Artists Books

OK, my order finally arrived today, I opened the book, what a disappointment!

To begin with, the plates are VERY small (especially those of the 2nd part). I mean, how are we supposed to blow them up without sacrificing the quality of the drawing?

Secondly, I don't see what the fuss is all about. Copying the old masters is standard practice for learning anything, whether that's drawing, painting, music or creative writing, for that matter. While I accept the value of starting from something easy and then progressing to more difficult exercises, you can achieve the same results by taking any of your favourite drawings (e.g. Leonardo, Michaelangelo, whatever) and copying them painstakingly.

John Ruskin's "The Elements of Drawing" is also worth reading (it has some good lessons on learning by copying, and not only.)

This is the best learning tool out there short of having an actual teacher. Hundreds of drawings waiting to be imitated in order to correct ones vision of what one sees. Finish this book and you'll know how to draw. Method used by many artists in the past including van gogh. This is my favorite of the dozens of art books I own. Am also glad someone mentioned buying it from the museum rather that the overpriced vendors offers.

The Dahesh Museum of Art is taking orders right now (Sept. 2007) for a new printing of the hardcover English version of the book, to be shipped at the end of October. I just put in my order, the new price is $95 (it was $90 at the first printing). For those who have been waiting to purchase this book for months, the new printing is only a few weeks away.

I've heard many times that students of drawing used to draw from master drawings and plaster casts before being allowed to work from life, but I was not aware that courses were in place to direct such study. One course that came into existence under the direction of academic artists Charles Bargue and Jean-Léon Gérôme, at once a definitive statement of ideals and a last hurrah for the academic tradition, was edited by Gerald Ackerman and published a few years ago.

Ackerman writes:
"The abandonment of the study of the classical ideal in the last quarter of the nineteenth century was a serious break in an established yet vital artistic tradition. After all, Western art is an artificial activity that became self-conscious in antiquity and again in the Italian Renaissance, each time articulating an intellectual, apologetic theory of art that continued to influence the creation and teaching of painting over the centuries".

"The twentieth-century break in this developed tradition is problematic for young, contemporary artists who may not be attracted by the many schools and movements of modernism but are instead drawn to the imitation of nature. Without access to the rich lore and methods of humanist figure painting, they find themselves untrained and underequipped for many of the technical problems that confront them as Realists. Without help, today's young Realist artists may end up uncritically copying superficial appearances, randomly selecting from nature, and unwittingly producing clumsy and incoherent figures".

I've pointed out before that our present situation in art is not characterized by pluralism, but by false pluralism. Real pluralism would provide for a situation in which both the realists and the various modernists could flourish together. Instead, realism as it would have been understood by Gérôme is not generally taken seriously by art professionals and not commonly taught at schools.

The change has been good for the various modernists - I feel like I came out okay - but bad for the realists. The above is one of the first acknowledgments I've seen that the tradition of painting and sculpture requires a community of like-minded people for sustenance. The realists have it especially hard because their craft is so difficult.

No doubt about it - if you copied every plate in the course, as is recommended, you would become a champion renderer. You might also die of boredom; I doubt that each and every plate is necessary to get the fundamentals across. You might also find yourself at a loss when faced with the female model, as not a single plate in the last series, which pictures the figure in schematic sketches, is an image of a woman.

But it's clear that realists need a particular kind of education, and I think it would do the modernists no harm to revive parts of the traditional curriculum. It didn't interfere with the progress of the Impressionists, the Cubists, or the early abstractionists. Ackerman's book provides an important look into the past, and suggests constructive ideas about how art could be nurtured in the future.

The book is a complete reprint of the fabled but rare Drawing Course ("Cours de Dessin")of Charles Bargue and Jean-Leon Gérôme, published in Paris in the 1860s and 1870s. For most of the next half-century, this set of nearly 200 masterful lithographs was copied by art students worldwide before they attempted to draw from a live model. This book will be valuable to a wide range of artists, students, art historians and collectors, even as it introduces them to the hitherto-neglected master, Charles Bargue.

The Drawing Course is separated into three sections, in an ascending order of difficulty. The first section consists of lithographs by Bargue after casts of sculptures, mostly antique examples that present the structure of the human body with remarkable clarity and intelligence. The second part contains the lithographs that Bargue made after master drawings by Renaissance and modern artists, and the third section almost 60 exemplary drawings of nude male models.

The first two sections were for use in commercial or design schools to teach the principles of good taste based on classical form, the better to turn out competitive goods for commerce and industry. The last section, drawing from live models, was reserved for fine-art academies, opinion being that such training was beyond the grasp or need of humble commercial artists.

By and large the subjects for the plates are quite elevated. A prettily turned foot is taken from the first-century Medici Venus at the Uffizi in Florence; a sinewy shoulder and arm from Michelangelo's ''Moses'' at San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome; and the serenely spiritual-looking head of Anne of Brittany, wife of Louis XII, from her recumbent tomb figure by Giovanni Giusti (1515-22) in the Cathedral of Saint-Denis in Paris.

This portrait was a subject of fascination for van Gogh during a period when he was studying for the ministry. ''The expression of Anne of Brittany's face is noble, and reminds one of the sea and rocky coasts,'' he wrote to his brother in 1877, mentioning that he had hung the plate with her likeness in his room.

Experienced artists will recognize the skill and insight with which Bargue solved problems of drawing from nature; they will want to copy these plates to sharpen their professional skills. For art students, the Drawing Course is a practical introduction to realistic drawing based on the observation of nature, a course blissfully free of the usual charts and schemata requiring memorization and often productive of stultification.

For art historians, the Drawing Course documents the longstanding tradition of accurate draftsmanship prized by the late nineteenth-century figure painters who stood at the convergence of classicism and realism.

This volume concludes with a biography of Charles Bargue and a preliminary catalogue of his paintings, accompanied by reproductions of works both located and lost. Bargue started his career as a lithographer reproducing the drawings of commercial illustrators for a popular market in comic, sentimental and erotic subjects.

By working with Gérôme, and by preparing the plates for this Drawing Course, Bargue was transformed into a master painter, equipped with the skills to match his taste, talent and ideas. He became a master of telling details and exquisite tonal harmonies.

I have been a fan of Prosek since his Trout days. This introspective book helped me to understand his precocious talent for observation and drawing and his need to get out on the stream. I wish him well.

The Day My Mother Left beautifully captures the agony and the pathos of an adolescent abandoned by his mother. The novel includes a myriad of conflicts that are typically found in realistic contemporary fiction. We see the conflict of person vs. person with the main character dealing with his father, mother and the school bully. The main conflict; however, is between Jeremy, the protagonist, and himself. His unresolved issues with the divorce, his mother leaving and offering no communication and his burgeoning artistic talent contribute most to the overall theme of the novel: beauty and love can grow from struggles and pain. Each character is round and dynamic; the major characters in this story evolve and change subtly as time progress in the novel. One of the highlights of the book is how the author reveals these character changes. The book is told through the eyes of Jeremy, an early adolescent. His self-centeredness only shows the other characters flaws and transformations when Jeremy finally sees them. Prosek reveals his characters and themes so movingly and realistically. This novel will appeal to late middle school students and up.

Nine-year-old Jeremy has a close relationship with his mother. She goes to every one of his baseball games, cheering him on from the bleachers. Jeremy gets teased for her enthusiastic encouragement, but he doesn't care. The bond they share is special. In fact, she is the only one to whom he has ever shown his collection of bird drawings. But when she abandons the family, Jeremy's world shatters into a million painful pieces.

It starts with an argument about her excessive drinking, the fact that Jeremy's father isn't making enough money, her crazy behavior at the fancy dinner party, his lack of attention, and especially about her seeing another man --- the father of Jeremy's rival, Rick. The two of them met at one of Jeremy and Rick's baseball games. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Jeremy's mom decides to leave and be part of a different family, one that doesn't include Jeremy.

Jeremy's older sister responds by escaping in her car for work and friends, while their father becomes imprisoned in his own despair. Jeremy must decide for himself how to put the pieces back together. Recreating his collection of bird drawings is the first step, since his mom took the old one with her. Jeremy finds comfort in the birds, in mirroring their beauty, in tromping through their wooded habitat. He also takes an art class to improve his talents and meets a girl named Casey.

Over the next three years, Jeremy continues to struggle with the fact that his mother abandoned him and never even called him on the phone, much less paid him a visit. But life continues, with even more obstacles to overcome, such as his dad remarrying and his beloved uncle getting sick. Jeremy learns to wade through the tough times without overloading his heart of bitterness. He even manages to say a prayer for Rick when he needs an operation. But will he ever be able to forgive his mom for leaving him?

James Prosek has created a beautiful story that all ages, genders and races will enjoy. He has an obvious love of nature, which shines through in his vivid descriptions of feathers, fish and forests. His novel's voice is precise and rare, nailing perfectly Jeremy's preteen character enduring pain and grief. Jeremy's spirit will inspire us all to be better people.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

I first became aware of James Prosek through his artistic and literary treatments of fly fishing and thought I would give The Day My Mother Left, his first fictional effort, a go. I am so glad I did--what a wonderful little book! Though it is intended for young adults, as a mature reader I found it very engaging.

This autobiographical novel is a very candid picture of a difficult time in Prosek's, and his protaganist's, life. Prosek tells his touching story beautifully and without remorse. I would liken this book to Angela's Ashes in its portrayal of an unbalanced family and their troubles in a voice that does not blame but instead finds grace in the struggle. In the case of Prosek, his gravitation to art and nature provides ballast and equanimity; he shows us an inner journey enabled by his exploration of the natural world. And it is a damn good story. . .

Yale-educated James Prosek is clearly an extremely gifted and multi-dimensional creative talent. I know of few other YA books that tell such a story of charm and tenderness from the male point of view. I highly recommend it!

Jeremy's mother has often been disappearing for hours at a time, but on a Sunday afternoon all truths are told.

His mother has found a new love - the father of Jeremy's enemy at school and on the baseball field. A fight occurs between Jeremy's mother and father. His mother leaves, and she takes everything with her - including Jeremy's Book of Birds that he had been illustrating himself.

No one can believe that she left. Especially Jeremy. He feels abandoned and hurt. Through his father's sadness and his own mixed-up feelings, Jeremy recreates the Book of Birds and finds solace within himself through nature.

James Prosek's THE DAY MY MOTHER LEFT is very moving. Coming from a divorced family myself, it's easy to relate and understand Jeremy's feelings. Mr. Prosek uses outstanding details within the story and has also created lovely drawings. It is a great book and experience from beginning to end.

Reviewed by: Jeremey

This is a great reference for any artist or art teacher. I learned design as a freshman in college. That was about 20 years ago. Design is still a very important part of what I do especially since now I must teach it. This book will help any artist improve her/his work. It will also enable teachers to better instruct their students in the elements and principles of design. Highly recommended.

Great book. Easy to understand and use.Great for anyone yearning to learn about design in the 3d aspect.

As a beginning student of design, I've been looking at a number of texts. This is the best I've come across so far. The concepts are presented concisely and in a well-organized format. The illustrations are superb, drawing from a number of crafts, media, and styles. The tone is friendly and encouraging. Recommended highly!

The book is well-written and the examples include some stunning and unusual pieces of art and craft (including painting, photography, pottery, needlework, quilting and more). It is an excellent introduction to design for beginners (artists, craftsmen and art-lovers) but even intermediate readers will find it useful.

This book is a very good choice if you are looking to broaden your horizons in design. There are lots of pictures for examples, and the text is easy reading.

Great book for anyone who likes dogs. My wife wants to go to the Dog Chapel now.

This book should be required reading for all dog lovers and those that have lost their canine loves. Huneck is in touch with those feelings. Recommend to all.

Very sweet and comforting book for those who have suffered the loss of a beloved pet. Good for children & adults. How wonderful to be offered an opportunity to send pictures of your pet to be placed in memory at the Remembrance Wall at the DOG CHAPEL-
Mr Huneck- the author as well as artist for the book-must be a special person to create this loving tribute. I'll bet his dogs think so too!

This is the best book. I always gift it when someone has a beloved dog pass away. Huneck has a gift with his books.

This is a beautiful book, well written, and full of wonderful pictures. The authors account of how the book came to be is touching. For anyone who has had to put their dog to sleep, a gift of this book would be of great comfort. There is even a memorial picture frame in the back of the book in which you can send a photo of your dog up to the chapel.

Tyler and Lymie have know idea what trouble there getting in by just getting the chicken pox and imatating a famous local artits. The town is having a huge festival for the annversity, also they are dreding the local river to find heads that the artist made. As a joke the boys make heads of there own. If you like a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end then this book is for you. The boys are always getting into mischeif from running into the river with there clothes on to egging the infamous keepouts who want no one near there house not even the a little eight grade kid.Also they are always getting in trouble by there parents from being grounded uncountable number of times to having a gun to there head to riding home in a police car. From reporters chasing them to there home and calling there house you'll be on your seat untill the very end!!!!!!!!

This is a great book! It is so funny and so well written!

Tyler and Lymie had no idea that having the chicken pox would get them into so much trouble. It was about time for the centennial celebration of an artist named Badaglio. Badaglio was rumored to have made two heads out of stone and thrown them in the nearby river. Tyler and Lymie have some fun and make their own stone heads and they too throw them in the river. Theywere found just before the big Badaglio art fest. Two art critics declared that they were authentic. They fouled everybody. Tyler and Lymie were worried sick , because they thought they would get in trouble. Now the real fun begins. I really enjoyed reading this book, because it was very interesting and funny. I would recommend that one of my friends read this adventurous novel.

In this book EYE OF THE BEHOLDER there are two main characters Tyler and Lymie. All throughout the book Tyler and Lymie have you on the edge of your seats wondering what their next move will be. The story take place in a small town called Wakefield. Wakefield isn't really all that exciting but in just a few days the twon is going to throw a big celebration for the twon's hero the famous sculpter Badoglio,Tyler and Lymie cook up a plan to give the town a big surprise but they just don't know how their surprise will go. I really liked this book alot becouse, it had to do with kids. I could relate and understand also. I would recommend this book becouse it's really good and funny.

I just finished reading Eye of the Beholder.It is a very interesting novel. It keeps you very interested and you just don`t want to put it down. I liked the novel for the most part.The two main characters Tyler and Lymie get into a little trouble during the novel with their interests in art. I like the novel because of what happens during the novel. I would urge a friend to read this novel because it is a fun book to read,and if I liked it I`m positive that they would like it to.

This book is everything I expected. The pictures are great and the text very informative. I am enjoying it very much and it is a valued addition to my film library.

As a glamour photographer myself, this is a book I own and use for inspiration. I love the way Hurrell not only captures the inner-beauty of the subjects, but his photojournalistic approach. I often graze through this book as I've read it many times over--the grazing gets me going when it comes to my own glamour photography. I recommend anyone interested in this book, buy it now! If you'd like to see how it's affected my career, also check out the following books, Garage Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple, Rolando Gomez's Glamour Photography: Professional Techniques and Images and even a book where I have a chapter, Professional Portrait Lighting: Techniques and Images from Master Photographers (Photo Pro Workshop series) This book should not only be on a collector's list, but for any student of photography--we're always learning no matter what level your photography. ---Rolando Gomez, contributing writer, Studio Photography magazine

This book -- how beautiful. I have photography books by several of the great portrait photographers of the 20th Century, and this one is the best. There are a wealth of photographs, and the story of Hurrell's life is also interesting. If you ever thought about seriously learning about photography and taking some good pictures, this book will take any hesitation out of your mind. Gorgeous!!

I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through and then reading this beautiful tribute to the legendary work of George Hurrell. As compelling as Hurrell's photos are it is the author's indepth knowledge and understanding of Hollywood and Hurrell that set this book apart.

Mark Vieira's own photographic artistry is based on Hurrell's techniques, providing current-day enthusiasts with authentic glamour photography of their own.

George Hurrell is universally acknowledged THE Hollywood portrait photographer, the man who recreated during the talkies much of the mystery of the silent stars through his breathtaking photographs. At a time when the finest still photography was becoming more incisive and natural, Hurrell managed to balance this new naturalism and directness in highly manipulated ways, producing in his best work iconic images of the great stars of MGM. After the second World War his work became largely passe, appearing too contrived and built up for an age demanding grit and spontaneity and an off-hand naturalness.

This work seeks to both show and tell the story of Hurrell's highwater era as not only the major photographer of the stars, and MGM in particular, but also his development as artist. Breathtaking photographs fill the volume - Harlow on a polar bear skin rug, her gown glowing a burnished white against the softer fur while all around her Hurrell captures an infinite play of lighting, the entire amazing and unrepeatable, a dream world evoked out of the irridescent sheen of an infinity of microscopic silvery gifts left by the platinum negative; Norma Shearer transformed from attractive but doughty into a timeless vamp, surpassing her silent film predecessors with an electric sexuality never before captured on still film; Joan Crawford, Hurrell's great muse at the top of his game, seen in powerful forceful images, unrelenting in their hold on an Apollonian authority.

Hurrell's flamboyant personality, his novel and sometimes off-putting behavior during shootings, seems now unfortunately taken as role template by many lesser fashion photographers. In his day and at his height during the late twenties through the beginnings of World War II Hurrell dominates a demanding and highly accomplished professional field.
Whether you live in a sumptious penthouse overlooking Central Park, need a single book for the coffee table in the living room of that restored Neutra you just purchased, or just enjoy reasonably priced fashion books, Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits fits the bill. At a significantly reduced price its a lovely reminder of one of the nicer advantages of democratic publishing: not every fine art book is a prohibitively expensive limited edition printed by a small press.

We bought the 4-box collection which includes this book, and have bought many of the others since. My daughter loves them, and they are a wonderful addition to any child's library.

My 16 month old son enjoys this book very much. He is fascinated by the images and he likes to listen to the rhymes as well. An excellent introduction to art.

Little ones love these colors, Van Gogh used a lot of vivid colors and they are just as stimulating as Seuss illustrations. Finally a book parents can ejoy reading to their kids!

I am a preschool teacher and enjoy teaching three year olds about art and artists. One artist that we recently studied was Vincent Van Gogh. The children painted sunflowers just like Van Gogh. They loved looking at this book and hearing the story that went along with it. They spent a lot of time studying his sunflower painting in this book and then painted beautiful sunflowers of their own!

Our son has had this book since he was about 19 months old, but he's just now becoming really interested in it a year later. This book is fantastic. The rhymes are a little awkward, but they hold a toddlers attention. The best part though, is that it introduces children to the works of one of the great masters! My son can now see a print of a Van Gogh (or tapestry, or whatever medium the piece is recreated in) and he'll run up to it and yell "Van Gogh!" It's a pretty spectacular thing to see, and what a wonderful gift for early learning!

Basquiat is one of my favorite artists. I was first captivated by his works that were used in conjunction with Mya Angelou's poem Life Don't Frigten Me None. I was entranced by his art! I looked all over for a book that would give me a retrospective of his art. I found it. This book is wonderful. Great color great art work. Check it out. You'll Dig it too.

I am not convinced that this is the BEST Jean Michel Basquiat retrospective catalogue to date...but the work selected for this publication is certainly consistently better than most others published before or after this one. Basquiats peak of productivity was from1981-83 and much of that work is catalogued here..But the dissapointment is that many of his last works (circa 1988) will not be found here....but in the more extensive Basquiat catalogue published by the Tony Shafrazi Gallery.
There are also a few images here that will make you wonder why they were selected and some of the text seems to over emphesize  
the fact that Basquiat died of a DRUG OVERDOSE.
You can skip the text or consider it ....it's the work that counts in the end!

This is by far the best catalogue of Basquiat's work as it was shown at the Whitney. By far, this book superseed others as it relates to quality and quantity of plates. Strongly recomend.

If you are looking for a wonderful combination of Basquiat's work and biography, this is the book to own. This book is full of many beautiful color plates of his work, as well as the story of his short, successful, but tragic life as an artist who had his brief moment in the sun before succumbing to the drugs.

Such a tragedy for a talented fellow like Basquiat to succumb to the temptations of drugs at such an early age. His paintings are so raw and fresh. I feel as though he used canvasses as giant doodle pads which he displayed to the world. Many of our own doodle pads (next to our phones, on our office desks, etc.) end up in the [bin] but Basquiat's ended up in the galleries and museums of the world. Some think of his work as [bad] but I view it as a treasure. Fine art, cartoons, grafitti and doodling...the best things in life. This book is the best collection I've seen of his work. The reproductions are well done and the essays are enlightening. For the art afficianado, this book needs to join the collection.

This is a WONDERFUL book! We read it to our class of 3-year-old preschoolers, and they were absolutely captivated. They were so quiet and engaged that they forgot to ask when we were leaving to go on our field trip.
As an added plus, we had one little girl who liked it so much that she had her mom go to the library to check it out to read at home. The child then sat down to re-create the pictures on each page using leaves she picked up in her yard. You know it is a good book if it encourages that degree of creativity and industry in a 3-year-old!

My two little readers absolutely delight in this book. They love the language; they enjoy following the leaf man on his autumn journey; and they very much love to read it aloud to any adult who will sit with them for 10 minutes.

One of Lois Ehlert's best. I bought it for my mother-in-law who is a gardener and general nature-lover. But I use it to teach about leaves and using your imagination in my preschool art classes. The children all think it's so much fun. They always finish reading with so many more ideas of their own to get started on.

My five year old and I really enjoy this book. My son enjoys looking for the pictures the leaves make and I enjoy the fact that the author collected these beautiful leaves, made images out of them and wrote a story around them! Colorful, imaginative, fun to read.

My husband bought this for our two-year old, and we love reading it together with her. The text is simple, as it traces the journey of Leaf Man...the leaves used are magnificent in their colors...some bold, some subdued, but all unique and beautiful. I have since done some basic art projects with my daughter using this book as inspiration. We collect leaves wherever we go and hope to create a little book of our own!

Leonardo's Chair holds mystical power that has been passed down through generations. It also evokes a curse. The story kept my attention to the end because I couldn't figure out how the author was going to explain that power. I thought it was a great story with compelling characters.

The epilogue opened the possibily for a sequel, but I personally would rather have the loose ends tied up. But that's a personal preference.

I hope we hear more from this author soon!

Other reviewers have addressed the facts--I'll stick with the actual writing.

John DeSimone paints with a master's touch in this debut novel, providing beautiful description while still being a compelling storyteller--you can tell he loves to write. This is one of those rare novels that I'm hardpressed to find fault with--any fault, for that matter. Sure, Leonardo's Chair is not as fast-paced as most suspense novels. Instead of running through the story like a Porsch on the open road, it's more like touring Paris with a friendly local. I've never been to Italy, or California for that matter, but thanks the author's lush description, I now feel like I have an insider's look at the places he describes (I must say, following Paul's travels was a lot like going on an actual trip myself).

However, this is not to say that the story is not good. It is one of the top five books I've read in the past year (and I read a lot of them, too), and again, unlike other books, did not have a single character that wasn't believable. Or any of those annoying sub-plots that simply detract from the main story. When an author takes interesting characters, a believable plot, mystery, romance, history, and suspense and throws them together there can be nothing but success--and that's what DeSimone gets. I couldn't stop reading this book once I started. It has the accessibility of a modern novel, with the depth of a classic.

Are you still reading? Go buy the book already!

Vincent LaBont is a world-class artist who attributes his creative ability to a very special char that he claims was created and empowered by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci. When his home catches fire, Vincent is severely burned trying to rescue the chair. It's only later that he discovers that the chair was stolen before the fire was set. Distraught, Vincent send his son Paul (a painter like himself) to Italy where the chair is suspected to have been taken. Is the chair truly a metaphysical source of artistic power? If so, should it be used to recreate one of Leonard's paintings. What is the chair true power and purpose? Leonardo's Chair is a riveting novel from first page to last and will led the reader on a roller coaster ride leading ultimately to an appreciation of what truly inspires an enduring artistic greatness.

DeSimone writes of a quest for Leonardo's chair. Labeling this novel a mystery sells it short. Leonardo's Chair is a story about redemption born out of the human frailties we know as greed and superstition.

Paul LaBont's artistic skills are eclipsed by his father's genius. When their home catches fire, Vincent LaBont is severely burned and a mystically empowered relic, a chair once created and owned by Leonardo Da Vinci, is stolen. Distraught that his creative abilities no longer exist without the chair, Vincent LaBont sends his son halfway around the world to Italy in order to restore the priceless antique.

Paul sets out for Italy, skeptical that the chair possesses any powers yet hopeful that the return of the chair will aid in his father's recovery. En route to Italy, Paul is in an accident and is taken to the nearby castle of a duke. Accepting the duke's hospitality, Paul learns that Leonardo's chair is confined within the castle. The duke is desperate to find a way to end the chair's evil curse. Paul meets Isabella, herself a painter, who is the duke's daughter and confronts the evil-minded Stein.

I emailed John DeSimone wanting to know how he had managed to write such a suspenseful book, one rich in its tones of Old World Italy set against fast-paced Laguna Beach, California. He shared that, while Italy remains a destination he desires to travel to, the textured detail found in Leonardo's Chair came from thorough research and a vivid imagination. I felt the dust of the ancient country and the chill of the great halls Paul LaBont walks in his search for Leonardo's chair.

John DeSimone succeeds in crafting a novel that pulls the reader in and holds him. You will imagine yourself in Savoy along with Paul, viewing masterpieces, tasting temptation, and confronting evil. Leonardo's Chair will definitely keep you up at night.
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