Romanticism

One of the biggest problems with studying art is finding books you can carry and read. Coffee table books are nice to look at, but I find that most of the time I don't even bother trying to read the accompanying essays (which are rarely comprehensive). I'm glad I discovered the Phaidon A & I series, because I'm finally able to make a real effort to learn about art. Yes, it's hard to see the illustrations in detail, but the pictures are usually large enough to accurately depict the author's intention in including it in the book in the first place. If you find yourself wanting to look at a picture in more detail, it's likely available on the web. Why it's good: At around 400 pages it does a great job at being comprehensive (but without being overwhelming). By the time you're done, you feel you've captured all but the nittiest-grittiest of details regarding Romanticism. It can be read by amateurs (which I most definitely am) without feeling lost in a sea of jargon or references that art students are required to know but the average person does not. And you can carry it to work with you to read at lunchtime. Why only 4 stars: I'm not sure I agree with the author's choice in dividing up the chapters on the basis of themes, some of which are virtually indistinguishable from others. In addition, you don't get a complete picture of some artists because they pop up sporadically throughout the book rather than have whole sections dedicated to them. Personally, I would've divided the book by region (French, German, French, Spanish, English, American), but as I didn't write it ... My other main concern is the lack of Americans. Yes, I know that Romanticism was largely a European movement; however the Hudson River School of Artists were largely Romantic in nature (pun intended), and the brief discussion of Thomas Cole's Course of Empire should have been expanded (and all 5 works shown, not just the central one) because it perfectly applied to the theme of that chapter. One final warning: have some small understanding of European history between 1789 and 1848, as the different revolutions and events throughout are touched on as they relate to the art, because if you're unfamiliar with the July Revolution, for example, you may find yourself missing the author's point. Summary: Ignore the fact that my negative section is larger than the positive; this book is a great and inexpensive way to become educated about Romantic Art. Completists may want to start with Neo-classicism, but if you're looking to get immersed in 19th century art (or art in general), this is a great place to start. I'm looking forward to reading Impressionism next (I'll come back to Friedrich and Turner, available in A & I form as well, later this year).

Don't get me wrong, this is a great book. It encompasses almost all critical art and art history of Romanticism, and is complimented by a zesty layout and visually stimulating pictures throughout. But my one question is: WHY DO YOU PRINT THIS BOOK IN THIS SIZE? This book deserves to be two or three times this big... if not bigger. If this book was sold in only a 20'x20' version, you can bet that I would buy it. Maybe a good idea (editors of this book listen up!) would be to make full-size replicas of all the paintings within and sell this book as a series of giant tear-out sheets, so we could display these wonderful pieces of art in our own homes. Then you could keep the text version of the book in its original size and it would accompany the paintings. Another qualified idea is to have photographs or interprative sketches of the artists whose paintings we are studying in this book. It's nice to know what the people who made such beautiful art looked like.