Great Paintings of the Western World
Despite the grand title, this is a mindless compilation, subjective, as any would be, e.g., Thomas Hoving's Greatest Works of Art of Western Civilization (LJ 10/15/97). The three authors, who received advanced degrees in art hisotry from Columbia University or the Free University in Berlin, draw on the collections represented by Art Resource, a photo rights agency in New York, to present 300 fairly predictable "great" works. They don't actually limit themselves to paintings?ancient Roman mosaics and Greek vases and Renaissance frescoes are included?and the organization juxtaposes artists, nationalities, and schools of painting. The text is scant, uneven, and without thesis, and the images adequate. A big book, a short review: skip it.?Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Lib.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.