A Life of Picasso: 1907-17: Painter of Modern Life v. 2
A Life of Picasso: 1907-17: Painter of Modern Life v. 2 
Customer Review: A Fan Explains His Hero
Where does genius come from? What are the motives? What are the stars that guide? Picasso was arguably the most original and influential artist of the 20th century. In volume one of four planned volumes (three of which have been produced to date), John Richardson collaborates with Marilyn McCully to establish the detailed record of how Picasso developed as a man and an artist through the early Rose period. The book is made richer by Richardson’s friendship with the artist and his access to Picasso’s memories of key events. But he doesn’t slavishly accept Picasso’s version (except in damning Matisse as inferior to Picasso) but rather checks out the different versions and picks what seems to make the most sense. Picasso’s fanatic desire to succeed was fueled in part by his contempt for his father’s failed career as an artist and his father’s views that Picasso should follow in his footsteps. Picasso also needed to be treated as special, more than most of us. Groveling before exploitive dealers built a lifelong passion to be in charge. Picasso also knew that Paris was where he had to shine and suffered greatly to make his success there. His struggles will impress you. Where the book is unequaled in my experience is in tracking down the sources of Picasso’s images, gestures, styles, and innovations. The book is filled with black and white images from the works of other artists, Picasso’s notebooks, photographs of the scenes and subjects, and related works that Picasso did. From these, you get a better sense of Picasso as a synthesizer of styles and modes. In closely examining Picasso’s work from these years, it’s easy to develop superficial impressions of what sort of man did those paintings. For instance, the paintings of women show someone who feels compelled to alternately adore and dominate women . . . especially sexually. Learning later that he locked his mistress into the studio even on the hottest days when he left adds to that impression. The book provides other powerful insights of this sort by relating the heavy use of opium by Picasso and his circle of artist friends during the Blue period. A lot of the models seem stoned in those paintings. Could it be that they were? Picasso loved to paint the circus performers and one of his first mistresses was one. Could it be that those performers are really emotional self-portraits? The book isn’t clear on that point, but the possibility of the interpretation will occur to you. A few central mysteries are left undeveloped. Why did Picasso stick so long with styles that he later abandoned and which didn’t sell well when he was very poor? Picasso admitted to Richardson that the Blue and Rose periods had been mistakes. Why did Picasso slow down his production at times when he had contracts and shows upcoming? How did Picasso incorporate his love for poetry into his paintings? At times Richardson is over the top in his fawning. Here’s an example. Picasso is described as clearly one of the great poets of the 20th century, but Richardson doesn’t reveal any evidence . . . nor was Picasso doing any poetry writing at the time of this volume. I suspect that the fawning was the price of admission for his access which rewards us in other ways. Ultimately, the book’s main weakness is that the images are not in color. Fortunately, color is less important to Picasso’s work during this period than in later periods. Perhaps there will be another edition at some point that will bring the full dimensions of the work to bear at least for the masterpieces. Enjoy your immersion in Picasso’s chaotic world.
Impressions of Light: The French Landscape from Corot to Monet 
This large, lavish journey through the art of the 19th-century French landscape offers a host of masterful works, among them Corot’s Forest of Fontainbleau, Millet’s End of the Hamlet of Gruchy, Renoir’s Rocky Crags at L’Estaque, and Monet’s Rue de la Bavolle, Honfleur. As is often the case, however, some of the most wonderful things to see are also the least expected: rare and unusual monotypes by Degas, three states of a softground etching by Pissarro, and numerous works by some of their lesser-known but equally important contemporaries. Unlike previous books on the topic, Impressions of Light presents a unique and stunningly complete group of work that introduces a new level of complexity into the discussion of French landscapes. Rather than considering the landscape as a steady, linear development and the product of a single medium, it takes into account the many crosscurrents and intersecting developments in French art, from the Barbizon school through the post-Impressionist period. In addition, it studies the landscape in a variety of media–painting, prints, and photography–exploring both the individual artists’ perceptions and the ways in which they influenced each other. With over 80 paintings and 70 works on paper from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s collections, and published to accompany a major exhibition, Impressions of Light encompasses more than 100 years and 56 artists working in a dozen different media. It holds the broadest possible view, yet never loses sight of the extraordinary intricacy that makes the landscape so enduringly appealing.
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Customer Review: Come Visit Beautiful French Landscapes
The book Impressions of Light by George Shackleford et al is a companion book to an art exhibit of works from Boston’s Museum of Fine Art. The paintings are landscapes created by France’s greatest nineteenth century painters and photographers. Most of the painters are Impressionists but others schools are represented as well. The book also contains sketches which were part of the exhibit. The sketches, as well as the written commentary which accompanies many of them, allows the reader to better understand the creative process of the painters. The factual information in the book is very extensive and helps the readers see more in the works than normally meets the eye. Perhaps what is most interesting about this book and the collection of paintings and photographs included it is the plethora of lesser known works by these great artists. Readers, especially those who have been fortunate to view the exhibit, will be transported to the settings of these great works and gain a deeper appreciation of these great artists and photographers.
Customer Review: A spectaculrly beautifully, illustrated art history
Impressions Of Light: The French Landscape From Corot To Monet is a lavishly, richly, spectaculrly beautifully, illustrated art history showcasing one hundred years of French art and 56 French artists. Included area wealth of rare and unusual monotypes by Degas, three states of a softground etching by Pissarro, and numerous illustrative works by lesser-known by equally significant contemporaries. Of particular interest is the attention paid to intersecting developments in French art from the Barbizon school through post-Impressionism. Enhanced with more than 80 paintings and 70 works on paper drawn from the MFA collections, showcasing the French landscape through painting, prints, and photography, Impressions Of Light deftly explores individual artists’ perceptions as well as the manifold ways that influenced each other. Impressions Of Light will prove to be a welcome and much appreciated contribution to Art History collections in general, and 19th Century French landscape art and photography in particular.
In 1874 Monet and his colleagues decided to appeal directly to the public by organizing their own exhibition. The press derisively labeled them “Impressionists” because their work seemed sketchy and unfinished (like a first impression) and because one of Monet’s paintings at the exhibition bore the title Impression: Sunrise (1872, Mus?e Marmottan, Paris). Monet’s compositions from this time were extremely loosely structured, and the colour was applied in strong, distinct strokes as if no reworking of the pigment had been attempted. This technique was calculated to suggest that the artist had indeed captured a spontaneous impression of nature. During the 1870s and 1880s Monet gradually refined this technique, and he made many trips to scenic areas of France, especially the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, to study the most brilliant effects of light and colour possible.>
