Le 11.9.2003 6:23, « Brian Blankenship » <brian@bngraphics.com> a écrit : > I looking for a reference source preferably on-line (but books are ok to), > that talks about different forms of art (impressionism, realism, gothic, > etc.). And I'm having a very hard time finding anything, anyone have > anything i can use? Hi Brian, I can recommend one book which I read during last year : E.H. Gombrich, "The Story of Art" Phaidon press. It appeared first in 1950 and has known many reprints since containing many improvements : all chapters have been updated with the new findings, while a last new chapter deals with contemporary art. What I liked about this book is that it is very clear, gives lot of examples and that all the paintings discussed are shown in the book itself. It's not an academic dissertation book : one doesn't get bored reading it. It was my favorite reading last year. Another good book is alas in French : Nadeije Laneyrie-Dagen, "Lire la peinture dans l'intimité des oeuvres"(aka : "Reading paintings in the intimacy of works"), Paris, Larousse, 2002. It would well be worth an English translation. The third part of the book deals with styles. But what I like is that the book start with the paintings themselves and follow the path of a critic who has to comment on a picture and to replace it in the chain of art. -- Christiane
