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Joni L. Kinsey is associate professor of art history at the University of Iowa.

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untraveller | 1 weitere Rezension | Apr 11, 2016 |
A book very much about the Grand Canyon and the art it has inspired from the 1850s to the end of the twentieth century. While predominantly paintings, oils and watercolours, there are also a few photographs and some etchings and drawings. Following the Foreword and Introduction, the book is divided into eight sections which include several discussions of the artists, the effect of the railway and other excursions, and contemporary views. There are also scattered throughout the book interesting short historical quotations from various sources. However the text is fairly minimal in relation to the number or power of the illustrations. The book also provides a selected bibliography.

There are about sixty artists represented by their work, some by just one painting, others by as many as many as six or more. Included in the latter group are Louis Akin, Thomas Moran and Gunnar M Winfross. The text discusses the art and artists often in comparison and always very much in association with the Grand Canyon and the reciprocal effects.

It is a very attractive and due to the paintings an extremely colourful book, illustrated throughout in full colour (apart from the obvious black and white photographs). Most of the pictures are reproduced large to full page and several occupy up to two pages. The wide landscape format of the book is well suited to the many panoramic views (the book measures 9.75" x 11.5"). The quality of reproduction is excellent with the texture of paint and brushwork often clearly evident. On account of the well in excess of 100 illustrations to which the adjectives dramatic, sublime, ethereal can be freely applied, this is without doubt a most imposing book.
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presto | 1 weitere Rezension | Apr 24, 2012 |
Joni Kinsey, author and assistant professor of art history at the University of Iowa, writes about the prairies of North America and the art they have inspired. She looks at the natural landscape and the attempts to tame it through agriculture and urban development, at the struggles of the pioneer settlers, the set backs and disasters and their causes. The account is illustrated throughout with both paintings and period photographs. The book includes extensive notes, a bibliography and index.

This is an extensive, thoroughly researched and well written account which makes fascinating reading. It is well illustrated with 120 images, of which about 40 are monochromes, the rest in colour. The monochromes are mostly period photographs but include a few engravings and lithographs, of which some of the latter are originally in colour. Many of the plates are full page, although not always taking full advantage of the page size, but a fair number are reproduced relatively small.

While this is a well produced publication, I fell it does not live up to the book jackets description "bountifully illustrated". I am a little disappointed with the reproductions, they do not make any real impact; it is not that there is any fault with the original pictures, there are some stunning images here, but with just 80 colour plates spread over nearly 240 pages, and with only a few actually attaining anything like full page, they are overwhelmed by the generously line spaced text and the amount of white page. If there were an art book requiring exceptional care in its design and layout then a book with its subject The Prairies is surely it; with, by nature, the consistently flat landscape and generally muted colours something more is required to display the work to advantage. The overall impression here is little more than an illustrated text book; good, but could be a great deal better.
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presto | Apr 24, 2012 |

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Werke
4
Auch von
1
Mitglieder
95
Beliebtheit
#197,646
Bewertung
3.8
Rezensionen
3
ISBNs
6

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