American Dreams

American Dreams
Author: Williams College. Museum of Art
Publisher: Hudson Hills
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2001
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9781555952105

Williams College, in Williamstown, MA, has collected art since the mid-19th century. In this chronological journey through American art in all media, each of 56 highlighted objects from the museum receives a mini-essay of several hundred words, signed by contributors who frequently are the acknowledged experts on particular artists or works. A full factual entry on each work appears at the back of the book, preceded by extremely brief summaries of the acquisitions histories of the overall collection's painting, drawing, sculpture, Williams portraits, prints, photographs, posters, and decorative arts. College alumni donated many items, including collections on Rube Goldberg, Thomas Nast, and the Prendergasts. This is not the definitive book on American art, but it is an excellent survey with many interesting objects not commonly reproduced. For art history collections. 64 colour & 65 b/w illustrations

Grant Wood

Grant Wood
Author: Barbara Haskell
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2018-01-01
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0300232845

The social and political climate in which Wood's art flourished bears certain striking similarities to America today, as national identity and the tension between urban and rural areas reemerge as polarizing issues in a country facing the consequences of globalization and the technological revolution. Wood portrayed the tension and alienation of contemporary experience. By fusing meticulously observed reality with fables of childhood, he crafted unsettling images of estrangement and apprehension that pictorially manifest the anxiety of modern life.

Art Books

Art Books
Author: Wolfgang M. Freitag
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 572
Release: 1997
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9780824033262

Expanded to twice as many entries as the 1985 edition, and updated with new publications, new editions of previous entries, titles missed the first time around, more of the artists' own writings, and monographs that deal with significant aspects or portions of an artist's work though not all of it. The listing is alphabetical by artist, and the index by author. The works cited include analytical and critical, biographical, and enumerative; their formats range from books and catalogues raisonnes to exhibition and auction sale catalogues. A selection of biographical dictionaries containing information on artists is arranged by country. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

American Realism

American Realism
Author: Gerry Souter
Publisher: Parkstone International
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2012-05-08
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1780429924

Urban realism, snow-covered streets of New York, boxing matches, children on the banks of a river, the painters of the Ash Can School preferred realistic images. Their paintings are a true hymn to noise and sensations. This unconventional movement enabled the birth of a true national artistic identity which broke free from the establishment. The Ash Can School resolutely promoted the affirmation of the modernist current of American art. Edward Hopper, who was a student of Robert Henri, embraced the principles of this movement and brought them to another level.