As one of the leading critical voices on art of the postwar years, polymath Lawrence Gowing (1918-1991) combined a passion for close visual involvement with formidable literary skills. Edited by art historian Sarah Whitfield, four decades of Gowing's writing are brought together for the first time in this volume, covering subjects from the Old Masters to Francis Bacon and Howard Hodgkin. Having first gained success as a painter, Gowing's 1952 monograph on Vermeer brought him early recognition as a writer with the ability to combine aesthetic experience with a meticulous historical perspective. Gowing's foremost commitment was to the pioneering painters of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, notably Paul Cezanne and Henri Matisse. The exhibitions he curated at the Tate and Museum of Modern Art famously helped to mould and reshape public perceptions. Characterised by a desire to instruct and encourage, his writing reflects a highly successful career as a curator and teacher.

The essays in this wide-ranging, beautifully illustrated volume capture the theoretical range and scholarly rigor of recent criticism that has fundamentally transformed the study of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Readers are invited to consider the profound issues and penetrating questions that lie beneath this perennially popular body of work as the contributors examine the art world of late nineteenth-century France - including detailed looks at Monet, Manet, Pissarro, Degas, Cezanne, Morisot, Seurat, Van Gogh, and Gauguin. The authors offer fascinating new perspectives, placing the artworks from this period in wider social and historical contexts. They explore these painters' pictorial and market strategies, the critical reception and modern criteria the paintings engendered, and the movement's historic role in the formation of an avant-garde tradition. Their research reflects the wealth of new documents, critical approaches, and scholarly exhibitions that have fundamentally altered our understanding of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. These essays, several of which have previously been familiar only to scholars, provide instructive models of in-depth critical analysis and of the competing art historical methods that have crucially reshaped the field. Contributors of this title include: Carol Armstrong, T. J. Clark, Stephen F. Eisenman, Tamar Garb, Nicholas Green, Robert L. Herbert, John House, Mary Tompkins Lewis, Michel Melot, Linda Nochlin, Richard Shiff, Debora Silverman, Paul Tucker, and Martha Ward.

A Comprehensive Reference to Great Artists of the World From Finnish architect Alvar Aalto to Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbaran, the four-volume Biographical Encyclopedia of Artists provides concise profiles of the world's most important artists. Covering sculptors, architects, painters, video artists, and many other visual artists, this comprehensive reference details the lives and major works of prominent artists throughout history and around the world. Each entry offers basic biographical data on the artist, descriptive characteristics of the artist's creative output, significance of the work, career milestones, and locations where the artist's work is displayed. Profiles of those artists whose outstanding work is recognized as pivotal in the history of art receive extended, in-depth treatment. Further readings follow selected entries, and a glossary at the end of the fourth volume defines art-related terms. Accessible, Up-to-date, and Inclusive Biographies Organized in an A-to-Z format, Biographical Encyclopedia of Artists includes not only well-known artists, but also lesser-known individuals who in many cases are excluded from or glossed over in general surveys of art history. The profiles of artists who are not part of the canon of Western art give readers the opportunity to discover unfamiliar artists and develop a broader understanding of art history. Artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries are covered, as are women and artists from other groups who have traditionally been underrepresented in art books. The ideal companion to Facts On File Encyclopedia of Art (see right), this biographical encyclopedia makes information about artists easy to find and readily available. Beautifully Illustrated with Informative Captions Each highly illustrated volume contains photographs or reproductions on almost every page. The abundant illustrations, many in full color, are accompanied by informative captions. An up-to-date chronology of artists and a comprehensive set index add to this accessible reference. Further readings are included for topics where additional research may be particularly useful.