Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 6^-12. These two handsome volumes are part of the Masters of Art series, which also includes Francesca Romei's Leonardo da Vinci (1995). The extra-large pages are packed with small, full-color, high-quality reproductions and with lots of information about the pictures and the connections between them. Of course, the pages are cluttered, but they do a good job of introducing the artists, their times, and their techniques, materials, and working methods. Browsers can go from here to an art museum or to more focused art books with large pictures. --Hazel Rochman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7An engaging and intelligent treatment of a seemingly overwhelming subject to tackle in so brief a book. It covers 30 topics relevant to the era, such as individual artists (Masaccio and Titian), towns (Milan and Rome), and techniques (oil painting and wood sculpture). Most of them are discussed on double-page spreads, while others are given only one page of coverage. Despite the brevity of each entry, a surprising amount of solid information is conveyed. A typical entry consists of an introductory paragraph; a large illustration; and three-to-eight smaller illustrations, photographs, and full-color reproductions (along with accompanying captions). For example, the entry on wood sculpture features a paragraph about this art form's leading practitioners and showcases an altarpiece created by Veit Stoss. It includes a picture of the piece under construction, several explanatory captions, plus smaller drawings that illustrate the carving process step-by-step, a photograph of the Bamberg altar, and a short biography of Veit Stoss. With its attractive layout, this title does a fine job of introducing young readers to this period in art history, but the information covered only scratches the surface. Therefore, it is best used as an elementary overview rather than as a definitive source for reports.Melissa Hudak, Northern Illinois Medical Center, McHenry, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
These oversized volumes place their subjects in historical, social, cultural, and stylistic context. Each double-page spread addresses one aspect in a short paragraph, sidebars, captions for the many color reproductions, and usually an original, central illustration. 'Renaissance', organized chronologically and geographically, is easier to read than 'Chagall', which focuses mainly on cities he lived in and cultural developments of his time. Ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
