The Gilded Age [With Flaps]

Loved the book for the variety and the size of the paintings shown. Each one has its own separate page and there are plenty to look at. The descriptions are quick and easy - giving all the pertinent information you need for the piece.

Art books this size seldom work, but this one does. The format is small but many of the images are bled to the edge of the pages. The loose brush strokes of this period of painting lends themselves reasonably well to reproduction at this size. The selection of works is also very nice, capturing a common style of brushwork but also a wide variety of engaging subject matter. The Smithsonian has made some judicious acquisitions over the years. Oh, and the book is a cheap buy too.

From the 1870s through the 1920s, artists and the wealthy American industrialists who collected their work were fascinated by foreign travel, exotic cultures, visionary themes, and dramatic landscapes. The paintings and sculptures of the so-called "gilded age" reflect these interests as well as the luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy patrons who commissioned family portraits. This beautiful catalogue was produced to accompany a traveling exhibition and presents 52 works of this period by 42 American artists. Each painting and sculpture is reproduced on its own page in full color and faces a succinct but informative discussion of the artist and subject, along with a brief stylistic analysis of the work. The effect is that of a private gallery tour given by an insightful curator.