DOI Heft:
Nr. 338 (July 1925)
DOI Artikel:A shelf of new art books
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19985#0313
inCGRHAClOnAL
A SHELF of NEW ART BOOKS
^r- ifnnrD kt ART begins with its summary and uninteresting introductory
THE MASTERS OF MODERN ART. By ^ tQ prehistoric art and the materiaIs and
Walter Pack. B. W. Huebsch, Inc., New York, processes of scuIpture. The chapters on Egyptian and
Price, §3.50. Mesopotamian sculpture show no traces of knowledge of
, .. 1 the many recent archeological discoveries in those lands
hus the work of the artist goes on according to tne ^ ^ reference work is mentioned of a later date than
days, according to the season, as e on sai . ^ perfectJy convent;ona] viewpoint and treat-
Nothing comes from nothing,' [e ni nil nilnlo Ji, ^ .g fo]Iowed through to the end of the baroque and
T:
another of his sayings ran; each painting or sculpture is ^^^^ ;entury. Only with the
both effect and cause. We divide off a certain period a ^ ^ Neoclassicism does something modernly ade-
call it modern so that we may, for the moment, stuoy ^ ^ & ^ summary rf scu,pture ;n
for itself; but these men whom we have been observing ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
can not really be detached from the past, and they with ^ foIIow;ng the Centennial Exhibition of 1876. The
it-have in their hands the making of the future. chapter, on Modern Sculpture, is quite the best in the
This concluding paragraph from Walter Pach s book ^ .f ^ ^ ^ fa primarH
the close and synthesis of a most remarkable study 01 art _ .
tne ciose anu synuieMs 01 due tQ tjie [imltations imposed on the size of the volume
since the beginning of the nineteenth century. I ne omy ... . . , .» • ,
since tne Beginning 01 uie1 j aBC| not lt is clear, on the authors sympathy with or
work comparable to it is Meier-Graefe s History oj J^rt „mTY,™ ,„;*!, ;iI„oi-^o
1 , .t r „_, „r understanding 01 it. In common with tne text the illustra-
tes present work has the advantage over the former 01 o
1 , , - ii, ,„i,;^h ;c tions are wholly conventional,
both brevity and the concentration on the epoch which is
most interesting today. Modern Art, also by Meier-Graefe,
is too involved a work for general consumption. With a j-RE CHURCHES OF ROME. By Roger
clarity which can only have come from exhaustive study, ^ £^ p ^ c York.
Mr. Pach has traced the development of varying art forms p • jf
from Barye and David to Matisse. Through all these forms I rice, i>f.
runs the continuous and unchanging thread of art; only WIN(. TO thc great ceremonies of the Catholic Church
the externals change, and these not as rapidly as one might / V Romg ^ & ^ rf ^ y^ ^ ^
think. ^ thousands of pilgrims who have journeyed thither to
Mr. Pach has written a close analysis of each of the ^ ^ ^ ^ as witnesses> the churches of the Eternal
painters of importance who worked within the time covered ^ h^ acquired a prominence in world interests in
by this book, relating them to both their precursors and ^ faf appeaj Th;s combmation of
successors. From these studies one gams a new apprecia- circumstances makes Roger Thynne's admirable guide to
tion of the several theories of modern art and their appli- ^ Rom.m churches of special importance and those who
cation; and one comes finally to conclude that, no matte. ^ for ;nformation about them ^ take com_
how vehement artists may have been in their support, it ^ satisfaction Qut of the text ,md the illustrations as far
,s the artist and not his theories who matters. Consciously ^ ^ ^ introduction fls tQ tRe orjgins of
or not Mr. Pach demonstrates that it is of prime importance ^ archhectura, forms of these churches ig particuIar]
that a painter be an artist; being an artist he will be sens- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ descript;ons of their most noteworth
live to the spirit of his time; being sensitive he will create FoIIowing this come individual chapters for thirty-
in that spirit. From his creation a theory may be evolved ^ cWhes indud;ng St peter,s> ^ the coIorfu, h[s_
?' the°ry 15 aKVayS reSUlt CaUSC t0ry °f £aCh iUld describinStheir "chitecture with a simple
WOr^ ° .,f ' . . , . . . r clarity easily understood by the layman student. In view
The illustrations present a brie pictorial summary 01 .
v 1 . . , . ■ 1 of this stress laid on the architecture of these churches and
the art of the last century and a quarter and, with the aid . t . . .
r,, „ ,, •> .„ H . r r . > the high price asked for a manual of this nature it is to be
of Mr. Pach s notes serve, as 1 lustrations oiten tail to do, „+t„,i »i ^ +i 1 r 1 i-j r 1 -h
r . , . ' „, , . ( „„ regretted that the publishers did not confine the illustra-
as confirmation to his argument. The combmation iorms . .■
5 ■ . f 01+ r>oTi „ffr,rd tIons to at Ieast 8ood photographs of the exterior and
a book which no student ol the history ol art can alloid .
J interior of each edifice.
to be without.
THE ART OF ARTHUR B. DAVIES. By Alan
A HISTORY OF SCULPTURE. By George Burrougbs. K Weyhe> m Lexington "Avenue,
Henry Chase and Chandler Rathfon Post. Har- ^rgw York. Price 50 cents
per & Brothers, New York.
~A /J"*- Burroughs' pamphlet first appeared in the
Cf'o the STUbENT of art in general or of sculpture in lyl Print Connoisseur and is naturally concerned only
/ particular who is sufficiently interested in these sub- with Davies' etchings, dry-points, aquatints, litho-
jects to keep abreast of the discoveries made by graphs and color prints. These Mr. Burroughs sees as a
archeological expeditions and of the literatures of art and "tremendously absorbing by-product," not the basis of
sculpture such a "history" as this work will be an irritating Davies' reputation, and yet wonderfully illuminating as to
disappointment. And this must be particularly so if such both man and artist. The author writes in a defensive
student knows, as he should, the first work of reference vein, not entirely flattering to Davies but certainly meant
mentioned in the text of the Messrs. Chase and Post, for the best. As a whole this is an interesting piece of
Reinach's History oj Art Throughout the Ages, the greatest analytical writing, augmented with ten well-chosen illus-
art book in one volume extant. The weakness of this text trations.
julv 1925
three
thirteen
A SHELF of NEW ART BOOKS
^r- ifnnrD kt ART begins with its summary and uninteresting introductory
THE MASTERS OF MODERN ART. By ^ tQ prehistoric art and the materiaIs and
Walter Pack. B. W. Huebsch, Inc., New York, processes of scuIpture. The chapters on Egyptian and
Price, §3.50. Mesopotamian sculpture show no traces of knowledge of
, .. 1 the many recent archeological discoveries in those lands
hus the work of the artist goes on according to tne ^ ^ reference work is mentioned of a later date than
days, according to the season, as e on sai . ^ perfectJy convent;ona] viewpoint and treat-
Nothing comes from nothing,' [e ni nil nilnlo Ji, ^ .g fo]Iowed through to the end of the baroque and
T:
another of his sayings ran; each painting or sculpture is ^^^^ ;entury. Only with the
both effect and cause. We divide off a certain period a ^ ^ Neoclassicism does something modernly ade-
call it modern so that we may, for the moment, stuoy ^ ^ & ^ summary rf scu,pture ;n
for itself; but these men whom we have been observing ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
can not really be detached from the past, and they with ^ foIIow;ng the Centennial Exhibition of 1876. The
it-have in their hands the making of the future. chapter, on Modern Sculpture, is quite the best in the
This concluding paragraph from Walter Pach s book ^ .f ^ ^ ^ fa primarH
the close and synthesis of a most remarkable study 01 art _ .
tne ciose anu synuieMs 01 due tQ tjie [imltations imposed on the size of the volume
since the beginning of the nineteenth century. I ne omy ... . . , .» • ,
since tne Beginning 01 uie1 j aBC| not lt is clear, on the authors sympathy with or
work comparable to it is Meier-Graefe s History oj J^rt „mTY,™ ,„;*!, ;iI„oi-^o
1 , .t r „_, „r understanding 01 it. In common with tne text the illustra-
tes present work has the advantage over the former 01 o
1 , , - ii, ,„i,;^h ;c tions are wholly conventional,
both brevity and the concentration on the epoch which is
most interesting today. Modern Art, also by Meier-Graefe,
is too involved a work for general consumption. With a j-RE CHURCHES OF ROME. By Roger
clarity which can only have come from exhaustive study, ^ £^ p ^ c York.
Mr. Pach has traced the development of varying art forms p • jf
from Barye and David to Matisse. Through all these forms I rice, i>f.
runs the continuous and unchanging thread of art; only WIN(. TO thc great ceremonies of the Catholic Church
the externals change, and these not as rapidly as one might / V Romg ^ & ^ rf ^ y^ ^ ^
think. ^ thousands of pilgrims who have journeyed thither to
Mr. Pach has written a close analysis of each of the ^ ^ ^ ^ as witnesses> the churches of the Eternal
painters of importance who worked within the time covered ^ h^ acquired a prominence in world interests in
by this book, relating them to both their precursors and ^ faf appeaj Th;s combmation of
successors. From these studies one gams a new apprecia- circumstances makes Roger Thynne's admirable guide to
tion of the several theories of modern art and their appli- ^ Rom.m churches of special importance and those who
cation; and one comes finally to conclude that, no matte. ^ for ;nformation about them ^ take com_
how vehement artists may have been in their support, it ^ satisfaction Qut of the text ,md the illustrations as far
,s the artist and not his theories who matters. Consciously ^ ^ ^ introduction fls tQ tRe orjgins of
or not Mr. Pach demonstrates that it is of prime importance ^ archhectura, forms of these churches ig particuIar]
that a painter be an artist; being an artist he will be sens- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ descript;ons of their most noteworth
live to the spirit of his time; being sensitive he will create FoIIowing this come individual chapters for thirty-
in that spirit. From his creation a theory may be evolved ^ cWhes indud;ng St peter,s> ^ the coIorfu, h[s_
?' the°ry 15 aKVayS reSUlt CaUSC t0ry °f £aCh iUld describinStheir "chitecture with a simple
WOr^ ° .,f ' . . , . . . r clarity easily understood by the layman student. In view
The illustrations present a brie pictorial summary 01 .
v 1 . . , . ■ 1 of this stress laid on the architecture of these churches and
the art of the last century and a quarter and, with the aid . t . . .
r,, „ ,, •> .„ H . r r . > the high price asked for a manual of this nature it is to be
of Mr. Pach s notes serve, as 1 lustrations oiten tail to do, „+t„,i »i ^ +i 1 r 1 i-j r 1 -h
r . , . ' „, , . ( „„ regretted that the publishers did not confine the illustra-
as confirmation to his argument. The combmation iorms . .■
5 ■ . f 01+ r>oTi „ffr,rd tIons to at Ieast 8ood photographs of the exterior and
a book which no student ol the history ol art can alloid .
J interior of each edifice.
to be without.
THE ART OF ARTHUR B. DAVIES. By Alan
A HISTORY OF SCULPTURE. By George Burrougbs. K Weyhe> m Lexington "Avenue,
Henry Chase and Chandler Rathfon Post. Har- ^rgw York. Price 50 cents
per & Brothers, New York.
~A /J"*- Burroughs' pamphlet first appeared in the
Cf'o the STUbENT of art in general or of sculpture in lyl Print Connoisseur and is naturally concerned only
/ particular who is sufficiently interested in these sub- with Davies' etchings, dry-points, aquatints, litho-
jects to keep abreast of the discoveries made by graphs and color prints. These Mr. Burroughs sees as a
archeological expeditions and of the literatures of art and "tremendously absorbing by-product," not the basis of
sculpture such a "history" as this work will be an irritating Davies' reputation, and yet wonderfully illuminating as to
disappointment. And this must be particularly so if such both man and artist. The author writes in a defensive
student knows, as he should, the first work of reference vein, not entirely flattering to Davies but certainly meant
mentioned in the text of the Messrs. Chase and Post, for the best. As a whole this is an interesting piece of
Reinach's History oj Art Throughout the Ages, the greatest analytical writing, augmented with ten well-chosen illus-
art book in one volume extant. The weakness of this text trations.
julv 1925
three
thirteen