Pablo Picasso : The Sculptures

Library Journal

For those who believe that enough books have been published on the master, consider Picasso's claim that a book would have to be written every day in order to encompass his innovations completely. Two catalogues raisonn s and one "ultimate" overview highlight this season's bounty of Picasso monographs. In the comprehensive catalog of Picasso's lithographic oeuvre, prints are presented as an important part of Picasso explorations from the time of his first lithograph in 1919. In the book's main text, Erich Franz (In Quest of the Absolute, Peter Blum, 1996) offers a convincing if brief examination of Picasso's personal affinity for printmaking. Franz emphasizes the visual processes we experience when taking in an image, pointing out that a "fundamental difference between the print and the drawing is that the print exhibits greater pictorial homogeneity." Indeed, Picasso was interested in our ability to "tell that the image has been applied to the paper as a whole, in a single motion--as a print." The catalog portion gathers the artist's 855 lithographs for the first time, offering most in quite large, full-color reproductions on heavy paper. The book concludes with an interview with lithographer and Picasso collaborator Henri Deschamps. A fine addition to large and medium art collections. Labeled a "well-kept secret" by Spies--Picasso wasn't officially recognized as a sculptor until the first retrospective in 1966--Picasso's sculptural body of work, like his painterly innovations, remains extraordinarily influential. His use of everyday materials and even refuse, the importance of the figure, and his affinity for what was considered folk art are hallmarks of his long engagement with the form. To coincide with the 2000 exhibition at the Centre Pompidou, Spies revised the text of his 1971 book Picasso: Das Plastische Werk and combined it with an expanded version of the 1983 catalogue raisonn . The official 800-piece catalog is presented in small black-and-white images in the back of the book. But a wealth of large, fine color reproductions accompanies the analytical text, made up of nearly 60 essays examining topics ("Mask and Formal Variation") and individual pieces ("Seated Woman of 1902"). Spies's scholarship here is impeccable, drawing attention to the artist's highly experimental works. Essential for large art collections and recommended for medium art collections. The Ultimate Picasso aims to impress with its over 430 lavishly illustrated pages detailing the progress of his life and works. Picasso scholars Brigitte L al, Christine Piot, and Bernadac divide up his life in three sections. On the whole, the emphasis is squarely on painting, and even many major works are given but a small paragraph. The authors are striving for an accessible overview rather than detailed scholarship, and their comprehensiveness is impressive; readers of all levels will be rewarded. An enchanting photographic chronology of the artist's life, a detailed list of the 1185 illustrations, a rather dated bibliography, and a skimpy index round out the book. The goal of this volume appears to be to eliminate the need for shelves full of Picasso books, and small to medium general libraries in need of an up-to-date analysis will be satisfied with this offering. But even large general collections and art libraries will find this to be a useful addition.--Doug McClemont, New York Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.