Artists - Biography

Encyclopedia of Artists

Name: Encyclopedia of Artists
Author: William Vaughn
ISBN: 9780195215724

by William Vaughn

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Overview

A comprehensive, profusely illustrated guide to the world of art for young adults, this six-volume set is a fact-packed introduction to the masters and concepts of Western art. Featuring painters, sculptors, and printmakers from the Middle Ages through the present, the series has been produced through the exacting efforts of leading art historians and written in vivid, engrossing style that will be easily accessible to teenage readers.
The first five books in the set contain biographical entries on 222 artists in the familiar A-Z format. Each double-page entry follows a consistent pattern. Its centerpiece is a brief essay focusing on the distinguishing characteristics of the artist's life and work. The essay is supplemented with a quick-reference biography sidebar and a feature box on the artist's style. Each profile is illustrated in color with up to two color reproductions of the works that best define the artist's style and contributions to the art of the time. Cross-references to other artists and movements follow each entry. Every volume features a timeline spanning the major movements of Western art. The final volume collects entries on the major schools and movements in art—from Abstraction through Barbizon school and dada to Vorticism—as well as a series index and a glossary with suggestions for further reading.
Equally conducive to both serious research and browsing, this elegant set offers consistent visual treatment of the artists and multiple points of comparison. Young adult art aficionados will discover that an attractive page design coupled with lucid, energetic writing and exquisite scholarship hold the key to discovering the greatest talents in history and their artistic legacy.

About the Author, William Vaughn

William Vaughn, Consulting Editor, is Professor of the history of art at Birkbeck College, University of London.

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Editorials

VOYA

The first five volumes of this set alphabetically profile more than two hundred artists, covering western art from the Middle Ages to the present. Each artist is accorded a two-page spread consisting of three parts. The main introductory section details the artist's life and work, covering as much as can be expected in one to two pages. Each entry then provides a data file that lists the major facts about each artist: nationality, style, dates, key works with dates, things to look for in the art, comparable artists, and related glossary terms that can be looked up in the sixth volume. The last section is a feature box, describing a specific aspect of the artist's style while highlighting one or two particular works. Volume six consists of articles on art movements and styles mentioned in the other volumes. Both the articles and the accompanying glossary have scattered illustrations to enhance the text. This final volume is especially helpful while reading the artist entries because the relevant terms valuably are listed in the data file of each artist. The comparable artist listing is useful as well, but not all mentioned artists are profiled. For the most part, traditionally known names are included, with good overall coverage, but because of its size, some artists obviously must be omitted. Readers might perceive that a few names seem to have been chosen because an artist from a particular country was needed for geographic diversity. Sidney Nolan from Australia and Paula Rego from Portugal are two examples. A time line of art movements and styles in the front of each volume is an added bonus to visualize the overlap. This well-written set could be a useful tool for studentsneeding to do introductory art history research. Glossary. Index. Illus. Photos. Further Reading. 2000, Oxford University Press, 576p. in 6 vols. PLB Ages 12 to Adult. Reviewer: Jane Van Wiemokly SOURCE: VOYA, June 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 2)