Richard Estes : Paintings and Prints

Library Journal

This is an intelligent, informative survey of one of America's leading photorealist painters. It includes a generous assortment of full-sized reproductions of Estes's portraits, street scenes, and cityscapes (mostly Manhattan, but also cities in Europe and Japan). Arthur covers the artist's themes and techniques and the influence of masters such as Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and Edward Hopper. He concludes that in the end Estes is ``a traditional painter, a resolute and highly determined image maker.'' The evolution of a studio painting ( Shinjuku ) is described in detail, and a catalogue raisonne of Estes's graphic work is included. The author has published several previous monographs on Estes, but this comprehensive study must be considered a ``best buy'' for large American art collections.-- Stephen Rees, Bucks Cty. Free Lib., Levittown, Pa.