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1995
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95-1-095
This thematically-oriented introductory bibliography is exemplary. Selection criteria and ordering principles are clearly laid out and defined at the outset. The bibliography covers the years 1970-1988. It differs from other such works in that it is not arranged according to publication type, but rather to problems and issues in the field. Five main chapters address the focal points of women's studies in art history. An exhaustive list of institutions offering programs in women's studies contains details on their history, organization, and purpose. A short introduction appears at the beginning of each chapter that explains issues and terminology of the field for newcomers. The bibliographies following each chapter are unfortunately not annotated. The authors succeed in presenting a valuable contribution to twenty years of women's studies; it is meaningfully and thematically organized and offers a valuable point of departure for further studies in the field. [ak/sd]
95-1-096
The Niedersächsische Landesmuseum Hannover (State Museum of Niedersachsen) continues its series documenting their complete holdings (and those of the City Gallery) with this volume, some twelve years in the making and built on earlier catalogs dating from the 1950's. It includes works through the middle of the sixteenth century, complete with those of the Renaissance and copies of late Renaissance works. German and Dutch works are listed separately and chronologically; a minimum of technical information is given (details of the material used for painting, for example, are given only in the case of oil paintings). Due to the destruction of archival material by fire in 1943, the history of restoration is based only on more recent documentation. Although not an opulent volume, this catalog is well-organized and satisfies the research needs of scholars at a moderate price. [ak/sd]
95-1-097
The introduction to this volume makes clear that it is not conceived as an exhaustive catalog of the collection, but is rather a list of displayed works of "Masters of the 14th-18th centuries." The German section contains mainly Swabian Masters of the 14th-16th centuries, while the Dutch and Italian sections list works through the 18th century. The text tends to be avoid detail and contains few bibliographic references (often only a single title). All three authors seem to be aware of their scholarly deficits. Neither complete nor detailed enough to satisfy the needs of scholars, nor attractive enough to appeal to laymen, this work is a hybrid, a thick guide to the collection that leaves much to be desired. But in the absence of a complete catalog, it will have to do. [ak/sd]
95-1-098
As the second volume in a series started in 1972 to document the complete holdings of the Städel Art Institute in Frankfurt, this exhaustive catalog sets new standards. Not only an indispensable compendium to the field of Dutch painting, it takes full advantage of new technological methods of technical analysis which takes this work far beyond those conceived according to strict cataloging principles. This catalog takes the particular painting itself as the point of departure, then connects the picture to the questions of tradition, function, composition, style, etc. On the basis of technical advances and technological possibilities (infrared photography and use of x-rays, etc.), it is the stated (and successful) goal of this project to comprehend the artistic intent of the painter and trace this process through the stages of creation to its resulting material form. The catalog itself is arranged by artist and contains large-format black and white reproductions of the work with inventory numbers, physical details, provenance, and comprehensive technical information. Indeed, this catalog employs new descriptive criteria and reaches new heights of excellence; it proves that academic publications can exceed the needs of the intended audience and draw in (rather than exclude) a wide range of readers. [ak/sd]
95-1-100
This catalog is the product of the combined efforts of a team of fifteen art historians that began in a seminar at the University of Stuttgart. The result satisfies, the layout and presentation appeals, and the volume will prove useful to a wide readership. It includes a detailed introduction and history of the collection. The catalog is arranged according to schools and epochs. It begins with German painting of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and continues through the nineteenth century. Seventeenth-century Dutch painting is one of the strengths of the collection. The catalog is lavishly illustrated, primarily in color. The main text includes author's name (but excludes biographical information, perhaps diminishing the volume's otherwise general appeal) and works presented chronologically. Marginal notes provide technical details, provenance, exhibition information, etc. This optical division of information allows the reader to move through the work with ease. Finally, the catalog contains a concordance of inventory and catalog numbers. One surprising omission is the complete lack of indexes. [ak/sd]
95-1-101
Renate Trnek, associated with the Academy of Fine Arts since 1975 and its director since 1992, begins with an introduction to the collection and a history of its development into a world class institution. Efforts have been underway since 1983 to compile a critical catalog of the collection, and this volume containing 190 works constitutes the first volume of the series. While the work is conceived for specialists, the descriptions of the art works will also have appeal for art enthusiasts and collectors. The catalog is richly illustrated in both black and white and color and is arranged according to artist and includes name, dates, life, works, notes on signature, materials and condition, provenance, exhibitions, and secondary literature, accompanied by complete descriptions of the works. The volume contains appendices (lists of paintings in irreparable condition, copies, etc.) and comprehensive indexes. This catalog will prove essential for specialists, and at the same time be a compendium to seventeenth-century Dutch art for the more general reader. [ak/sd]
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Last update: July 31, 2000 [RD]
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