Artists Books

Geddes' book, A Labor Of Love, is truly inspirational. There's a softness to her tone that is warm and inviting; like having a cup of java with a friend. She talks a little bit about her life, but mostly this is a journey about her rise to fame as a renowned baby photographer. She talks a little about her struggles, a little about how she achieved certain looks, and why she chose the path she chose. The photos, of course, are phenomenal!

I truly enjoyed the Labor of Love: An Autobiography by Anne Geddes. I have always been fascinated with the pictures of the babies in the yearly calendars. It is so great to read the stories about the babies and to see how some of them have grown over the years. This booklet is a treasure to have and it sits on my coffee table in my living room to be easily accessible to my family and friends. I purchased the book as a Christmas gift to myself and it was truly worth it!!

Anne proves she's not only fantastic with a camera, but now with the written word. Throughout the book she offers insights into how she's been able to accomplish the incredible photos; while even sharing photos from her own childhood.

...you will love this book as you recall your first experiences with the craft. You will appreciate her openness, lack of pomposity, and willingness to share her doubts, passions, and how-tos.

Absolutely perfect for my "Deathbed Art" themed lecture. A lovely book.

As an art student studying the techniques of the masters, this little book has been invaluable to me. This is for anyone who seriously wants to experience Manet's genius. His little florals leap off the page! The printing is good, too. Faithfully shows detail and tone well. While nothing replaces seeing these works in person, this book is one every artist should have.

During the last months of 1882 Edouard Manet was gravely ill. This was to be the last year of his life. He no longer had the strengh for large ambitious work. With frequent rest periods, he had just completed "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere."

Due to his ebbing energy he began to paint on a smaller scale, simple bouquets of flowers in a variety of glass vases. Often these were the flowers friends brought to the convalescing artist.

"The Last Flowers of Manet" is a little gem of a book presenting 16 of these elegant, magical paintings. There are ethereal white lilac blossoms and slashes of pink peony petals shimmering before rich, black backgrounds. There are roses and tulips in warm, golden shades.

Just as Matisse in his last days could not make a false stroke when creating his cutout compositions, so Manet brings total mastery to these exquisite, soulful still lifes.

A wonderful yet small collection of reproductions of Manet's last works. A very great artist, at the end of his days, paints exquisite small works of flowers. What else could you want?

Well put together, very encompassing, good explanations...... It doesn't need a paragraph to describe it. If you like Da Vinci or want to learn more about him, this is a great place to start!

I never imagined that through a "child book" I would learn about this master-genious and moreover to be capable to comprehend the "details" about his art. I really enojoyed reading this book, I learn more about his famous paints and why they are considered pieces of art. I was motivaded to read more over the other great art's men such as Picasso or Michael Angel Buonorrati; I never thought that could be an easy way to understand this genious. I strongly recommend this book and the other series too; you can not only learn but also share with your child and encourage him to develop his talents or just enhance your "general culture" reading this great book. The talent consist in explaing complex ideas using a "simple language" that everybody can understand. There is not reason to became so sophisticated and not be able to "share" what you learn with the rest of the world. When you learn a good joke you want to tell the rest about it; it is meaningless if you just keep it for yourself...

This excellent book focuses on Leonardo's drawings in the Royal Library at Windsor. Everyone has seen the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, but Leonardo's greatest achievments are found in his drawings. Vivid HIGH QUALITY color reproductions are accompanied by insightful commentary and historical/biographical information. The book covers the whole breadth of Leonardo's intellectual development. 100 color drawings by history's greatest draftsman, and indeed one of most powerful minds the world has ever seen. As the book says "...[Leonardo's] drawings [are] the pure expression of his genius, boundless and magnificent."
What more could one want in a book? 5/5

It's not the best Da vinci book, but it has a LOT of drawings.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I think the author did a wonderful job making this book a fun one to read. His illustrations though cartoons and caricature are very neat. I read few other books on Leonardo besides that and I could see that Robert Byrd packed a lot of information in this thin book.It will appeal not only to children but to any age. If you are being introduced to Leonardo for the first time make sure you start with this one, if you already know about him you will appreciate the author for doing a fine work in telling his story in so few pages. It could also be a wonderful gift to somebody.

This story is beautifully illustrated and told. Lots of interesting facts about the man, his life and his work. My 8 year old daughter is enjoying it. The language level and some of the concepts are a bit too difficult for my 5 year old, but the pictures have captured her interest.

There could hardly be a more fascinating or beautiful way to introduce young readers to a man who is arguably one of the greatest geniuses the world has ever known, Leonardo da Vinci. As an artist in the field of children's book illustrations, Mr. Byrd has few peers. As an author, deft at reaching young minds, he is an expert.

From da Vinci's birth throughout his remarkable life readers are allowed to trace his accomplishments. Much of this data is gleaned from da Vinci's personal notes which are still available today. We learn of his childhood fascination with flying, and his observation of a kite, a bird that glides apparently without effort.

It seems that from boyhood onward he took great delight in nature and its study. In his early teens da Vinci joined his father in Florence where he would spend a dozen years in Verrochio's workshop. He learned much from the renowned sculptor.

From Florence he traveled to Milan where he enjoyed the patronage of a wealthy duke, and was asked to paint the Last Supper. His fame spread. Today, some 500 years after his death, philosophers and artists from throughout the world continue to look to this amazing genius.

Author's notes, and a timeline are included.

- Gail Cooke

This lavishly illustrated picture book biography of Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci paints a well-rounded portrait of the painter, inventor and philosopher who dabbled in everything from astronomy to weaponry. It is also timely; with the tremendous success of Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code (Doubleday, 2003), Leonardo has never been a more fascinating figure.

Born in the Italian countryside, Leonardo had a curious eye and artistic hand from the start. These two qualities emerged in each endeavor he undertook, from painting and sculpting to writing observations and drawings in his notebooks to playing practical jokes and creating quirky mechanical toys for the aristocracy.

Byrd's authority of and passion for his subject is evident in his thorough research and detailed drawings. Each themed two-page spread covers a period of Leonardo's life, and is headed with a caption that brings all the pieces together. Small sections of quotes and additional information box in the main narrative on each page.

The wonderful illustrations have a comics styling to them. Each page is dominated by a large color drawing set off by smaller sepia toned maps, reproductions and pictures. The end papers are filed with quotes in what looks like da Vinci's own hand.

An author's note, annotated timeline, and extensive bibliography are appended. Recommended for public school and library collections serving students in grades 4-8; great cross-curriculum potential.

Wilma Fairbank catched my nurves of impression this time,when I found out there is a book described Liang and Lin's acheivement in English,the only one,an expensive one,but it worthes it.I decided to continually followed Lin's way,to do some research of classical Chinese architecture.I'd never said no to those difficulties since the obstancles always mislead my mind.There is one thing I hopefully didn't lost,a resoluted heart,nothing can move it.I don't care make more money or not,at least I mostly convinced myself to be a person have a pursuit of dreams.You could call me a freak,and I am still on the way to success.Lin and liang are the partners worked together to reach a goal.Unfortunatelly,I am an indepandent loner also emerged in the amazement of exploring a lost world.Thanks for Wilma's book,I could come trough the tunnel of history again.

when two people decide to join hands and make something happen,that kind of unity becomes so powerful. i think that's what makes Liang and Lin memorable. and Mrs. Fairbank's close relationship with them made their life story vivid to the readers. a great book and great people in it.

Lin & Liang are forrunners of contemporary Chinese architecture. Like most idealistic intellectuals of the period, they went out to learn from the west and returned back home to contribute what they had learned.

This is an important trend in modern Chinese history. The long list of intellectuals includes Sun Yat Sen, Liang Qi Chao(the father of Liang)Chao Yuan Ren, Zhou En Lai, Tang Xiao Ping,.... It was a traumatic period for modern China. It was a time of possibilities, opportunities and frustrations.

One could not imagine the archievement and contributions of modern China to the world without these intellectuals.

The stories as told by Madame Wilma Fairbank is descriptive, touching and informative at the same time. Mrs. Fairbank(wife of John Fairbank) is a poet and historian at the same time. The book (text and images)is western journalism at its best.

The most difficult period for Lin & Liang is not Sino-Japanese War period. Although physically, Lin suffered from fleeing around and illness, but their spirit were high and friends were always around.

The most difficult period was after the liberation. Lin & Liang were destined to work with Chairman Mao, the founder of PRC. Based on their fruitful research and intellectual mind, they come up with the conclusion and dedicated their lives to the preservation of Chinese artefacts, and in most cases, Chinese architectural heritage.

As detailed descripted and well put by Madame Fairbank in the book, Lin & Liang travelled all over China and had produced hundreds and thousands of research papers with surveyed plans and photos. Wilma should have known, she joined and lived with them more than once. The Liangs' ideal and proposals to preserve holistically the ancient city of Beijing must had been in conflict with Chairman Mao's ideas. As the founder of PRC, Mao of course, would have his own plans. He believes, to me wrongly, that "Man would defeat Nature". He would like to see factories and other new buildings rising on the horizons of Beijing, Nanjing and everywhere in China.

This should be a matter of opinion. But as we all know, for a long period of time in contemporary China, a different opinion with Mao would be interpreted as a revisionist liner against the Communist Party! That's why Liang suffered so much and Lin died too young to suffer with him.

This is an important historic lesson that we, as a human being should all learn and study. Through the process of modernization, how should we deal with our heritage and nature? Liang proposed to preserve Old Beijing holistically. Beijing, as observed by Liang rightly, is the most complete form of an ancient city in the world! He is not an old man keeping only the 'Olive Tree'. Lin and Liang are genuine Chinese Architects. They proposed to preserve the old city walls and towers so that they could become civi open spaces and landscapes. People can enjoy history and live in history walking through.

Liang's second wife, Madame Lin Zhu said recently,"In the civic society, Liang is respected by many." Well put Madame Lin. (Lin Zhu's piece is included in the book also very moving.)

The problem is, it takes a few thousand years to build a civi society and a civiization, only takes a few second to destroy them. Should we not give deep thoughts to it.

Anyone who want to know more about Liang Si-chen and Lin Hui-yin and their firends should read this book.

To be honest, I feel what make this book so interesting is the life story of Lin and Liang and their friendship with friends, especially the Fairbanks. The Architecture contents are good too, but the life stories of Lin and Liang, two most important pioneers in Ancent Chinese Architecture studies, make the book very charming and worth of reading.

You will know more about the history of 20th century China, before, during and after WWII. You will see how communists grab power in this used-to-be-great country and gradually turn these respectible scholars' life upside down. How they were changed from eager supporter of Chairman Mao's so called 'New China' into losing the minimal hope to live on. This is a great book, written by John F Fairbank's wife, to memorize their true friendship with Liang and Lin.

This is not just another book about architecture. This is a book written with life.

A very lavishly illustrated autobiographical memoir of Murphy Anderson's varied career in cartooning, The Life & Art Of Murphy Anderson begins with his entry into the 1940s "Golden Age" of comic books. Anderson's credentials include having produced the very popular syndicated comic strip "Buck Rogers", as well as educational comics for the military services publication "PS Magazine". Anderson is perhaps best known for his exceptional and ground-breaking work at DC Comics in the 1960s and 70s on such superhero characters as Superman, Hawkman, Adam Strange, The Atomic Knights, and so many others. It was his style that defined the DC look for a generation of comic book fans. His anecdotal recollections are replete with insightful commentary on the state of the art, as and includes behind-the-scenes stories about the other artist he has encountered in the course of his long and successful career including Lou Fine, Will Eisner, Curt Swan, Gil Kane, and others. Illustrated throughout with a generous examples of work drawn from every phase of his career which also included Fiction House and Ziff-Davis, The Life And Art Of Murphy Anderson is "must reading" for all dedicated comic book fans past and present!

I enjoy reading about the unique lives of almost anyone and this book did not disappoint me. Murphy Anderson used his talents to bring his imagination to the minds of millions in his comic strips and books. Although all people can take an idea, place in within a plot, and add a mind's eye to deliver a story for us, few ever accomplish it in their own lives, but not so for Murphy Anderson.

The book is a first-rate recollection and illustrations of how Murphy Anderson came up with the ideas and plots. He explains how Murphy enjoyed making his stories and the inner workings of the business. What was even more impressive was what Murphy thought about his colleagues and competitors and what he admired in them too.

If you ever read a Superman, Buck Rogers, or Adam Strange and wonder how they went from concepts to copy this book is for you. It conveys in detail how Murphy Anderson developed his ideas and how the companies of DC Comics, Ziff-Davis, and Fiction House put them into products for millions to enjoy.

All from one man, who dared to dream, wrote them down, shared them with many, and made a living from his love in life. No doubt seldom knowing that his contributions spawn even new ideas in the hearts and minds of children who moved on to create their own adult dreams, inventions and dramas making society a better place to be.

When you read about the talent of another man or woman, you end up thanking those who took the time to tell us about them. R.C. Harvey did a superb job and you will not regret taking the time to read this book.

Do yourself a favor and walk away from what you usually read.

Buy or pick up this book, throw away any expectations, judgments, and preconceptions of what you think this book is about. Then Email me thanking me for having you do something you never thought you would appreciate. Because that is, how I came to read this book in reality and I sent me email too.

I highly recommend this superb book. I highly recommend this delightful and insightful book about a fruitful comic writer in Murphy Anderson.

Anderson was one of those great comics veterans who did classy, craftsmanlike work, but who were overlooked by some fans because their work was not "flashy" enough. But Anderson's work passes the test of time.

Whether doing complete art jobs or inking over Curt Swan or Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson's beautiful line and flair for expostion over flash should be studied by today's comic artists. This book combines a superb career overview and biography, as well as tons of great art. I recommend this book highly!

I enjoy reading about the unique lives of almost anyone and this book did not disappoint me. Murphy Anderson used his talents to bring his imagination to the minds of millions in his comic strips and books.

Although all people can take an idea, place it within a plot, and add a mind's eye to deliver a story for us, few ever accomplish it in their own lives, but not so for Murphy Anderson. He did so with the gusto to make sure all of us would enjoy his art, talent and stories.

The book is full of first-rate recollections and illustrations of how Murphy Anderson came up with the ideas and plots. He explains how Murphy enjoyed making his stories and the inner workings of the business. What was even more impressive was what Murphy thought about his colleagues and competitors and what he admired in them too.

If you ever read a Superman, Buck Rogers, or Adam Strange comic and wonder how they went from concepts to copy this book is for you. It conveys in detail how Murphy Anderson developed his ideas and how the companies of DC Comics, Ziff-Davis, and Fiction House put them into products for millions to enjoy using only pennies to purchase them.

All from one man, who dared to dream, wrote them down, shared them with many, and made a living from his love in life. No doubt seldom knowing that his contributions spawn even new ideas in the hearts and minds of children who moved on to create their own adult dreams, inventions and dramas making society a better place to be.

When you read about the talent of another man or woman, you end up thanking those who took the time to tell us about them. R.C. Harvey did a superb job and you will not regret taking the time to read this book.

Do yourself a favor and walk away from what you usually read.

Buy or pick up this book, throw away any expectations, judgments, and preconceptions of what you think this book is about. Then Email me thanking me for having you do something you never thought you would appreciate. Because that is, how I came to read this book in reality and I sent my own email too the person who told me to read this book.

I highly recommend this delightful and insightful book about a fruitful comic writer in Murphy Anderson.

That is a book not only talking about a great artist but also talking about the unique thought of a Dutchman who lived 500 years ago. It is a book of that time's folk history. You may get a vivid picture of Dutch life over the time tunnel. It also can help you understand the Dutchs at present time.

Endearing re-telling of Rembrandt's life by a loving friend of his. This story is not an impartial and academic view of the artist but rather an intimate description of the everyday life of Rembrandt and those who surrounded him during his time. Some understood the genius and loved him, others considered him no less than a heretic follower of Satan and everybody else in between is mentioned in this wonderfull diary that had not been meant to ever be published.

who attempted (unsuccessfully) to discharge Rembrandt's bankruptcy. For me, this represents another aspect of the story of mankind.

This biography was written to exorcise an obsession faced by the author after the great painter's death. It was never intended to be published, and there are spots when it is painfully apparent that Van Loon was no writer by profession. However, the very fact that we have here a memoir written by the Rembrandt family physician, makes this a most intimate account of the unfortunate Rembrandt's waning days.

The obsession gripping Van Loon after Rembrandt died, a penniless nobody in society's eyes, was mainly that such a wealthy nation would so abuse one of its own greatest men as to let him starve while richly rewarding others of much less talent. The book is a fascinating account of Rembrandt's struggles with finances and with the narrow mores of the clergy of the day.

The circumstances under which we enter the artist's inner circle are somber, yet the book has many lighthearted examples of Rembrandt's eccentricities and his all-too-temporary successes. The author digresses occasionally into an account of his own life, rather than sticking strictly to Rembrandt's, however, these passages are charming and give a very realistic view of the political and economic aspects of those years in Dutch history.

The book ends rather ironically, with the author mentioning another area in which his country may have missed the boat -- he chronicles how the powers that be negotiated a trade with England of the Dutch possession Niew Ansterdam for some seemingly more profitable tract in Suriname. Of course, the English renamed their new posession "New York".

All in all, an unquestionably delightful account, not just for the art-lover, but the history buff as well.

"Life's Pleasure: The Ashcan Brush with Leisure" is a wonderful reminder of the Ashcan artists show at the Detroit Institute of Art. Beautifully written and illustrated, "Life's Pleasure" comes highly recommended, especially if you cannot get to the exhibition to see in real life what is rendered by the presses.

While this book is well illustrated ,it has many fine full page reproductions it has many painters of minor importance to the Ash Can school.Gifford Beal looks like an uninspired Dufy..Jerome Myers ,Edward Manigault I can do without. It is interesting to see some of the early work( of the later abstract art) of Arthur B Davies and Alfred Maurer.Few books on these artists discuss the techniques they used. The focus is on subject matter. Something that docents and guides are always talking about when you hear them in the gallery. Maurice Prendergast ,seems a gentler soul than the others,he fits here where he doesn't in other studies of the group.A uniting factor I think is the fluid brushwork of the Ash Can Painters. In the case of Bellows and Sloan composition and unity of the artist brush/touch were hard fought.Doezema's "Representing Woman" essay is a bit superficial Sloan and Bellows had complicated feelings about woman. Dolly was often in his pictures as he wanted to show her as central to his art and life.There is an in depth discussion of the groups use of frames.This is a good companion book for the show at Detroit's Institute of Art.The exhibit will be there thru this month and May 25th. Later it goes to Nashville and then to New York City, You will get more out of seeing the show then what is in this book. I am satisfied that I will be able to see Sloan's "New York" at the Smart Museum of the University of Chicago.Life's Pleasures still has the dark palette of these painters. Their interest in color is something that is only hinted at in the biography of Sloan.It is this limited palette that may have led Maurer and Davies to become all out abstract artist.My fault isn't with the book it is the focus of the exhibit.We are seeing more art shows nowadays that seek approval for a hungry subject matter public , in the Fifties there were many shows that sought to expand the awareness the public have of the visual principles of first rate artists. Katherine Kuh for one was instrumental in putting on shows of Leger,Rothko . With helpful commentary that showed that she knew what it was all about. But! I am glad to see a revival of interest in publications of this important school of American Art.

We are finally recognizing the importance of the Ashcan Artists to American and world art. This book should be in everybodys' library who likes art, particularly American Art.

Relatively few primers offer in-depth details on the Ashcan artists: a school of early 20th-century American artists whose work centered around New York City life. Here the underworld of the City was often displayed - and LIFE'S PLEASURES is the first book to explore the lighter side of the Ashcan artists' works, featuring leisure scenes in cafes, bars and parks and movies. You'll recognize the artists' names ' Edward Hopper, Rockwell Kent, John Sloan - and the essays offer further insights on New York culture and artistic sentiment, making LIFE'S PLEASURES a top pick for both New York and college-level art libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As he did with Houdini, Poe and Cotton Mather, Silverman peels away the tired skin of his subjects and reveals a person hitherto unknown to history. Never one to catalog facts, Silverman redefines not only the person but the era in which he lived. Morse's Calvinism, his passionate pro-slavery views, and his profound frustrations can be comprehended only in the context of his age, which Silverman portrays through dazzling research and exquisite prose. Harrowing Nineteenth Century sea voyages and the Puritan's love/hate relationship with Rome provide two of the many fascinating vignettes that invigorate this portrait.
Once again, Kenneth Silverman has proven himself the Dean of American biographers.

Basically I agree with the reviews of Deborah Taylor, Charles De Fanti, Jr. and Matthew Wall. I had no idea that Morse was an accomplished painter and introduced daguerreotype photography to the USA and taught Matthew Brady. Thanks to Hollywood, I had no idea that one of the best features of the Morse telegraph system was automatic recording of the dot and dash signals, so no operator had to be present when they arrived. Or that he was involved with the trans-Atlantic cables. Or that he finally threw himself on the mercy of European governments in which the Morse telegraph system was being used and asked for an indemnity, one-time, saying he would be satisfied with whatever it was ($2 million in today's money).

We were never exposed to Morse's pro-slavery bible-based views, or his campaign support for General George McClellan in 1864 against Lincoln. The idea that English abolitionists were planted or encouraged to go to the USA to weaken us was there.

Silverman has provided a good index and astounding documentation of sources. Those of you who have looked at my other reviews and seen lists of errors will be impressed that I did not find a single one in this wonderfully readable book. My only wish is that there were a few more details of the telegraph devices. And why no table of the Morse code? No matter: this is one of the best books I have ever read on any topic.

I picked up this book on a whim, and found myself agog at Morse's veritable precognition about the telecommunication industry. I was quite unable to put the book down. This man may be long dead, but his ideas about leasing the right to use his telegraph, rather than opting to sell telegraph devices one-by-one, was a brilliant marketing decision on a par with today's great master's of business. The book is well-written and full of surprises, including what business decisions NOT to make. This is a great read for anyone who a)is in marketing; b) is in telecommunication; or c)mistrusts the Patent Office!

SFB Morse is hardly a forgotten figure in history, but neither does he have the stature of an Edison in terms of the industrial development. As Lightning Man ably describes, the telegraph itself was more an invention of an amalgamation of a variety of predecessor developments in science and technology. Morse deserves ample credit for putting the pieces together and, more importantly, having the drive and acumen to evolve the invention into a successful business model, which was the key for its transformative effect on world technology. Yet his life, before the appearance of this excellent biography, seems shrouded in the myth of the lone inventor.

What's truly fascinating about his story and this book is the tale of the transition from the idea of the lone individual genius to the research lab, the difference between a great idea and a useful product, the move from progress being measured by the fevered work of a single man to the joint efforts of the company and the corporation. The story is one of a transformation of a culture, but which stays firmly focussed on its subject, Mr. Morse, in telling the tale.

Morse's "early" years as a painter are covered extremely well, and while the transition between his career as a painter to one as an inventor may seem bizarre and abrupt to the modern conception, Silverman illuminates this strange career change in the light of the times. Morse himself was a bridge between early American puritanism and a more modern philosophy that was to come. His philosophy of human nature and of himself had all the prejudice, bravado, arrogance, hypocrisy, idealism, greed, and Calvinist self-loathing that made the first half of the 19th century such a dynamic period. That Morse had to travel abroad to study fine art painting, a field considered by many Americans of the time to be vile and barely a craft, and sought the approval of the Academy of the day in Europe also neatly encapsulates the love-hate relationship of the period with European culture and learning. (Morse's own tortured schizophrenia on European political institutions is a subtheme: he is quick to criticize the European political systems of the day in his younger years, and all too eager to accept the emoluments and honors of royalty in his later ones.) The treatment of Morse's early years and his relationship with his then-even-more famous geographer father is done very deftly, without resorting to facile Freudian psychobabble, as we see Morse attempting to simultaneously win parental approval, find his own way in the world, make a name for himself, and try to see his own importance.

There's an American tragedy within Morse's life story as well, in the way he bitterly fought -- perhaps too hard in some ways -- to get the sole credit for inventing the telegraph that he is popularly (and inaccurately) given in the one-line biographical entries of modern histories. This fight was done partly for ego and celebrity, and partly to protect his patents and late fortune. It's a sad and cautionary tale how Morse was never able to settle into any kind of self-satisfaction as he became obsessed with his own legacy.

Morse was an American original, and there's a fascinating pull to the story of a man never happy with himself despite having reached conventional success in two quite different professions.

There is something so incredibly beautiful about her work that you can gaze at an image for hours. While we have superstar photographers today, she was subtle and reserved about fame, and I think it is the true spirit of fashion to be stoic and reserved as opposed to glamorous.

if i could take only two photography books to my desert island, they'd be "Jeanloup Sieff : 40 Years of Photography," plus Lillian Bassman's relatively thin -- yet sensually-overloading -- volume. what a crime her work is not widely known. hers truly are impressionist photographs at their absolute finest, dripping with lushness and yet extreme fragility. they seem to float dreamlike around us and about us, offering a glimpse into that most rarefied world: the strange ethereal galaxy of a french fashion model of the 40s and 50s, bathed in moonlight and wrapped in jazz. god these are beautiful pictures.

Lillian Bassman treats every photograph as though it were a canvas. With her selective toning and bleaching, it's hard to believe many of these images are photos. Her work in fashion was groundbreaking.

Lillian Bassman is a well known fashion photographer of the 40's and 50's. Her work is glamorous and visually exciting. The photos in this collection are a combination of photography and other artistic tools which give them an almost otherworldly feel. The book is oversized, which makes many of the pictures big enough for framing which is exactly what I intend to do. There is also a short biography of her career which continues through today. A very good buy overall.