René Huyghe (1906–1997)

This has got to be one of the most unexpected art books that I’ve ever read. Rather than taking the expected routes of illustrated biography or academic treatise (or some half-baked combination of the two meant to placate the nouveau riche art collector looking to seem “worldly”), author René Huyghe carves another path entirely. Maybe it’s the fact that his writing is presented to us in English as a translation, rather than the original French, but his writing is distinctly poetic show more and ethereal compared to the contents of other art books that I’ve read. Not that I’m complaining - frankly it’s a breath of fresh air to contemplate Van Gogh’s art alongside an author’s thoughts who are clearly their own, and not lightly understood by the reader. Instead of educating us, Huyghe leans towards an attempt at enlightenment, urging us to see Van Gogh in a new and individual light, even if it does come with the occasional quirked eyebrow and muttered confusion at his occasionally obtuse language. Blame that on the translation, and carry on into a world of the Provençal, the oblique, and possibly even the joyous, as we delve into the life and times of Van Gogh through his many artworks and sketches. Besides the author’s strangely engaging narration, I was impressed with the range of artwork included as well. While it may not always match up with the text, the meandering nature of the author’s thoughts subvert this expected norm, and give us the mental space to intake Van Gogh’s work in a more organic way. Scattering far more rough sketch work throughout, rather than focusing on the “finished” paintings, further emphasised the rawness of Van Gogh as an artist and gives us a more unique perspective than in other books. I fully expected this to be just another “okay” vintage art book, but it turned into a surprisingly deep philosophical exposé that I rather enjoyed getting into. show less

This is a magnificent collection of reproductions of art fitting the loose designation of “Impressionist.” It is “loose” in that it includes works “by the Impressionists, their precursors and followers, as well as figures more or less closely associated with their movement.” The text provides biographical information on the artists, and reviews the social, cultural, and political background to shed light on the origins and development of these works of art. An interesting show more appendix documents the prices received for some of these paintings.

Evaluation: I have spent hours perusing this coffee-table sized book enjoying the wonderful art within from my living room. The author says about Bonnard, “the visible world becomes a haze of warm, fruity colors saturated with sunshine.” Indeed, this characterizes much of the work, and much of my time spent admiring its pictures. show less

A Kim family original classic. These images are iconography to me, from childhood poring through these pages.

Covers pre-historic to late antiquity. 448 pages, 416 pages of b/w illustrations, 32 pages in color