Masterpieces of Western Art

...if your table is stout enough to hold it. This book is large and heavy, but bound well enough to stand up to a lot of use. It's essentially a catalogue of European and American painting from the beginning of the 19th Century to the end of the 20th. Approximately 500 paintings are reproduced, two per page, with brief, intelligent commentaries. Another reviewer declares that the color quality is poor, but perhaps he had another edition. I've seen a large percaentage of the selected paintings in museums and the reproductions match my memories quite well. Of course a postcard-sized reproduction cannot capture the whole impact of the real thing. What's valuable in this book is the excellent choices and the possibility of considering them together. Almost a third of the book is devoted to painting since 1945. I find this section the most valuable, especially because it stretches beyond any one school or nationality to include very powerful works from Latin America, southern Europe, and the USA, as well as the most recognized masters of France and Germany. Thus Gerhard Richter meets Cy Twombly and Jean-Michel Basquiat encounters Fernando Botero. Each section of the book is prefaced by an overview of the general trends of the era, by capable art historians such as Volkmar Essers and Christa von Lengerke. The texts are flawlessly translated from German into idiomatic English. The final section of the book consists of brief biographies of the artists represented. Note that this is the second of two volumes. I haven't examined the first volume. For the price, this book will serve as an exciting guide to the glories of modern art, preparing you for the experience of touring the great museums where most of these paintings can be seen.

Most of the expensive art history texts cover the visual arts from the breadth of the planet dating back to approximately the start of civilization about 30,000 years ago. I love art, but I must confess that I am primarily interested in just western painting and sculpture. This book, Masterpieces of Western Art, is a wonderful find for those who share my interests, although it should be noted that this set of books does not cover sculpture. Here's why it's such a great book. 1. It's the best compilation of art that you will ever find at a price that is so unbelievably low. It's printed on good paper, and the reproductions are quite adequate. Whenever I read reviews of art books I generally find reviewers who complain about the image quality. One reviewer has made such a complaint about this book. He used, as an example, the paintings of Caravaggio. I decided to make a little test so I took several of the most prominent general texts and books dedicated to Caravaggio and compared each one's reproduction of Caravaggio's "Entombment of Christ". In Masterpieces of Western Art the painting seems to be a trifle over exposed resulting in a higher contrast picture with some slight loss of detail in the shadows. Color was well balanced. I used 5 other books for my comparison. In one text costing four times the price of this book the reproduction had a slight greenish tint. There were slight variations in all of the books that I used for comparison. Which one is the best? The only real way to tell is to go to the Vatican and look at the original. 2. Most all of the major painters are represented in this book, and you will also find numerous paintings by other minor painters who are quite skilled. These are painters that you quite often won't even find in art history texts or even some of the specialized art books. 3. Each painting is accompanied by such things as the description of the painter's technique, decoding of the symbolism used, and the social context of the painting. 4. Each chapter has an introduction of about 20 pages that explains the styles or periods (baroque, mannerism, rococo, etc.) of painting and/or countries being examined. This material is well written and easily understood by the general reader. The introductions and commentary will provide you with an excellent introduction or refresher course in art. Please don't call this a "coffee table book" as it is so much more than that. 5. Volume II has a lengthy appendix that contains a biography of every painter included in this work. I cannot believe that there is a better set of books on western painting sold at such an unbelievable price. It includes 900 paintings of 500 artists. You'll find an interesting painting by Johann Carl Roth, a painter that you won't find a mention of in art history texts. Forget the biggies like Hanson, Gardner, Stokstad, and even good old Sister Wendy. Buy this set and enjoy.

For it's great content. I found this books by chance, the only regret I have not founding it earlier. Well organized; a great source of information for somebody interested in Western Art. I am not an expert so if something trigger my curiosity I go to the precise period or certain artist. From Gothic to Present you find something about any artist you want to know. I highly recommend this book.

This is one of the best art books I have ever read, for serious art historian or novice. The production is beautiful, the writing simple and to the point. And the great thing is, once is not enough - you want to look at it and read it over and over again. A bargain at the price and a joy to handle and peruse.

This is a comprehensive, intelligent, beautifully produced work, covering the greatest paintings of Western Art in a way which appeals to the educated art lover as well as the novice. I thoroughly recommend it. One caveat: It's heavy!Carrying it can be a chore. But give it a good home and it will be a perpetual source of pleasure and instruction.