. He's a painter's painter, a real traditionalist. Read more

Reviews (8)

Wonderful Collection of Works
I had ordered this book to share it with my adult painting students in a class I teach. It was to inspire a lesson about painting pictures of pastries. What I found was so much more. The book provides an informative overview of a variety of types of work by this artist, both realist and pop artist, with fine quality reproductions of the art work.

America's Painterly Realist
This is the definitive book on the works of Wayne Thiebaud, which accompanied the very successful exhibition at the Whitney Museum.Thiebaud is best known for his hyper-realistic paintings of food, so luscious and sensual that they have universal appeal.When Theibaud first started painting in this style, he was compared to the Pop Artists, such as Warhol, Wesselmann, Indiana and Ramos.However, Thiebaud always tried to set himself apart from these artists, because although he agreed with their use of repetitive images as a comment on the banality of American consumerism, he wanted to paint well and believed that a series of soup cans painted poorly did not reflect his goal as an artist.It took many years after the Pop Artists became famous for Thiebaud to achieve the recognition that he deserved, partly because he was considered a regional artist who painted in California.This book is the seminal treatise on the works of Thiebaud and is therefore a must read.

'What is America To Me?"
Remember that old Frank Sinatra song that served as an inspirational film for rainy day grade school entertainment in the 50's?Well, if there is an artist who has captured the imagination and dreamy reveries of life in the past century, the quieter, more ebulliently committed time to joy and the simple treasures here, that man is Wayne Thiebaud.WAYNE THIEBAUD: A PAINTINGS RETROSPECTIVE is a beautifully designed catalogue raisonne of the pop artist's oeuvre that toured the country a few years ago.Organized by curator Steven A. Nash of San Francisco (the artist's home) this book is beautifully illustrated with all of the iconic images of pies, cakes, candy apples, etc. that everyone associates with Thiebaud. Yet it gives equal time to the inimitable 'landscapes' of the hilly terrain that is San Francisco, valleys of Northern California, and beaches.Thiebaud's ability to flatten vistas into geometric patterns can be compared to Richard Diebenkorn's purely abstract Ocean Park Series of paintings: both artists understand space, color, and the excitement of the line.
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Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Exhibitions    5. Individual Artist    6. Realism in art    7. Techniques - Painting    8. Thiebaud, Wayne    9. United States    10. Design styles: from c 1900 -    11. Exhibition catalogues and specific collections    12. Individual artists    13. Painting & paintings   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. General    4. Individual Artist    5. Individual Painters - 20th Century    6. Expressionism    7. Individual artists   

Reviews (1)

Tamayo's Impeccable Charm
Despite this books biting price, this collection of works and interviews is a piece of art by its self. Teresa del Conde's book has achieved a level of completeness neverbefore reached by a collection of the late Tamayo's work. I have looked for many a good book on the subject and this is, by far, my favorite. If you want a mediocre jumble of art, buy some other book on Rufino, but if you want a quality biography and collection there is only one book that stands out, Tamayo. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1899-    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Caribbean & Latin American    5. History - General    6. Individual Artist    7. Tamayo, Rufino,    8. Art / Individual Artist    9. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    10. Individual artists    11. Mexico    12. Painting & paintings   

Editorial Review

In Mexico in the early 1920s, a growing, collective social consciousness gave rise to a revolutionary furor focused on liberating the country's workers from harsh conditions and poverty. In 1921, Mexican artists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros were all commissioned by the government to create educational paintings on the walls of public buildings. After that initial experience, they devoted themselves almost exclusively to painting these large-scale murals--forming the foundation of a movement that would last 50 years. The muralists' work took up the themes of society and revolution. Often the paintings depicted historical vignettes like the story of Cuernavaca and Morelos crossing the barranca, or Mexico's ancient Indians. They satirized contemporary society, created ideal visions of peaceful families, and built up dark, imposing industrial cityscapes then leveled them by depicting the debauchery and death of the capitalist industrialists. Read more

Reviews (4)

The Big Three
Read the editorial reviews first and if you are still not convinced that this bookdoes a good job covering the Big Three than get individual books on each. The text is outstanding andputs the works of art into a political context of the time period. The author is analytical, insightful and definitely well versed in the subject matter.There is an exhaustive bibliography, extensive endnotes on each chapter and spectacular reproductions on thick quality paper stock. There are historical photographs of publicworks in progress and a varity of camera angles of individual murals to show the enormity of the works. I have seen many of these murals on location and this book does an excellent job of portraying them as they are. When you see a Rivera fresco ona wall at the National Palace live or in this case from a pulled out camera angle and see the railing leading to the next floor being dwarfed by the images it is truly impressive. Looking at the details within the murals is the ultimate visual experience where you can get lost in the pictureand themeaning. The closeupsand details of individual segments are superior. This is art for the peoples public viewing brought directly to you from Mexico to hold in your hands and examine at your leisure. There are several good books out there on Mexican Murals but this one for the money is outstanding. The three artists each had a distictive style but each brought a unifying nationalistic approach to the walls of public buildings. Is one artist better than the other? You be the judge, everyone has their own favorite.If you are unfamiliar with the works of the Big Three than check it out, you are in for a treat.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I OWN!!
This is definitely one of the best books out there for anyone interested in Mexican art. Few books can inspire as much as this one, especially for people from Zapotlanejo, Jalisco. It's loaded with many pictures and chronicles the lives of these three muralistas and has in depth coverage of specific murals, i especially enjoyed the coverage on "History of Mexico" mural by Diego Rivera. This book is definitely worth the price and a great addition to any collection. Orale!

best outlook on the murilists of mexico and their beliefs
Shows a great variety of each artists pieces and movements through out their career. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1883-1949    2. 20th century    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Art and revolutions    6. Criticism    7. Criticism and interpretation    8.