Galleries Books

For a considerable period of time the Mexican colonial period was viewed as a wasteland in the arts, a barren stretch awaiting the arrival of the Spaniards. Recent scholarship reveals that this was not the case. In fact, just the opposite was true as is showcased in this magnificently illustrated bilingual volume.

Displayed between these pages are eye-popping decorative and fine arts from the Mexican viceregal period (1521 - 1821). Included among the collection are paintings, sculptures, furniture, ceramics, metals, textiles, featherwork, lacquer, and books.

Five informative essays by Mexican and American scholars provide a backdrop for the arts of colonial Mexico, and extensive commentaries allow further exploration of individual pieces.

"The Grandeur of Viceregal Mexico" is an extraordinary volume shedding light on a previously little known segment of art history.

- Gail Cooke

This book is doubly amazing as the world's greatest living Briton is obviously the world's greatest living person.

As such, this book details the ten greatest living people in world history bar any religious figures.

Whereas many public surveys carried out in one nation would probably be unrepresentative of the whole world's public and fail to produce scientifically credible results due to unleveled intelligence, this is not the case here as the British people voted for the people in this book and as we all know, they are both the most intelligent people in the world in addition to being unrivalled in knowing what's best for the people of the world.

The Uffizi gallery is a huge place and I really appreciated they way this tour guided me through the museum. They picked the most important artifacts from each room and really gave me an appreciation of renaissance art. Rather than following someone around in a big group holding a sign, this tour allowed me to enjoy the entire museum at my own pace. I especially enjoyed the music provided throughout the tour. This is without a doubt the best way to see the Uffizi Gallery

Most people will never see all of the best art museums in Europe. The average person doesn't even know which ones are the best. A typical tourist might have only 2 or 3 chances in a lifetime to see such museums. Without advance planning, wonderful opportunities will be missed. With this book, such advance planning can be successful.

Here's an example. For many years, I wanted to see the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Due to the economic and social unrest at the time, we opted to take a cruise ship so we could sleep on board while in the city. At the time, cruise ship passengers could only leave on "escorted" tours. The one to the Hermitage was only a one hour tour! So, we learned to sneak off the boat by pretending to be with other tours . . . and walk down to the Hermitage where we would then spend the whole day. Had we been less intrepid, the trip would have been a waste. Now, you wouldn't have that problem.

Here's another example, the Vatican Museums are so enormous and have so many wonderful items that you cannot hope to see what interests you in less than many days . . . and then only if you know what you are looking for. Once in the Vatican, it is very busy and crowded . . . and it's easy to get disoriented. The Louvre has some of the same problem. Both museums lead you to the "all star" items in a four hour visit, but you may be interested in other works instead.

Even if you wanted to see the best museums in Europe, your own personal taste would probably lead you to prefer some museums over others. Great Museums of Europe deals with that problem by showing many of the finest art works in each of the eight museums (Vatican Museums in Vatican City; The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia; Louvre in Paris; British Museum in London; Prado in Madrid: the Island of Museums in Berlin; the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna). You also get detailed maps of where the art works are located within the museums.

I was happy to find out that each museum's history is well developed, including the sources for the art collections, who did the collecting, and why and how the museum has been developed to serve modern viewers. Along the way, you will get a sense of how collections of the rich and famous became cultural patrimonies for whole nations. You will also learn about how the art works are displayed to help develop public interest and education.

I also enjoyed learning about the history of the buildings that the art works are located in and how the buildings have been changed over the years.

Over all, it was interesting to see the large influence that Napoleon had on art museums by wanting to create a modern universal museum in Paris . . . both by taking works from other countries (most of which were returned after the Napoleonic wars) and inspiring envy of the Louvre in the hearts of the leaders of other nations.

I was pleased to learn the names and some background about some of the important curators who developed the modern museums.

Even if you don't think you like art museums, this book will be well worth your while. You're bound to find art works and museums that fit your interests. That's a great gift to receive from reading a single book!

As I finished the book, I wondered how I could plan my next trip to Europe to see the rest of the museums in the book that I have not yet seen.

A nicely done survey of notable smaller art museums in Europe: James Stourton, an expert in his field, gives enough material on the history and collection of each institution he has selected to satisfy without overwhelming the reader.

This book, and the pictures it contains, should inspire many a person to tour Europe just to visit the whole collection of museums covered in this most entertaining work.

This book is great. It shows detailed photographs of many pieces, and the text describes the methods of construction. There is a section showing the tools they used to manufacture the jewelry, and the way the tools were used.

This is a definative source for anyone serious about the study of ancient Mediteranean ceramics. Entries are written by over a dozen world renown specialists in the field and is edited by Alan Shapiro, Carlitto Picon and Dr. Gerry Scott, III. Well organized with thoughtful text, this catalogue is lavishly illustrated and contains ample literature and provenance support material for every entry. Dr. Gerry Dee Scott, III is one of America's preeminent Egyptologist and Classical scholars. Curator of Ancient Art at the San Antonio Museum of Art, Dr. Scott has overseen the creation of the San Antonio Museum of Art's legendary Ewing Halsell Wing for Ancient Art. These exquisitely curated galleries house encyclopedic collections of Roman and Greek marble sculpture, Greek vase ware, ancient glass and jewelry as well as the most formidable selection of Egyptian antiquities in the region. Dr. Scott is a renowned expert in Egyptian sculpture, in particular seated scribe figures, and is currently Director of the American Research Center in Egypt. Other works by Dr. Scott include:

Greek Vases in the San Antonio Museum of Art
Edited by H. Alan Shapiro, Carlos A. Picón, and Gerry D. Scott III With the assistance of Debra D. Schafter Foreword by Douglas K. S. Hyland

Temple, Tomb, and Dwelling: Egyptian Antiquities from the Harer Family Trust Collection by Gerry D. Scott, Nancy Thomas

American Discovery of Ancient Egypt
Author: Thomas, Nancy; Author: Scott III, Gerry D.; Author: Trigger, Bruce G.

A National Image: The American Painting And Sculpture Collection In The San Antonio Museum Of Art
By Lisa Reitzes, Stephanie Street, and Gerry D. Scott, III, with the assistance of Shelby Wells

It's hard to believe, but during the fourth century BCE, the Greek civilization in the Western Mediterranean was the most opulent and powerful in the entire world. It seems like a dream now, but back then there were remarkable Greek city states from Agrigentum all the way across the Mediterranean to Marseilles. They formed a cultural unit that helped spread Greek thought and style right across Sicily, Italy and Southern France. This book shows us how this occurred and some of the beautiful artifacts from that era. This is a well written book, and one that should have a prominent place in any library.

After the first three books which consisted of pure sublime Gregory in a cell with an imaginary rat, Gregory is moved out to live with a family. This is my favourite of the Gregory books as he takes back stage to the family around him. It has towards the end one of the most touching moments I have ever read. Well worth a read, but get at least one of the earlier Gregory books first to understand quite how not on this planet Gregory is.

This engagement calendar is both beautiful and functional. Makes a great gift for yourself or family/friend. The artwork is really beautiful to look at.