re-creating ancient Greek myth in art
Rating:
5 / 5
Gustav Klimt loved to draw women--men were just a prop, and rarely depicted in his work. He drew some of the most beautiful and dream-like pictures of women I have ever seen. Except for his society portraits, his women are always mythological, often nude, and sometimes very pretty. His painting style was very complex, colorful and elaborate, very decorative and intricate, full of symbolism and ancient mythical archetypes and motifs. Although a quiet man himself, Klimt's creative soul was very expressive. This book contains his best paintings, as well as a few surprises, like erotic drawings of women "playing with themselves."David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"
Good, but....
Rating:
3 / 5
Klimt's art, whether one is a fan or not, is seen everywhere. Rarely can one spend much time in a college dormitory before running into "The Kiss" or another poster of Klimt. This book itself is a nice collection of his various artworks over his career. However, the text leaves much to be desired. To the author's credit, he avoids taking at face value many of the risque rumors that surround Klimt's life. Instead, the author attempts to psychoanalyze him, and the "crisis of the male liberal ego." This seems quite a trick, as the author even admits that Klimt was rather reticient about talking about himself or leaving a paper trail of his life. As such, and especially by removing the rumors from the equation, the author seems to have blessed little to go on to try and delve into Klimt's mind. In this regard, I must agree with Barzun - this type of psychological history is questionable at best. If you do consider purchasing this work, do it for the artwork - don't bother yourself with the text.
great format, poor reproductions
Rating:
3 / 5
The format of this book is wonderful -- the pages unfold to become full 20x22" images. This is a perfect size for a poster or teaching aid -- IF the image quality weren't so poor! I wanted to like this book, really... but I've seen Klimt's work in person as well as in many other books, and the reproductions here are just so dull and grainy. Rich violets appear brown; the firey red hair in several pieces looks very subdued. "The Kiss", shown on the front cover, shows the couple with skin that is positively green. And the golds that Klimt is famous for, while I appreciate that they must be difficult to photograph, just do not come across. I would have gladly paid more for this book if the publishers could have reproduced it better. It is obvious they intended this to be a picture book -- there are literally only two pages of writing -- so it would make sense to give the best reproductions possible! Even using a glossy paper instead of the dull matte finish would have given a better presentation. If you are interested in truly appreciating Klimt and his work, I would recommend Taschen's posterbook for large, good quality reproductions. I also would recommend "Silver, Gold, and Precious Stones" from the Adventures in Art Series. This is geared toward a younger audience, but it beautifully laid out and presented, and actually uses a gold finish on the areas with gold leaf (nice touch!).
|