Painting People: Figure Painting Today
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • More images of work next time
  • I demanded my money back
  • Good start could be better
  • Figure painting is back
  • Very, Very Dissapointed
Painting People: Figure Painting Today
Lucian Freud , John Currin , and Rachel Whiteread
Manufacturer: D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1933045388
Release Date: 2006-09-15

Book Description

After a century in which the lexicon of artists' materials expanded from the classic oil, canvas, stone and plaster to include photography, film, performance, found objects and concepts, the spotlight has finally swung back. A new generation of artists--as well as some who never abandoned figurative painting in the first place--is relishing the solitary, slow, subtle set of processes involved in not just painting, but painting people. They are choosing paint's unique ability to distill a lifetime of events rather than photography's glimpse of a frozen moment. Painting People, edited by the prominent London art historian and critic Charlotte Mullins, unites and contrasts the work of a key group of artists from around the world, and investigates their richly varied accomplishments in lucid text with detailed commentaries, accompanied by more than 150 reproductions. The list of contributing artists is stellar, ranging from photo-based painters like Luc Tuymans, Peter Doig and Marlene Dumas to Pop artists like Sigmar Polke and Alex Katz, photorealists like Chuck Close and Gerhard Richter, Neoexpressionists like Cecily Brown, and comics-inspired painters like Yoshitomo Nara, Inka Essenhigh and Takashi Murakami. There are erotic grotesques from John Currin and Lisa Yuskavage, meditations on the muse by Elizabeth Peyton and Lucian Freud, "Repro-realistic" work from Neo Rauch and of course self-portraits by Philip Akkerman and Marcel Dzama, among others.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars More images of work next time.......2007-09-12

Where is David Humphrey? Clearly should have been included. A nice sequel could include more artists that deal with Figurative abstraction such as Humphrey, Amy Sillman and many others.

Also, not enough text, and could have had more images

1 out of 5 stars I demanded my money back.......2007-07-17

This book is paired with an Odd Nerdrum book, in one of those "Better Together" promos that Amazon does. I'm not sure who decided these two books belong together. Some Amazon executive looked at the Nerdrum book, and said "here's a serious traditional realist. Let's pair his book up with a collection of cartoons."

And cartoons they are. I expected a collection of figurative works to include at least some serious works. Freud is in the collection, but beyond that, there's a load of stuff you'd see in a SoHo gallery where hype out-ranks skills. I have gone through the book three times, and have not seen a single artist I'd want to know more about.

Yes, I get modern art. I know what they're trying to do, blah blah blah, but the book was misrepresented by pairing it with a book by a realist, and further misrepresented by placing a semi-realist painting on the cover. That painting, by the way, isn't even in the book, nor does the dust jacket credit the artist. It's not representative of the book at large (I know. I know. I judged the book by the cover).

A book of figure painting would rightly include Steven Assael, Jeremy Lipking, Robert Liberace and other young greats. What it did include were over-hyped artists who can rightly be called modern artists, but not figurative painters.

I couldn't think of a single reason to keep this book, and for the first time in nearly ten years as an Amazon customer, I asked for a refund. Amazon has a very easy refund procedure, and if you've bought this book, I recommend you use it.

For those who are looking for a serious collection of figurative work, try "Strokes of Genius". I haven't seen it, but I've heard very good things about it.

Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing

4 out of 5 stars Good start could be better.......2007-06-11

In one sense I really like this book. It has oodles of high quality images of very contemporary artists work, and lets be honest, it's hard to find good images of contemporary artists work a lot of the time. I also liked the text that prefaced each section of the book, it was well written and interesting. However, many of the artists featurerd I felt were a little sub par- that is to say, I've seen better contemporary figure painters. Some are great; Freud, Saville, Yuskagvich, Currins, but many were just not up to the level of some of the great painters featured. Plus, the text about each individual artist was very brief. Over all, i'm glad I have it, but I feel it could be a better overview of figurative painting today.

4 out of 5 stars Figure painting is back.......2007-06-03

This book is a good survey of contemporary figure painting. After an introduction explaining the author's aim, namely to present those artists who paint the human figure with the idea of engaging wider themes than the mere painting of a portrait (such as implicit criticism of the violence of our society in Furnas's paintings, or the intimacy of the human being in Peyton's portraits), the author divides her book into five chapters in order to study what these wider themes are:

The figure unravelled
The urban condition
Other worlds
Folk tales
The past deconstructed.

Lavish illustrations of works by Lucian Freud, Chuck Close, Elizabeth Peyton, John Currin, Barnaby Furnas, Lisa Yuskavage, Dana Schutz, Marcel Dzama, to name but a few, are accompanied by a short text describing either the technique or the objective, or both, of each of the artists mentioned.

More an introduction than an in-depth study, this book makes for good reading and gives a fair overview of the state of contemporary figure painting, whatever your opinion is on the selected artists, of whom one may wonder if they will all stand the test of time...

1 out of 5 stars Very, Very Dissapointed.......2007-05-30

I was very disappointed with this book. The cover painting by Currin led me to buy it, hoping to see more of this type of interesting portrait work. Unfortunately, the book is filled with Modernistic art portraits, if you can call them that, and seems to focus on grotesque, distorted, weird, and overall just plain ugly paintings. Sure, the paintings are of people, but that's about as far as I could consider this art to be portraits. Sorry, I used the word "art" to refer to these paintings. My mistake. Anyway, if you like Modern Art, and are looking for some truly offensive paintings, this may be your cup of tea. The cover portrait by Currin isn't even shown in the book, although two other interesting paintings by Currin are.
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Calculations are only as good as your numbers
  • Pants on fire?
  • Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
  • Very Interesting
  • History as Science Fiction
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

5 out of 5 stars Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

5 out of 5 stars Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

5 out of 5 stars Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

4 out of 5 stars History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Glitter and Doom: German Portraits from the 1920s (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Long Wait for an Excellent Book
  • A beautiful exhibition
  • Glitter and Doom
  • Beautiful catalog for
  • You can't go wrong with German Expressionism
Glitter and Doom: German Portraits from the 1920s (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
Sabine Rewald , Ian Buruma , and Matthias Eberle
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300117884

Book Description

In the 1920s Germany was in the grip of social and political turmoil: its citizens were disillusioned by defeat in World War I, the failure of revolution, the disintegration of their social system, and inflation of rampant proportions. Curiously, as this important book shows, these years of upheaval were also a time of creative ferment and innovative accomplishment in literature, theater, film, and art.
Glitter and Doom is the first publication to focus exclusively on portraits dating from the short-lived Weimar Republic. It features forty paintings and sixty drawings by key artists, including Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, and George Grosz. Their works epitomize Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity), in particular the branch of that new form of realism called Verism, which took as its subject contemporary phenomena such as war, social problems, and moral decay. Subjects of their incisive portraits are the artists’ own contemporaries: actors, poets, prostitutes, and profiteers, as well as doctors, lawyers, businessmen, and other respectable citizens. The accompanying texts reveal how these portraits hold up a mirror to the glittering, vital, doomed society that was obliterated when Hitler came to power.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Long Wait for an Excellent Book.......2007-05-12

Finally an excellent review of what the first World War did to German culture and psyche. This book lays it all out. Hitler was a logical consequence. Unfortunately the Western world did not pay enough attention to these portentious signs. The book has beautiful color reproductions, great detailed commentary on each artist featured and enaough historical commentary to make it all plausible.

5 out of 5 stars A beautiful exhibition.......2007-04-08

This is the catalogue for a beautiful exhibition held at the Met last year. The paintings reproduced here are among the best examples of the New Objectivity, a movement that was able to depict the atmosphere, the soul, the world of the Weimar Republic, that brief time span when pre-war Germany enjoyed freedom in the arts and in the minds. These gripping paintings show how ultimately doomed that world was and how the artists were the first to sense the tragic developments that were to succeed it. The front cover, a detail of one of Christian Schad's best known paintings, is a perfect illustration of a society that seems to have enjoyed life knowing that death would come too soon, with the end of that joyful and poetic decadence that was the Berlin of the 1920's.

5 out of 5 stars Glitter and Doom.......2007-03-22

Twice viewed the exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum here in New York. German art in the 20s is raw, obscene and decadent. A raucus reflection on hard times there. They had just suffered WW1, in the midst of fascism, insane inflation, etc.
Highlight: Otto Dix is a wild artist, forever a favorite now. Also a DaDa artist.
I am a frequent art museum visitor. Therefore, in my opinion, this catalogue did the show great justice which is not aways the case.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful catalog for.......2007-03-08

The BEST museum show I have seen in a long time. Sabine Rewald is a truly great curator, the book is smart and well designed, great color reproductions.

4 out of 5 stars You can't go wrong with German Expressionism.......2007-01-29

How can you say "no" to Otto Dix?? Well...you can't! The actual exhibit at the Met was good (although I thought it'd be bigger) and relatively informative, but the book gets into depths the exhibit couldn't. Ideally you should see the exhibit and thoroughly read the book. You can't quite get the experience of seeing the works within the book, and you can't exactly get the knowledge of just reading the little blurbs that are glued beside each piece in the exhibit.

The book explores the themes of German life before the world turned on itself and the second world war exploded. For the money it's worth the dive into the celebrated, vastly entertaining, stunningly morbid and little studied area of German Expressionism. It's not too late...go out and there and see the exhibit. And then buy the book, since that's what the Met would like you to do.
John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1874-1882; Complete Paintings: Volume IV (John Singer Sargent)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Awesome Selection of Sargent's Work
  • John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1874-1882; Complete Paintings: Volume IV(Complete Paintings)
  • many obscure paintings
  • another wonderful Sargent book
  • An Amateur Artist's opinion
John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1874-1882; Complete Paintings: Volume IV (John Singer Sargent)
Richard Ormond , Elaine Kilmurray , and Warren Adelson
Manufacturer: Paul Mellon Centre BA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300117167

Book Description

From 1874 to 1882, John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) produced more than 200 paintings and water-colors aside from portraiture, including figures in landscape settings, architectural studies, seascapes, subject paintings, and studies after old masters. From powerful studies of models in Paris in the mid-1870s to compelling paintings set in Venice in the early 1880s, the works published in this volume of the catalogue raisonné show the variety of his aesthetic responses. He worked in the studio and en plein air, travelling widely during the eight years covered in this volume and painting in Paris, Brittany, Capri, Spain, North Africa, and Venice.
This is the first time that Sargent’s early work has been mapped so comprehensively. With very few exceptions, this beautifully produced book illustrates all the pictures under discussion in color. Each painting, including several which have never been published before, is documented in depth with full provenance, exhibition history, and bibliography, and in many cases new information is provided. The volume also reproduces a wealth of Sargent’s preliminary and related drawings and of comparative works by other artists.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Awesome Selection of Sargent's Work.......2007-07-20

The color reproductions are awesome. This books is a collection of Sargent's less known work which is refreshing. Some oils are not as polished as the more well known work which helps to show his technique in early stages---a plus to serious professionals and students. To me, this book provided a wealth of visual clues to understanding his thought process and technical principles. The writing, however, is the typical stuff used to fill most coffee table books. No insight whatsoever into Sargent's painting principles, tonal procedures or color palette. The author obviously knows little in that regard but there is so much information out there the text could have been more illuminating. Buy it for the reproduction quality and awesome collection of works. Worth every penny in that regard.

5 out of 5 stars John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1874-1882; Complete Paintings: Volume IV(Complete Paintings).......2007-05-20

Still waiting for the delivery of Sargent's Figures and Landscapes. It was ordered on 4/14. Hope it will be delivered soon.

Deirdre Dunne

5 out of 5 stars many obscure paintings.......2007-03-28

i was very pleasantly surprised to see so many Sargent paintigs and drawings i had never seen before. Some quite obscure images in color - many studies and sketches - things that interest other artists and Sargent fans - I have not read much of the content yet but the little I have read was very interesting, although not of great use to artists in that there is not much description of Sargents working methods (although there was some) - but this is usually the case with monographs - much history but not much instruction. So as artists we must learn mainly from the paintings - which fortunately are very well reproduced in this volume.

4 out of 5 stars another wonderful Sargent book.......2007-03-26

This volume like the portrait volumes has beautiful illustrations ( fairly important for someone like Sargent!) and comparisons to others working in his time and place.
it's something you can look at and reread-- and it can be done in sections-- time and again

5 out of 5 stars An Amateur Artist's opinion.......2007-01-09

I found this book to be so comprehensive, that it will be invaluable to any artist, amateur or professional - will keep me engrossed for a long. long time to come.
Freud at Work: Lucian Freud in Conversation with Sebastian Smee
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Lucian Freud in conversation with models, canvas and paint
  • A Window into the Privacy of the Creative Mind of Lucian Freud
  • If you like Freud's work, you'll love this
  • Absolutely Essential
Freud at Work: Lucian Freud in Conversation with Sebastian Smee
Bruce Bernard , and David Dawson
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0307266001
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Book Description

Freud at Work is a rare glimpse into the life of one of the most celebrated—and most private—artists working today. Though in his eighties, this great figurative artist continues to paint with undiminished energy and discipline.

In 120 revealing black-and-white and color photographs taken in Lucian Freud’s London studio, and in a fascinating in-depth interview, we come to understand the stages of the artist’s work and the intensity of his interaction with his subjects—whether fellow artist David Hockney, the Queen of England, or performance artist Leigh Bowery, among others.

Two remarkable photographers have been recording Freud at work over the past twenty years . The artist, uncharacteristically, allowed Bruce Bernard, the acclaimed picture editor, to photograph him in the studio, especially during the years he was working with Bowery as his model. Following Bernard’s death in 2000, David Dawson, the painter’s assistant, began photographing the daily life of the studio, showing us the progress of Freud’s paintings, his models—some naked, some famous—and the painter himself caught in moments of intense concentration.

Though Freud has always been reluctant to give interviews, talk about the painters he admires, or discuss how he works, his conversation here with the Australian writer Sebastian Smee is frank and revealing.

Unlike any other book we have seen about Freud—comparable to David Douglas Duncan’s books of photographs of Picasso—this important document invites us for the first time into the secret domain of the artist.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Lucian Freud in conversation with models, canvas and paint.......2007-05-09

magnificent view on the painter as painter.

5 out of 5 stars A Window into the Privacy of the Creative Mind of Lucian Freud.......2007-04-27

Lucian Freud seems to gain in importance as a painter and as provocateur with every exhibition (or even frequent monograph) that appears - an d for good reason. Freud continues the tradition of figure painting, but clearly in his own language. His canvases are dense with detail of both body surface and psychic message. His tendency to find rather physically grotesque models (such as Leigh Bowery) and then paint canvas after canvas of those models, each work revealing even more bizarre statements about the sitter, has made him one of the most interesting painters of our day - and the gentleman is in his eighties!

Infamously reclusive, Freud paints everyday, producing huge canvases and diptychs/triptychs with what appears to be the greatest of ease. But this very fine book allows us to see the artist's struggle with the creative muse by admitting us into the studio, courtesy of interviewers David Dawson and Sebastian Smee and photographers Dawson and Bruce Bernard, a friend and admirer now gone who captured some of the more sophisticated views of the artist at easel and photographic images of the models along side the painted version from Freud's hands, imagination and talent.

Even for those who have collected museum catalogs and other monographs of the work of Lucian Freud these richly reproduced color photographs of Freud's paintings, given the new vantage of moving from the museum wall into the studio of origination with the additional images of the painter at work, constitute a superior art monograph of a current genius. The book is a conversation with a living genius, a painter who is far more interested in the paint and brush than he is with the observer - until now. Highly recommended for art collectors, educators, art students, and for those who remain fascinated with the human figure. Grady Harp, April 07

5 out of 5 stars If you like Freud's work, you'll love this.......2007-01-27

If the so-called School of London is your thing, here is a unique opportunity to watch the grand master at work. Not as good as a video, as possible with Auerbach and Bacon, but you take what you can get with the famously reclusive Freud, who clearly relishes enhancing his own reputation for eccentricity. (Remember the Snowdon photo of a wild-eyed Freud in his youth standing in front of his vintage Rolls Royce while wearing work clothes, like a scene right out of the 'sixties film Blow Up?)

Here we see the work of two photographers, both old friends, who were allowed to capture Freud at work over more than 20 years, as he painted single- and multiple-subject portraits of widely varying sizes, with subjects ranging from The Queen to Leigh Bowery. Most interestingly, this format allows us to see a large number of his paintings at various stages of completion, thus showing his process in a reasonable amount of detail.

Start with a sketch by Cezanne and adapt it to two models, then add a third, to make a contemporary painting. An earlier work starts with a nude model perched somewhat precariously in the cubbyhole high up on the wall. Her portrait on the easel below reveals just how brutal Freud can be in portraying the figure. When we saw the painting at Acquavella Gallery, we wondered if he actually had the model positioned in a nook in the wall. Now we know.

We see how the oil portraits of subjects such as Lord Fellowes and David Hockney start with oil sketches and go through development to the finished painting. The talented young British artist Tai-Shan Schierenberg, whose portraits of John Mortimer and Lords Sainsbury and Carrington are already in the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery, is one of several artists who paint in a style very similar to Freud's, but close-ups of Freud's smaller portraits show the particuarly intensive reworking which make his work unique. He lays on paint heavily like Auerbach or Kossoff but with his own style, which, in the end, is inimitable.

Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles in full dress uniform makes a glamorous subject. We also see Freud painting a horse and his dog Pluto, and his latest young female admirer. We also see Freud developing the plates for his masterful etchings, some of the best work being done in that medium today.

A 30-page interview by David Dawson and Sebastian Smee is interspersed with the late Bruce Bernard's color photographs and David Dawson provides over 100 additional color photographs of the painter at work. It seems that there is a new monograph on Freud every eighteen months or so; this is one of the few works which focuses on his process.

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely Essential.......2006-12-07

If you are an admirer of Lucian Freud's work, this book should definitely have place in your library. It essentially comprises of 3 parts, opening with a very frank and insightful interview with Freud by Sebastian Smee. Followed by two collections of colour and b&w photographs by Bruce Bernard and David Dawson. They cover all aspects of Freud in the studio - photos of Freud larking around as a Henry Moore sculpture, works in progress (often including the model), finished paintings, his studio, his dogs, horses, foxcub, etching plates and resulting prints, series of WIP paintings showing the stages involved in their creation. Over 120 photos in all, with the vast majority being in colour. Lavishly illustrated.

Smee, Bernard, and Dawson all had/have a close association with Freud and for me that's what makes this book so special. Throughout, Freud is just going about his business which is captured wonderfully by the photos. Bernard wanted to take carefully considered photos but Freud was having none of that, to the point of literally doing headstands. Bernard died in 2000, around the time that Freud was working on his Cezanne piece. Dawson picks up the plot from there, with photo's through to 2006.

For anyone interested in Freud's painting process, either out of curiosity or as an artist, the photo's provide a wealth of information. The adage "A picture is worth a 1000 words" could not be more apt. The Work in Progress photos range from the raw drawing on canvas through to finished pieces. A number of WIP photos also include the model, allowing for comparison between the flesh and the oil. Etching plates and the resulting prints are also shown.

Smee's interview reads like a couple of guys chatting over a pint down the pub. Over his career (and long may it continue!) Freud has met and hung out with numerous famous figures - Picasso, Giacometti, Bacon, Hirst, Auerbach, Bergmann, Balthus, Bowery, Queen Elizabeth II, even gambling with the notorious Kray Twins (1950/60 gangsters from London's east end). The interview is liberally populated with wonderful anecdotes. Freud also talks about the painters through history that he admires - Cezanne, Matisse, Corot, Chardin, Toulouse-Latrec and why. He touches upon living in London and anti-semitism, what led him to paint pictures of his mother, his grandfather Sigmund Freud, being sat at the bar and finding out that someone else was impersonating him - was he upset? Not really, he ended up painting the man's portrait.

For someone who is reknowned for his privacy this book is exceptional. I'm sure Freud had a huge say in how the book would look and its contents. His pride in a job well done is most evident.

If Freud is on your artistic radar, even as the merest blip, then do yourself a favour and own this book. Essential. 10 stars!
Portraits from Life in 29 Steps
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • misleading title
  • What can I say..It Sanden!
  • Excellent Resource
  • Blatant plug
  • Portraits from life in 29 steps
Portraits from Life in 29 Steps
John Howard Sanden , and Elizabeth Sanden
Manufacturer: North Light Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1581805829

Book Description

Portraits from Life in 29 Steps presents an elegant, simple and direct procedure for painting a convincing portrait in 29 logical steps. John Howard Sanden has developed this method in more than three decades of painting, demonstrating and teaching.

At the heart of this book are two complete portrait-painting demonstrations; each of the 29 steps is descriptively titled, explained and illustrated to show the clear progression of the portrait. Sanden uses an exciting and appealing premier coup approach to painting, where the artist attempts to execute a finished painting from the very first stroke.

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars misleading title.......2007-09-09

As a portrait artist, I was hoping to glean some new tips/tricks from this book. What Sanden illustrates in the "29 steps" is nothing more than a quick (completed in one hour) color study of his subjects. He admits in the text toward the end that the portraits featured in the book actually took many days to paint. Really, what a surprise! While it was interesting to see how he prepares his canvas and blocks in his subject, Sanden does not spend any time on the techniques he uses to give his portraits their "finish," which is what most portrait artists are seeking to improve upon. What he does focus on are his own brand of paints that he pushes throughout the pages.
Don't be fooled by the portrait on the cover. If you want to end up with a finished painting that looks like that, you will NOT learn how to do it in this book. If you are a beginning painter, and need to learn basic underpainting, or how to block in a subject, then this book might hold some interest.

4 out of 5 stars What can I say..It Sanden!.......2007-06-13

This book is so good for portrait artist's. Even advanced artist's will find this book helpfull. It's a great way to start, and he is well established in the Art world. it is worth it.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource.......2007-03-16

I was already a portrait painter when I bought this book. I was not turned off by the offer to buy his products. As a matter of fact, I've thought of buying them to check out the quality of his oils. Since buying the book, it has gotten plenty of use. For those of you who gave it a low score, had you really delved into it, you would have seen that he does present a formula for mixing portrait colors. This is something that I found very valuable. The reality is that we can pull a little expertise from all art books and use it to paint like ourselves. This book has been well worth the money I spent. I did not buy it with the intention of painting like the author.

1 out of 5 stars Blatant plug.......2006-12-19

I just glanced through this book at a local art store. Initially it looked to provide some useful information with 2 well laid out "how to paint a portrait" follow alongs. One was sufficiently interesting that I was thinking of buying the book.
Then, alas, it all went wrong. A closer study of the text etc. revealed that the book is nothing more than a shameless plug for the author's own line of paints. And indeed there is nothing wrong with helping the painter out and provide them with the various tones they need pre-mixed. But I don't understand why I have to buy the book. Wouldn't it be better if the book was free or included a coupon for a set of the paints with the cost being the price of the paints MINUS the cost of the book. I cannot think of any scenario where I have to buy one item to then buy the sellers main item. Very poor marketing by Sanden and definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. Isn't this like one step up from "Painting by Numbers"? I will not be buying the book nor his paints. If you want to paint in the style of Sanden then by all means go ahead and buy the book and the paints. But in the long run you are probably doing yourself a great dis-service as your portrait technique will be locked in to a very narrow system.
Get yourself a book on portrait painting that illustrates the tried and tested methods over the years, how to achieve the effects and learn how to mix colours in the process. Also buy your paints from an established manufacturer. You could be so locked in to Sanden's techniques and have a number of his paints. What happens if the company goes bust? - I don't know of any other manufacturer who sell paints labelled by tones. Work your way up the same learning curve that Rembrandt, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Ingres and all the other masters also had to climb. In the long run you'll be much better off for it.
Do you even know what is in Sanden's paints? And how they will endure the tests of time. Stick with a reputable manufacturer whose reputation is founded upon being 100% up front with the artist.
Avoid this book. 0 stars.
I just noticed that North Light are the publishers. For the most part I find their range of books to be uninspiring. Makes me wonder why NL even agreed to publish this book in the first place.

4 out of 5 stars Portraits from life in 29 steps.......2006-08-29

I found it very practical. I felt almost like in a good live art class.
I already improve my tecnique after a got this very good book.
Prayers and Portraits: Unfolding the Netherlandish Diptych (National Gallery Of Art, Washington)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Man and God
Prayers and Portraits: Unfolding the Netherlandish Diptych (National Gallery Of Art, Washington)
John Oliver Hand , Ron Spronk , and Catherine A. Metzger
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300121555

Book Description

The diptych––comprising two hinged panels that can be opened and closed like a book––was prevalent in Netherlandish art and depicted subjects ranging from secular portraiture to religious personages and stories. This lavishly illustrated book, the first ever to examine this painting format, examines approximately forty Netherlandish diptychs from the 15th and 16th centuries. Featuring magnificent works by Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, and Hugo van der Goes, among others, the book covers a wide variety of topics, including painting techniques, workshop practice, and the art market in the Netherlands of the time.
With fascinating discussions on each of the featured paintings, Prayers and Portraits reunites a number of diptychs that have long been separated. Essays examine the works in the context of contemporary texts and religious practices in northern Europe, incorporating new technical information and research. They also offer invaluable insights into the social status and aspirations of the sitters.
The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, in association with the Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Man and God.......2007-08-11

This is a beautiful book, replete with high-quality illustrations and in-depth studies of all the works displayed in the 2007 exhibition it illustrates. It is a treasure trove of information on early Flemish painting, stressing technical as well as stylistic details, recalling the historical context of every work and showing how the image of man was, little by little, superseding that of god.

This book is destined to become a collector's piece. Undoubtedly one of the best recent art publications, as far as illustrations and scientific research are concerned.
Sargent Portrait Drawings: 42 Works by John Singer Sargent (Dover Art Library)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Outstanding pencil art
  • Sargent Captures the Personality and for any Life Drawing Student this will be a Wonderful Guide
  • Wonderful
  • Drawings or Sketches?
  • Must have for Sargent lovers
Sargent Portrait Drawings: 42 Works by John Singer Sargent (Dover Art Library)
John Singer Sargent
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486245241

Book Description

Collection of portraits, selected from public and private holdings by art historian Trevor J. Fairbrother, reveal the technical skill and intuitive eye for which American portrait painter John Singer Sargent is renowned. Drawings in pencil, pastels and charcoal — a lesser-known aspect of Sargent's oeuvre — are shown. List of Plates. Introduction. Captions.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Outstanding pencil art.......2007-09-11

I'm a big fan of Sargent, but haven't had the privilege of seeing much of his pencil work in the grand collections of his paintings. This changes that. What a great book with so many beautiful pencil and charcoal portraits to enjoy. And the price? Who sells art books for this price anymore? Dover does an amazing job.

5 out of 5 stars Sargent Captures the Personality and for any Life Drawing Student this will be a Wonderful Guide.......2007-06-25

As a student of Life Drawing and Portraiture (Carolyn's by Design) going back to her art, I had to have more of Sargent. I had just read the book, "Strapless" about the nortorious Madame X who was captured over and over again in Sargent's renderings. This compilation of renderings displays how attuned Sargent is with his representations of the personalities, how good his eye is at capturing the likeness.....how easily he appears to use minimal usage of his medium to obtain maximum expression in his subject.....This small Dover Art Library reference to Sargent gives you the medium and size as well as the name of the subject and the Intro gives you a great synopsis on Sargent's bio.....For any serious student of Sargent....you will refer back to this over and over again for technical knowledge as well as the inspirational beauty obtained from his work...I love him! Formerly millersequine....sign me Carolyn's by Design and "Enjoy"!!!

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful.......2007-03-18

As an art student, I'm in love with Sargents drawings, so much to learn from such a master.

3 out of 5 stars Drawings or Sketches?.......2006-08-04

I was a little disappointed in this book. I expected detailed, color drawings. This book contains nice sketches of portraits that Sargent perhaps later painted. The reproductions are a little blurry, also. It is still a nice, inexpensive reference book to own.

5 out of 5 stars Must have for Sargent lovers.......2006-03-20

Excellent plates - This book is a must have for any John Singer Sargent admirer!
The Nude Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Useful tool
  • Good Ordinary
  • Will use this often
  • Designed to develop familiarity with the figure
  • Love it
The Nude Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist
Mark Smith
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0823032329

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Useful tool.......2007-07-27

Although the book is printed on a faily couarse grained paper and the photographs could have had better contrast, I have found the book useful. The poses are sufficiently varied to provide a good cross-section of body movement.

4 out of 5 stars Good Ordinary.......2007-04-02

I bought this book when I saw it in the art store. I like it. The poses are natural and the models, while all WASPs, are of different shapes. I liked that the women were differently shaped-- some more curvacious like J-Lo, others like a Flapper with few curves. Their breasts are differently shaped which definitely helps in learning the figure. There are only a few male models and they could have been better had there been more-- I hate to judge a body as unattractive based on the amount of hair or what-have-they, and as an artist I appreciate the differences and these could be better appreciated had there been more. There was only one pregnant woman in the pregnant section and she is perhaps seven months pregnant-- she is not at the point where she is uncomfortable-pregnant or in the earlier stages-- this book could be greatly improved if Mr. Smith had done more women in different stages of pregnancy and a greater variation of models in general. I do know that when it comes to creating a book that publishers are at the mercy of meeting certain costs with a number of pages, so they try to be useful but original and try to meet several goals. This is all right-- it won't be my favourite book on the nude body, but it's not one that I will give away, either.

4 out of 5 stars Will use this often.......2007-01-13

I found many usable poses in this book. Some diversity in body types, which is nice. I could do without the hairy armpits, but thankfully we all have the creative liscense to erase that.

I left out one star because the male nudes are terrible. I think there are only 3 different male models, and I don't even want to look at them, not to mention draw them. No muscle definition, one is pot bellied, and another with a bald head and flabby body completely covered with hair...easy to render as that is (a contour, then tons of hair)I'll pass. Two thumbs down on the choice of male models.

4 out of 5 stars Designed to develop familiarity with the figure .......2006-08-08

First off, let me start off by saying that this is not a how-to guide for drawing the figure. It does not attempt to teach you, and it's not designed to do so. Also, don't expect this book to have great photos that will translate into beautiful, finished pieces of art--I don't think one should expect it to be. Instead, it is choke full of full figure poses with which a student can learn the human anatomy by repeated practice of drawing different poses.

The book is what it says it is--it is merely a visual reference. This book is designed to help those who are already familiar with drawing the figure, but needs to practice the full figure at home without the help of live models at their disposal. It is not a replacement for live models, so some may deem this inadequate--but note that this is probably the best book out there of this kind. Some of the reviewers complained about the homogeneity of the models and their poses--well, not everyone is looking to expand their figure drawing prowess by drawing ethnic, overweight, or innovative poses.

Speaking from personal experience, I feel that this book is helping me to develop familiarity with the figure, ultimately resulting in speed and better gestural expression. If this isn't what you're looking for, I don't recommend this book for you. As for Sarah Simblet's book, which this book is sometimes compared to, get it if you need to be taught how to draw the figure. Otherwise, I feel that book is useless, as most of the photos are of individual body parts, rather than the full human figure. It may be used to try to gain familiarity with individual body parts, but there aren't enough photos of each part to help become familiar with any of them. It does look pretty fancy though. Very glossy. Unlike this simple and functional book for those who believe in the value of repetition.

4 out of 5 stars Love it.......2005-02-23

I browsed through this book at a Barnes & Nobles a few weeks ago, and almost immediately fell in love with it. But I did have to wait to go online as it was nearly 30.00 at B&N and I knew I could get it cheaper at amazon.com, which I did for a mere 22.00 with shipping.

Before "The Nude Figure" my best reference book was "Drawing the Female Nude" by Giovanni Civardi, which featured his drawings of two models in various poses. It is a great book for the beginner, but after five years of using it I needed something new - and Playboy just wasn't working.

The Nude Figure by Mark Smith featured only photographs of various models and all kinds of different poses. All of the photographs are in black and white which is a definite plus in my mind, helping you to see the defining lines and edges. The poses are divided into chapters as follows:

Standing Poses - This chapter is full of your basic standing poses. Arms up, arms down, from the side, from the back.
Seated Poses - Seated on the ground in different positions including Indian style, which I find very hard to draw.
Reclining Poses - All kinds of laying down positions, all from different perspectives. Some look quite easy to draw and others are quite hard.
The Figure on a stool - These I find quite difficult simply because of the stools - I am not good at any kind of still life, even if it has a woman sitting on it.
Kneeling Poses - The Kneeling poses are quite useful, but some of them just look awkward and I don't see how you could use them in a work of art - but I guess there is always a way.
Bending Poses - Most of these look like stretching before a workout poses. I don't se how they could be useful in a work, but for practice everything is good.
Crouching Poses - A lot of these poses make the model look like she is ready for a race.
The Figure in motion - I am very happy with this section as I do a lot of fairies and it is full of people jumping up in the air - something you could never get a live model to hold.
The Pregnant Figure - There are only a few pages of this, and I'm glad they put in here. It's not too often that you get to see a nude pregnant woman to draw from. I think this will come in handy someday.
Unusual Poses - Just like it sounds, many of these aren't very practical, but very useful in learning how different muscles shift in different positions.

The bulk of the photo's are in Standing, Seated, and reclining poses. Those fill up most of this book.

If you are wanting to learn how to draw men, this book is not for you. In all of the chapters (excluding the pregnant figure), men are only featured on about two pages. But this is a very good thing for me, as I only draw women.

Also the people in this book are all pretty fit. There aren't any fat people in here, not a big scope of different shapes. Again, I am happy with this as I don't want to draw fat people, but other artist might be disappointed by this lack of diversity. Some of the women have hairy armpits though, and some don't - that's diverse enough for me. Plus the women may all be over-all fit, but they are all built differently.

The photo quality is OK, but not fantastic, no glossy pictures in here, in fact some are grainy. But they are all adequate, and I think they did this to keep the cost of the book down, which makes me happy, as I would not have paid 40.00 just to have more glossy pictures. They use a lot of different lighting techniques in this book, but some of them I hate only showing the outlines of the figures when I want to see muscle.

Overall I am quite happy with this book. I know it will give me plenty of ideas for years to come, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting lots of good poses to use in their art. It is the best book of poses I have found thus far. 90% of the poses are very usable, my only problem is trying to choose which one I want to try out next.
How to Paint Skin Tones
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • I like it, but
  • Always By My Side
  • Brilliant
  • Indispensable guide to a difficult subject
  • especially good for beginners
How to Paint Skin Tones
James Horton , and Hazel Harrison
Manufacturer: North Light Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
PortraitsPortraits | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0891346708

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars I like it, but.......2006-06-04

I like this book. It's not the greatest, but it's not bad. If you're starting out painting and need some basic guidance for general skin colors it's probably ok. Where it's lacking is in most anything beyond the basic color of skin. There's no discussion of skin color in shadow, in the halftones where the skin turns away from the light, or where the skin blends into the hairline. Little about the affect of light, surroundings, or location (cheek, chin, forehead, etc.) on skin color either. Those things make or break portraits and some (me) just can't seem to mix the right colors to go with the basic skin tone of the model. I wish that had been addressed in this book... that would make it worth 5 stars (and maybe what people are asking for it these days).

5 out of 5 stars Always By My Side.......2005-10-09

This book is always on my workbench. As stated by another reviwer, the "Suggested Tonal Charts" section has been invaluable, and has inspired me to experiment with colors not on the list. By step-by-step examples, and by showing works of various artists, you really get a sense of color technique. I also recommend this book to model figure painters; after studying this book, the skin tones on my figures have started to look more natural instead of having that "exaggerated theatrical make-up" look!

5 out of 5 stars Brilliant.......2004-03-11

This book is brilliant. Although it won't teach you how to paint, it will give you the greatest insight into how to mix colours for a near perfect image. Whether you are an amature or a professional, a book like this and at such a small cost is worth having on your shelf as an anytime reference.

5 out of 5 stars Indispensable guide to a difficult subject.......2003-12-20

I admit it: I bought this book for myself for a Christmas present, and it was well worth the price paid. Here is information I have never gotten in art school. Though it is probably entirely possible to learn to paint the face and figure by being presented with a model in a crowded and badly lit room, there has to be a better way, and I think this book is it. Through a clever system of charts using a palette of only 12 basic colors, author James Horton shows you how to create an infinite array of skin tones for people of pale, mid-tone and dark coloring. Specific modifications for pastellists are included, and though I'm just a beginner, I was amazed what I could do following his directions when I was only about a fourth of the way through the book. I recommend this very highly for all students, whether you're enrolled in an art course somewhere or just slugging it out on your own at home. I intend to finish every exercise in the book before I go back to art school at the end of January. Highly recommended!!!

5 out of 5 stars especially good for beginners.......2001-07-30

This book, with its charts of sample mixes and color tones in various media, is a great asset if you are just begining to paint portraits or people. It will give you a good basic understanding of color mixing for skin tones. ( no need to buy premixed colors! Be able to paint the nuance of people, not reduce everyone to the same "skin tones.") In addition, it discussed the effects of shadow and reflected color. Nice illustrations, photos and color charts.

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