From Booklist
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which opened in 1941, was founded by Andrew Mellon, whose collection of 121 old-master paintings provided the foundation for what has rapidly become a world-class museum with extensive holdings representing seven centuries of European and American art. To "present the high points of the collection," Hand has focused exclusively on paintings, selecting nearly 400 masterworks to create not only a sampling of the gallery's collection but also a pleasurable and illuminating history of Western painting. Hand proceeds chronologically, offering commentary on each painting, beginning with a thirteenth-century Byzantine icon and moving on to Ginevra de' Benci, the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Western Hemisphere, followed by paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Cezanne, and Barnett Newman. With its richly hued and finely detailed full-page reproductions and engaging text, this superb survey of the nation's art treasures makes the National Gallery accessible to everyone. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
The National Gallery of Art in our nation's capital houses one of the foremost collections of European and American painting in the world, covering more than seven centuries of art-from Byzantine to contemporary-and numbering more than 3,000 works. This sumptuous volume gathers together some of the greatest art in the world, nearly 400 masterworks of the collection, from Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci to Jackson Pollock's magisterial Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) .
The model for this volume is John Walker's National Gallery of Art, Washington (1984), hailed in its time as a landmark publication. The new book features stunning reproductions and enlightening commentary by John Hand for a new selection of works, including acquisitions of the past 20 years by artists such as Cézanne, Degas, Matisse, Newman, Rothko, and Van Gogh. Shown together with the masterpieces from the Gallery's core collections-by Botticelli, Corot, Giotto, Goya, Homer, Manet, Picasso, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Van Eyck, Vermeer, and many others-the entire group testifies to the growth and remarkable quality of the nation's art collection. AUTHOR BIO: John Oliver Hand is curator of northern Renaissance paintings at the National Gallery of Art. Earl A. Powell III is the director of the National Gallery of Art.
About the Author
John Oliver Hand is curator of northern Renaissance paintings at the National Gallery of Art. Earl A. Powell III is the director of the National Gallery of Art.
National Gallery of Art: Master Paintings from the Collection FROM THE PUBLISHER
The National Gallery of Art in our nation's capital houses one of the foremost collections of European and American painting in the world, covering more than seven centuries of art - from Byzantine to contemporary - and numbering more than three thousand works. This volume gathers together some of the greatest art in the collection, nearly four hundred masterworks ranging from Ginevra de' Benci, the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Western Hemisphere, to Jackson Pollock's magisterial Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist).
SYNOPSIS
This handsome volume presents high quality color plates of some of the paintings contained in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., including many recent acquisitions. Hand, curator of Northern Renaissance painting at the National Gallery, has written descriptive entries for a selection of the works included here. The volume is organized chronologically, from a Byzantine (or perhaps Italian) icon of the 13th century through a massive work made of lead by Anselm Kiefer from 1990, called Zim zim. In each section a group of works are included with a color plate and identifying caption, but without an accompanying descriptive entry. A short history of the National Gallery is included. The volume is oversize, at 9x12.5". Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
In our nation's capital, not very far from the politicians and the pollsters, the legislators and the lobbyists, stands an oasis of beauty, the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1941 as a gift from Andrew Mellon, the museum houses one of the finest collections of Western art, spanning seven centuries.) This book, featuring a fine sample of the Gallery's painting collection in 425 full-color illustrations, should serve as a model for other museum catalogs and for the many similar publications that appear every year. Taking a cue from John Walker's stellar National Gallery of Art, Washington (1984), the elegant volume provides superb reproductions along with scholarly essays discussing the high points in terms of current tastes and historical collecting. The wonderfully sumptuous robes of the Angel Gabriel in Jan Van Eyck's "Annunciation," the intensity of Titian's "Doge Andrea Gritti," the serenity of Cuyp's "Maas at Dordrecht," and the innocence of Fragonard's "Young Girl Reading" offer just a brief glimpse into the collection. Hand (curator, Northern Renaissance paintings), who is responsible for the essays accompanying the paintings, has chosen wisely and, along with his fellow curators, is to be praised for this major contribution to the literature. Highly recommended.-Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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