Maria Costantino

Give me an oversized art book about an artist whose work is larger than life, and I’m one happy reader. I’ve read at least a dozen books about Klimt, and yet I’ll never stop coming back for more! Besides the monumental Taschen publication that’s almost too heavy to lift (and yet, I lugged it home from the library in the middle of a snowstorm), this edition is a close second in terms of page spread - if not in overall volume. Author Maria Costantino keeps the introductory text manageable, with a preamble that describes Klimt’s life and social/cultural surroundings without getting into the weeds. Interspersed are a selection of photographs of Klimt, works that inspired him, and a scattering of his own works that are crucial to exemplifying the text or which aren’t worth getting into the details of later. This is a bit of an odd move, by all standards for art books, but I actually appreciate it, as it gives us some additional context without spending too much precious whitespace later on. Once we get into the real meat of the book, I was impressed by the simple layout which paired brief text with well-reproduced artworks. Costantino’s commentary may not have been the most engaging (she’s a fan, but the passion is less pronounced than in other books), but her words provide quality insight into a great range of material. The large size of the reproductions was an obviously pleasurable indulgence, since Klimt’s embezzled and intricate work deserves as minute as possible observation by viewers, and the range of pieces reproduced here spanned the prolific artist’s earliest (derivative) work to the portraits that remained unfinished after his death. I may tend to get caught up in his richly embellished “gold era” - and the stories of the characters who were his subjects - but the chronological presentation here revealed a lovely evolution of style and the full breadth of the artists’ capabilities.… (más)

Most of the art books that I read tend to be focused on specific artists whom I enjoy, but the Art Nouveau movement is one of the few where there are so many diverse artists working in different genres and mediums that it's beneficial to read a more broad overview. Even though the book isn't that long, the author does a decent job of covering all the subjects within the Art Nouveau movement from the variety of artists and their diverse mediums to the specifics and differences within the artistic style, defined often by country. Considering how broad the Art Nouveau movement was, the author could have easily gotten bogged down in minutae, but she manages to keep everything relatively concise and organized by separating her book into chapers based on artistic medium: architecture, painting, jewelry, etc. In a few cases I felt myself getting a bit lost in the whirlwind of information and artwork, but I blame that mostly on the fact that I haven't really explore Art Nouveau architecture and furniture (besides Klimt's work) so the myriad of names and illustrations got a touch confusing. Clearly I can easily rectify this by just studying more, and considering how much I enjoyed this brief taste of these new topics I am sure I will quickly acquiesce to the information. The biggest benefit of the book I felt that was that because it covered the Art Nouveau movement so broadly, but with enough details, we can easily see some of the common themes thorughout that make the movement so interesting. If anything, this book has just given me infinitely more to read!… (más)

This large- format 128 page book offers an excellent collection of Edward Hopper's paintings. Its pages measure 9.5" x 13", and the art works commonly are presented in 1 to 1.5-page spreads, allowing appreciation of their content and presentation. The 1942 Nighthawks (perhaps his most famous work) is presented in a two-page spread. The first several pages offer an account of Hopper's life and career, interspersed with photographs of the artist and paintings by other artists that influenced him. Most of the book consists of well- presented, full color presentations of Hopper's paintings, arranged chronologically from 1912 to 1961. More than 75 paintings are included, and each includes its title, year of production, and the museum where it is located. Although published in 1995, the quality of reproduction is quite good. This book is the 4th collection of Hopper's paintings that I have read, and I do recommend it to admirers of his work.… (más)