To Hell with Picasso and Other Essays: Selected Pieces from the “Spectator”
To Hell with Picasso and Other Essays: Selected Pieces from the “Spectator”
Customer Review: Courageous Opinions
In these short, easily digested essays, Paul Johnson says what academics and intellectuals dare not say, even if some of them secretly share these opinions - for example, that modern art is a sham; that many of the pre-Impressionist painters captured the qualilty of light better than the Impressionists did; that for excellent but reasonably-priced champaign you must buy Italian, not French; that the Mitterand regime was an elite coterie that cared nothing for the common people; that (in his wonderful words) “the great non-event of the 20th century was the Death of God.” Each essay is a gem. I hope Paul Johnson (who is now about 70) continues to write until he is 100.
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Customer Review: Touching story of art and how Picasso helped a little girl
I read this on my honeymoon when I found it in a little shop at the shop in the Picasso museum in Barcelona. Its fantastic - a very touching story of how Picasso made a little girl feel special and helped her to grow up. At the same time, it explores Picassos art and explains how his work developed over time, from his Blue period to Abstractism. A great way to introduce children to the world of art and ideas - and part of a great series by Laurence Anholt. Thoroughly enjoyable for adults and children.
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Picasso (25 Spring) Customer Review: Excellent value
The two volume book is arranged in seventeen chapters concluding with a considerable Chronology illustrated with numerous black and white pictures, mostly photographs with many of the artist, Notes, a Bibliography which includes exhibition catalogues, and a rather brief (one page) Index of Names.
The opening Chapter reminds us of the stature of the man, and of his prodigious output; briefly summarising his career. The subsequent Chapters chronicle Picasso’s progress starting with his childhood efforts, through the Blue and Rose Periods, Cubism, “Guernica” to mention just a few and concluding with “The Legend of the Artist”. It is intelligently written, accessible and makes very interesting reading. The illustrations run with the text and are usually within a page or two of the relevant reference.
Produced in two paperback volumes in a cardboard slipcase Taschen’s 25 anniversary edition is an impressive effort. It is superbly illustrated throughout with approaching 1,500 images mainly in colour but with a few back and white (usually drawings or photographs). The smallest pictures are just thumbnails, the largest full page and the occasional double page spread, with every size between; but there are plenty of good sized pictures with whole sections of colour plates, it certainly makes an impressive array. Overall the pictures far outweigh the text.
At such good value for money it is hard to be critical of this two volume set, but I fear I have two concerns. Firstly the Index seems wholly inadequate, an Index of Names which amounts to one page; finding a particular painting or anything else might prove difficult. Secondly, while the two volumes come protected in a slipcase, the card covers to the individual volumes feel very slight; with each approaching 400 pages one feels one has to handle them with great care for fear of damaging the binding. It is however a very worthwhile set, one would be hard pressed to find so many reproductions of Picasso’s work elsewhere for the money,
and would not hesitate to recommend it.
