Galleries Books

I have purchased this calendar for many years, and order early online to assure earliest delivery. The paper accepts pencil and ink and erases cleanly. Each day has adequate room for appointments and ample margins for numerous, extra "notes to self". Blank inside covers are great places to post frequently used phone numbers. Fits in my purse for meetings. Pages turn easily and stay open. A high quality, matte photo of beautiful art each time you turn the page.

Having begun purchasing National Gallery of Art Engagement Calendars from Universe in 2002, the 2006 edition is my choice again for the 5th year in a row! This elegant product features 56 handsomely printed details of masterpieces from the collection of the Washington DC National Gallery of Art -- one for each week of the year. The approximately 6.5" by 9" format is the perfect size -- neither too small nor too large. When opened to a particular week, there is a space for each day's agenda -- Monday thru Sunday -- on one page and a superbly reproduced detail of a work of art on the facing page. For art devotees as well as others I heartily recommend this beautifully executed publication.

This calendar has a new masterpiece for every turn of the page unlike some art engagement calendars (especially the ones with frosted covers). The reproductions are done so well that I have visited DC and the NGA specifically to pick up a print based on what I've seen in past editions. FYI: Order early because these engagement calendars sell out EVERY YEAR! I've been caught out more than once, so fair warning. You will never find these calendars at half price after New Year's!

What a great concept for a children's book. It offers an introduction to some of the most beautiful aspects of life; the seasons(nature both urban and rural), poetry, and visual art. My favorite part of the book is the light and movement of the illustrations. I enjoyed studying the seperate techniques, each with their own character (like the seasons). Love it.

This picture book offers a really beautiful journey through the seasons. It captures the beauty of nature with child-like wonder and stunning verse.

This picture book is like a good marriage: a great partnership. The text and the illustrations are both are complete and poetic in their own right. Yet when joined together, the new whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This book is a must-see for anyone who wants their child to appreciate the magnificence of nature and its cycles.

As a newcomer to New York City this book gave me immediate access to the entire NYC Art World and everthing that happens behind the scenes. It is my most valuable Art Resource Book and I always find what I am looking for.

Everything you ever wanted to know about New York City galleries, but were afraid to ask. There is no other book like this that I've seen. It's up-to-date, which is very important in the dynamic NYC art world, yet also easy-to-use - I found what I was looking for. Other artists, in NYC and elsewhere - it's essential.

This is the book every artist and art lover has been waiting for. It lays out the complete map to find out about every art gallery and museum in the city -- more than 800 detailed listings -- and the kind of art work you can find there. I know of artists who have found galleries for their work from reading this book and they don't even live in New York City. In addition to providing the hundreds of listings Renee Phillips offers guidance to artists in the introduction and professional resources in the back of the book.

Your kids will gain a whole new understanding of the art they see in a museum. And adults can learn a thing or two as well.

Not only is this an invaluable book for children, but also for adults. I read a copy of the book before I went on a date. She was fascinated by the facts which I had gleamed from the book. Needless to say we are going out again, this time to see a French Impressionist exhibit! Good thing Knapp and Lehmberg wrote two other books!!!

Lehmberg and Knapp have given the readers some memorable anecdotes about artists and their art forms as we travel from Revolutionary War era to Twentieth Century. It is an enjoyable guide for all ages

Every once in a while there is an art book that exceeds one's expectations: Paintings from the Frick Collection, 1990, is one of those books. The book is oversized at 13x10.5 and many of the reproductions fill the space, with some even bleeding off the page into double page fold-outs. Although I have not visited the museum first hand this books inspires me to put such a visit at the top of my list when next visiting New York.
There is just enough information accompanying each piece without overwhelming the artwork. The ONLY disappointment with this book is that the 154 color plates makes one wish for more of the same.
I was able to purchase my used copy at only $12 (including shipping) -- which is an absurdly good price for such a quality product.

A truly remarkable, beautiful volume. The Frick has always been one of my favorite 4 museums in the world and now having moved to pennsylvania miss it dearly. I used to go atleast once a month. Now this volume lets me relive some of the greatest times w/ such beautiful, powerful art. I own over 500 art volumes and this is in the top 5.

The Frick collection is one of the most wonderful private collections in the US. This wonderful "villa" on the corner of 5th ave. and 70th st. on Central Park East in Manhattan, once belonged to the steel and railroad tycoon Henry Clay Frick, is house to his amazing art collection. The paintings at the Frick collections are invariably of the highest quality, including masterpieces by Duccio di Buoninsegna (panel from the "Maesta`"), Giovanni Bellini (the unforgettable "St Francis in the desert", detail is also on the cover), Holbein, Tiziano, Rembrandt, complete rooms by Boucher and Fragonard, and many many more (Whistler, Watteau, one feels almost guilty by not mentioning them and others...). A museum book should provide luminous access to the museum exhibits, both for those who haven't visited the museum and want a first acquaintance with it, or those who visited it and want a wonderful reminder. This book delivers the goods in the shape of wonderful and vividly colourful reproductions, accompanied by succinct descriptions. It's always a pleasure to go back to this book.

Just like a visit to the museum! Packed with high quality reproductions throughout even by 2005 standards. Special semi gloss clay faced paper was used, which improves fine details and also resists age. Just wonderful!

I was fortunate to be able to visit the Musee D'Orsay on my last trip to Paris. This book was filled with lovely photos of what the museum displays. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane of one of my favorite experiences.

Context: I'm not an academic or a scholar; I'm a regular guy who likes visiting museums when I travel and I wanted to do a little researach before I left. This book worked well for my daughter and I to determine which parts of the museum deserved the most time (on a short trip) and to get a better understanding of the works. I'm not qualified to evaluate it from an academic perspective, but as a layman it was exactly what we needed. I bought several museum books all at the same time and this was the best.

This is a gorgeous collection by 22 artists of the most wonderfully done paper dolls that you've ever seen.

If you are a lover of this art form, this is one that you absolutely must have! The quality is amazing.

This book features a wide variety of sample works of well known paper doll artist including my favorite Tom Tierney. If you're a fan of costumes and paper dolls this is a great addition. This books is also great for someone just starting on this interest to expose themselves to the current artist of the day.

This is an awesome book of the paper doll artists renderings. There are great dolls by today's artists. Well done!!!

The size of the book is a little small. However, the quantity and quality of the images is definitely worth the price.

I found a few color repros in this book that I haven't seen in other books.I like most of the selections with the exception of a few that look like Kandinsky.Yet, I prefer the Kandinskys that are similar to Klee.I have a large collection of postcards of Klee from museums,I am always on the lookout for Klees that I haven't seen The reproductions are very good.I have over 40 books on Klee. I have visited the Klee Foundation collection in Berne.The Klees in the Philips collection + MOMA and the Guggenheim,.Lenbachaus (Munich)I went to MOMA's Klee exhibition awhile back...you had to wait in line to see each piece.This book is well worth the price .Others have commented on the high quality of the design of the book.The essays are a worthwhile read.Especially the piece on the presentation of Klee's work, his method of mounting drawings and watercolors,sometimes adding color to the border of a work,His mounting of paper over burlap. Only a few books reproduce the work with the frame showing.. This discussion is something that is not found in the plethora of literature on Klee. Number one mentions Klee's extensive influence on modern painters. They fail to mention Picasso, (from a Picasso museum catalogue) ---"Picasso did many of the drawings for Guernica after meeting Klee in Suisse,that may have been influenced by Klee".They do discuss the culture of experimentation that both artists shared.To really understand Klee it is a good idea to buy every book you can on this wonderful artist. A pervasive attitude during the fifties was:the work is a secret..My problem in buying books : I read the essays right away..the first day.In this case 36 pages. The fifteen dollars is still worthwhile because of the gorgeous plates of Klee's work.I continue to look at the work more than any prolix essays.The type of soft cover of this type holds up well over time.This is a book you can take to bed with you and study a painting ..and pleasantly send you off to dream land!

This is one of the most beautiful and in-depth studies on the art of Paul Klee I have ever seen. The essays give wonderfully in-depth background on Klee's creative process, based on the study of the works that he kept for his personal collection. In many of these works we find the archetypes that informed most of his very personal and highly expressive iconography. The works in the exhibition, 80 works, are all top-quality Klee, and offer a well-rounded selection of works created during his most prolific and creative period (1917-1933). But there are also works included up to 1939, as well. Prestel has really outdone themselves in this incredibly splendid publication. The design, printing, and quality of manufacturing are all first-rate, and the price is astonishingly low...even the Amazon list price is a bargain, and this superior volume is discounted even more. Anyone with an interest in 20th Century art will absolutely want to own this gorgeous book, and if you are a fan of the work of Klee, as I am, you will find it an indispensible addition to your library.

This is the catalogue for an exhibition that was held at the Hayward Gallery in London a couple of years ago. It benefits from the exceptional contribution of British artist Bridget Riley, one of this rare brand of artists who do not keep their thoughts on other artists to themselves. Seldom can you get an inside view of a painter's work through another painter's eyes.
The exhibition itself was small, but with some of the best examples of Klee's paintings, coming from all over the world. The illustrations are lavish, colors are well rendered; on the whole, one of the best publications on Klee in English.

This is an efficient and careful monograph that succeeds on many levels. Grohmann was Klee's biographer and longtime friend. He is respectful without being sycophantic, and thorough but never plodding. He uses a variety of source materials, including Klee's own writings (diaries and letters). Grohmann establishes Klee's lasting importance to art and to painting by asserting, "It is as though he were still among us, to be consulted on every problem of life and art." Grohmann's generous(40 pages, 58 illustrations) and lively essay on Klee is also charming and personal. It combines biography, criticism, a wealth of references, and thought-provoking appreciation. It's generously illustrated with photographs of Klee and his studio, plus ink, tusche, chalk, and pencil drawings, collage, watercolor, tempera, and oil paintings, a woodcut study, and etchings.

The text that accompanies the following forty color plates (a selection of paintings) is the calm, clear art criticism that Grohmann is so good at. The plates' reproduced colors are good but not great. What's best is that Grohmann is such an able teacher. He describes each painting straightforwardly, and then asks intelligent questions, suggests answers that seem well-thought-out, and inspires one to further thought and research. His friendship with Klee gave him some additional understanding of his friend's work and lifelong passions and motives.

A very worthwhile book on a great artist.

This hardback was issued by the museum when the Klee show toured the USA. It was a spectacular show that captured the essence of this 20th century artistic genius and I was fortunate enough to see the show and buy the book. Paul Klee explored just about every art style there was in his quest to develop modern art and his seemingly simplest paintings were usually his best. Klee lived an often traumatic life as well and when you are exposed to all of his works, you can easily see that quality in his paintings. I found the most eloquent ones were the ones he did as he approached his own painful death. The book does a tour de force job of covering the paintings which were in the show, which is the way the show now lives on.

This poem is very unique. Langland conveys many moral issues that will always be part of human existence. The poem is written in the beautiful, alliterative style. It is not quite a standard allegory and perhaps this is why I enjoyed it so much. It is masterfully composed and Piers' vision is accutely realized. Langland has an artistic touch that grabs hold of a reader and also manages to import a message. I would recommend a version that has both the original text, with all the idosyncratic spellings, and a modern English translation. Reading this is like reading Dante, Chaucer, or the Gawain Poet. A lot to chew on but well worth the trouble.

The poem of 'Piers the Ploughman' is often considered to be anonymously composed, as the name William Langland was less an authorial designation as it was an inscription on the back of a manuscript - it would be as if I would be assigned the authorship of the O.E.D. because, in some future time, the only remaining copy was missing the title pages, but still had the hard-cover with my 'ex libris' impression on it. Be that as it may, Langland is considered at least as likely an author as any other, and becomes a sort of stand-in, an 'everyman' for his time period. A few details of this Langland are known - he was a wanderer, a constant reviser (the poem goes through several revisions that scholars have designated as texts A, B, and C (and some argue for Z). This is not a spiritual autobiography, as J.F. Goodridge states in an essay about Langland in another edition, but there are no doubt autobiographical elements in the text. That the lead character is named 'Will' helps in this identification.

This poem stands alongside Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' as one of the great products of Middle English; this also has the character of being a different sort of Middle English than Chaucer's more courtly, continental influenced variety. Thus, it gives breadth to the history of the English language. Langland is often ranked as a great English poet on a par with Spenser, Milton, Wordsworth and Yeats, as representative of his age both in topics as well as language facility.

This epic poem deals with themes familiar for the time - like Dante and Milton, Langland deals with the grand ideas of the meaning of life and the destiny of humankind. However, unlike Dante and Milton, Will and Piers the Ploughman do not go through a mystical, otherworldly adventure or journey, but rather stays rooted to the earth. These are dream sequences, but these too need not be otherworldly - they are things that can happen to every person. The ideas of the seven deadly sins, the virtues, the church, and the images of heaven and hell are very much rooted to regular society images of the same. The discussion of the allegorical characters, aptly named Do-Well, Do-Better, and Do-Best, does much for the moral teaching of this poem, which would have been of primary concern to the author.

Langland's text is often more Old English than Chaucerian in ways. It is far more alliterative, a strong component taken from Old English. Also, it is less metrical in rhythm than Chaucer - there is a pause in each line akin to older English poetry, but the metre is less secure.

This translation is done in alliterative verse by E. Talbot Donaldson (the 'E' stands for the very olde Englishe sounding name of Ethelbert). There are notes, essays and other helpful material provided by Elizabeth Kirk and Judith Anderson. There are over 50 non-related texts of the poem that have survived the Middle Ages, that vary from minor to major changes throughout. Reconciling these is rather like attempting to reconcile the gospels of the Bible, and then adding to that task the discovery of other non-canonical gospels. It leads to rich discussion, but less agreement.

The introductory material helps set the stage for reading, and the appendix gives a more thorough development of 'The Dreamer' from the C text.

Perhaps one of the reasons I like this text so much is that the persons involved were known to me, or friends of friends. Donaldson was the founding editor of 'The Norton Anthology of English Literature', a broad, wide-ranging text. However, it was 'Piers Plowman' that was to be a continuing favourite study for him.

This is one of the classics of English literature, perhaps the least known among them.

This poem is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. I am not a specialist in Middle English, so I cannot say what was lost in the translation into Modern English. I have a copy of the B-Text version which is in Middle English, and if you are like me and have no background therein, this is definitely the version to possess.

It was written circa 1380 and gives an excellent account of life in Plantagenent England and the behavior of the people. The money economy was relatively new, and he saw the negative effects that it had upon both the secular authorities and the Church. The poem is written as an allegory in which the author tries to reconcile the needs of human society with satisfying our Lord our God. Similar to Pilgrim's Progress, the author has a vision, in which he is encounters different aspects of humanity (Covetousness, Sloth, Soul, Knowledge, etc.) on his attempt to find Truth (or God). It is definitely not light reading, and there is so much deep thought that one has to spend a lot of time reading it slowly, as I am sure it was done in the 'Middle Ages'.

The author thought that End Times were near after the Black Death and the utter corruption amongst secular and clerical authorities at the time. The fact that something so penetrating and inspirational was written and found such an appreciative audience that it has survived till now shows that the society then was not so bad. Highly recommended.