- Paperback: 552 pages
- Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.; New edition edition (3 Nov 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0810991144
- ISBN-13: 978-0810991149
- Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 19.4 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 256,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
If you had to choose just one book about Pablo Picasso, the most protean artist of the 20th century, what would you look for? Copious, good-quality reproductions; an authoritative account of the way his approach to painting was influenced by his personality, the women in his life and his contemporaneousness with other notables; an in-depth treatment of key works--like Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (his self-proclaimed "first exorcism painting")--and recurrent themes, like the Minotaur. Then there's the question of tone. Some books cast Picasso as a demigod or a destroyer. Others, like art historian John Richardson's A Life of Picasso, offer a more responsible, psychologically penetrating portrait of the artist.
Hefty, elegant, and inclusive, The Ultimate Picasso hits most of these marks. It boasts more than 1,200 reproductions spanning the artist's entire career. Smoothly translated from the French, the it weaves biographical detail and discussions of the art into a concise narrative. Visual sources are all confidently accounted for. Yet the text does seem rather skimpy. The 16-page section on Guernica, for example, has barely two pages of actual discussion. The authors maintain their extremely tight focus on their artist, which is admirable. But in their concentration, they seem to compulsively refrain, perhaps by default, from acknowledging the external world as anything but resource or dalliance for their subject.
The authors' hyperbolic view of their subject--"Picasso did not paint nature, but the suffering of the men and women of his time, creating from it beauty and truth"--and the lack of any real psychological insight about, for instance, the continual hazard Picasso poses to the female form, may be considered a flaw. But in this old-fashioned portrait of the male artist as genius, so certain is it of the gulf between the common and the exalted, human flaw does not exist, unless it belongs to somebody else. --Cathy Curtis --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
Of all the books on the man many consider the greatest genius of twentieth-century art, this sumptuous work - now available as a compact, affordable paperback - stands out as truly the "ultimate" Picasso. Not only does it cover in one volume all the periods of Picasso's long, incredibly versatile career - with exquisite reproductions of nearly every significant work he ever created - but the scholarship is also impeccable: each of the three authors is a leading authority on a particular period of Picasso's artistic evolution. Brigitte Leal covers Picasso's formative years from 1881 through 1916, a period that includes his invention of Cubism with Georges Braque. Christine Piot explores the astonishingly fertile period from 1917 through 1952. Marie-Laure Bernadac discusses the unabashed vigor of Picasso's later years, from 1953 until his death in 1973. Over 1200 magnificent reproductions, 798 in full color, illustrate Picasso's breathtaking range of artistic expression, including paintings, drawings, lithographs, ceramics, and sculpture.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book stands out alone as a definitive reference dealing with Picasso's working life. The text is both authoritative and comprehensive,yet gripping, in its unfolding of the thinking and creative energy that was Picasso. The greatest jewel of this wonderful work surely lies in the superb quality of the photography and printing, faithfully reproducing colour form and detail of all his major works. This book is a "must have" for people who are interested in art, but perhaps more important, in getting an insight into one of the greatest influences in the development of visual expression,thinking and communication ever.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a book "that does exactly what it says on the tin". I particularly liked the format, which is compact and easy to handle.
This is an accessible book with clear text, copiously illustrated. It contains everything you would ever want to know about Picasso and his life and art. I would highly recommend "The Ultimate Picasso".
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
10 reviews
35 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Highly recommended for all Picasso enthusiasts!
4 Jan 2001
Format:Hardcover
Pablo Picasso's was one of the most innovative, experimental, prolific, influential, and controversial painters of the twentieth century. In The Ultimate Picasso, Brigitte Leal covers Picasso's formative years from 1881 through 1916 (including his invention of Cubism with Georges Braque). Christine Piot explores Picasso's productive period from 1917 through 1952. Marie-Laure Bernadac surveys the artistic vigor of Picasso's later years from 1953 until hi death in 1973. The Ultimate Picasso's informative, engaging text is profusely illustration with 1200 magnificent reproductions (720 in full color) document-ing Picasso's phenomenal range of artistic expression throughout his life. The Ultimate Picasso is an essential, core addition to any personal or academic art history collection, and is a very highly recommended "Memorial Fund" acquisition choice for community libraries.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
The ultimate Picasso artwork reference.
13 July 2006
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I took this book out of our university library to have on hand while reading Françoise Gilot's "Living with Picasso", in order to see representations of the artwork to which she refers throughout the book. "The Ultimate Picasso" proved invaluable. Not only does it contain Picasso's complete major works, they are also presented in chronological order which made look-up easy despite Gilot's often describing an artwork and the process used to create it but not always giving its title (she always gives dates). I ordered "The Ultimate Picasso" before the library due date because I couldn't bear to not have the book in my house!
The photos of the artwork are brilliant and crisp, and the accompanying text is informative.
You will not be disappointed by this book.
The photos of the artwork are brilliant and crisp, and the accompanying text is informative.
You will not be disappointed by this book.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Wonderful plates but a bit short on detail
30 April 2009
Format:Paperback
As an artist I have mixed feelings about this book. The number and quality of reproductions are wonderful - the book is well worth purchasing just for the visual references! For someone interested in Picasso's daily life and creative skills it was a bit disappointing. Each section was well written and very readable. However, the attempt to condense such a lengthy time span of artistic achievement resulted in many parts of the book following a sort of "travelogue" litany - in this year he lived in this city and created these pieces, the next summer he moved to another city and created these others, etc. I think that in their attempt to leave no work unmentioned the authors became mere cataloguers.
Since reading this book I've read the three volumes of John Richardson's "Life of Picasso". I'm glad I started with "The Ultimate Picasso" for two reasons - firstly, the number of color plates (the Richardson books are a bit scanty on pics, and most are in black and white), and secondly, the "Ultimate" served as a wonderful appetizer - without it I'm not sure my interest would have sustained me through the Richardson volumes. I would definitely recommend that anyone interested in Picasso purchase both the "Ultimate" and "Life" books. Between them they provide a fascinating look at the life and the art of this amazing artist!
Since reading this book I've read the three volumes of John Richardson's "Life of Picasso". I'm glad I started with "The Ultimate Picasso" for two reasons - firstly, the number of color plates (the Richardson books are a bit scanty on pics, and most are in black and white), and secondly, the "Ultimate" served as a wonderful appetizer - without it I'm not sure my interest would have sustained me through the Richardson volumes. I would definitely recommend that anyone interested in Picasso purchase both the "Ultimate" and "Life" books. Between them they provide a fascinating look at the life and the art of this amazing artist!
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