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Alec Campbell's African Rock Art: Paintings And Engravings On Stone, superbly and profusely illustrated with more than two hundred examples of David Coulson's color photography, spectacularly and informatively showcases Africa's rock art with examples drawn from the entire continent. The text provides the reader with an authoritative and "reader friendly" historical and interpretative analysis. Alec Campbell draws upon his many years of experience as the founder and former director of the "National Museum of Botswana", and is a resident of the area. David Coulson is founder and chairman of the "Trust for African Rock Art" and combines his special expertise with skills as a photography to provide a visual record of outstanding works, many of which are now endangered by erosion, theft, and vandalism. African Rock Art is an impressive and much appreciated addition to personal, academic and community library African art history and cultural studies collections.

AFTER RAPHAEL, anyone trying to sort out what happened in art before, during and following his short life and successful career have had to look at the works that he designed and the many paintings that his workshop carried out and finished the way that he wanted them done: as my sculptress mother used to say, and my artist sister still says, the questions that were asked before him were there, along with his answers, in all his works; also, the questions that artists raised and answered after he was long gone were there too, along with his answers. His death in 1520, or that of Pope Leo X's a year later, ended the High Renaissance Classic style of centralized compositions putting the focus and the most important action in the same place, as in Leonardo da Vinci's "Battle of Anghiari" for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and unreal poses with lots of ornamentation, as in what Michelangelo did for the Sistine Chapel. What with influence and money falling into hands outside the Roman Catholic Church, the popes needed to draw on something that would pull Italy together and keep fighting weight as art definers and supporters against middle-class citizens, known as burghers, and wealthy families, such as the Medici. Pope Julius II had pulled out a common history under the Roman Empire: a classical art style based on ancient Roman relief sculpture became popular what with admiration for the "Apollo Belvedere" and the recently uncovered "Laocoon" marble statue, until then known from the praise passed down through history by the writings of Pliny the Elder; beautiful examples were Pinturicchio's pioneer trying the domus aurea style in Nero's palace colors, gilding and stuccoes out on the Bufalini Chapel at Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Raphael's painting of the Stanza della Segnatura private library, and leading ancient history painter Ripanda's stone-like monochrome relieflike paintings. Particularly the engravers had taken up a related relieflike style beautifully expressed in Polidoro da Caravaggio's now lost facade decorations all'antica, Michelangelo's "Battle of Cascina," and Raphael's "Battle of the Milvian Bridge" design. The Mannerist style knew almost no limits in ornamenting paintings filled with figures and tried to ape antique sculpture, as in Cardinal Ricci's chapel, where Francesco Salviati painted David as independent, merciful and unpretentious in the midst of all sorts of illusions, what with parts of the frescoes looking like they were really jutting out from the walls as part of the architecture, and of all sorts of ornamentation, such as framed paintings, garlands, scrolls, and vases; and as in the Altoviti family chapel altarpiece by Giorgio Vasari, who held true to style by having the flat light strike the foremost parts of the figures. Not surprisingly a Counter-Mannerist style showed up among younger artists influenced by Michelangelo's frescoes for the Pauline Chapel and his later Pietas, but without the painter-sculptor's view of clumsily and gracelessly sinful people in need of redemption and with the noble, sincerely devout figurings from Sebastiano del Piombo. What with Protestant criticism of image-making as breaking God's Commandments, a Counter-Reformation style slowed the pace of ornamentation in painting, and the Council of Trent came up with standards for sacred art, acceptable to the Roman Catholic Church, coming out against what was relieflike and unreal, and competitive with the Reformation. Mature Late Mannerists pulling out the stops on ornamentation included second rank artist Jacopino, with his Oratory of San Giovanni decollato trailblazing the first use of relieflike style in sacred art, and Taddeo Zuccaro. So author Marcia Hall has come up with a beautifully illustrated, carefully written and clearly organized book: I am unaware of books that add to her thorough work; her magnificent book leaves readers with a very personal reaction, in that we can choose whichever artist or style that we want to look into individually and separately, because she has left us better informed on them all

The "Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer" covers Dutch artists who worked in approximately the first two thirds of the 17th Century in the Netherlands. Although much of the text focuses on Rembrandt and Vermeer, the book briefly covers the Mannerists, Frans Hals, early landscape and genre painters, Rusidael, and Hobbema.

The book begins with works of Hendrick Avercamp ("A Winter Scene with Skater near a Castle" painted about 1609) and ends with Samuel Van Hoogstraten ("Les Pantoufles"). Pages 1-63 provide an overview and pages 241-275 provide short biographies, bibliographies and an index.

Pages 65-240 are printed on glossy paper and contain photographs of a representative sample of the Dutch artists working during the period. The paintings are mostly in black and white, however, colored photos are shown thoroughout the text. Rembrandt's "Jan Six" and "The Polish Rider" are in color, and reasonably captured. On the other hand, one of my favorites, "A View of Deventer" by Salomon Van Ruysdael from the National Gallery in London is shown in black and white. Sometimes a painting is in black and white, while a detail is shown in color. It's difficult to see much of the brushwork, but one can obtain an idea of the content, composition, lighting and shading, and other elements from these prints. Nothing beats the original, but the photographs do a reasonable job.

I refer to this book from time to time, and on occasion have used it extensively. For example, while reading Schama's "Rembrandt's Eyes" I used the book to gain additional information about some of the paintings he covers. For example, Schama covers Rembrandt's "The Feast of Belshazzar: The Writing in the Wall" for several pages. The photo in Schama's book is adequate for following his discussion, but Nash's book shows larger and more detailed photos (in color), as well as an enlarged detail of the two women at the king's right hand.

Robert Taylor: Air Combat Paintings Volume II is a dazzling spectacle of an artbook, filled with black-and-white as well as full color images of aerial combat paintings, especially those related to World War II air battles. An extensive, in-depth commentaries and history adds a special depth to the origin and moment captured in these heart-stopping works of art. Robert Taylor: Air Combat Paintings, Volume II is a recommended treasure trove of great air combat illustrations for aviation and military history buffs. Also highly recommended is the companion compilation, The Air Combat Paintings of Robert Taylor: Volume 1 (0715314300, £20.00).

If you have any interest in painting the sea or marine themes, you gotta have it. The ocean, the moon light and the incredible detail are fantasitic. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes looking at great marine art for pleasure or for getting ideas to paint from. Trying to imagine how this master painted what he did is amazing. I studied sea scape painting with a modern master, Loren Adams, on Maui and Loren claims this Russia as his greatest influence. Check out Lorens web site and you'll see the similarities. (Loren is the painter that most influenced the seascapes by current best seller Lassen.)

I have no idea about the text in this book, this review only applies to the color plates in this book.

Happy painting!

Alan Flattmann is THE New Orleans French Quarter artist. This incredible city has influenced countless artists, and for good reason -- many people say that this old neighborhood is more European than many European cities. The incredible scope of the work is impressive. There is a major painting (oil or pastel) on almost every page. Jazz bands, Mardi Gras revelers, historic store fronts, wrought iron railings, and beautiful architecture - it is all here.

lots of nice plates and informative text. a good book.

The writing in the book was sanctioned by the artist himself, and features extensive firsthand quotes. This is virtually essential toward approaching this artist's work. If you can find one of these, it's well worth it. The painting on the cover is now at the Hirshhorn in Washington. I recommend Jensen's work to all those unafraid of art that challenges you in all ways.

Alice Schille (1869-1955) is considered to have been one of America's premier female watercolorists whose still lifes, landscapes, gardens, market scenes, harbor views, mothers and children depictions are timeless in their appeal and creatively balance realism with sentiment. This compendium of 185 colorplates and 34 b/w illustrations is augmented with an informative commentary by William H. Gerdts (Professor Emeritus of Art History at the Graduate School of the City University of New York). Alice Shille is an important, core addition to any personal, academic, or community library American art history reference collection.

A rich representation of Latter Day Saint Artists. Having visited several of the areas portrayed, I am impressed with the debth and feeling exibited in the overall compilation. There are wimsical, historical, and literal portrayals of the Latter Day Saint culture. A Classic! I Highly recommend this book.