ALBRECHT DÜRER: PAINTINGS, PRINTS, DRAWINGS by Peter Strieder; Nancy M. Gordon;Walter L. StraussReview by: Walter S. GibsonArt Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, Vol. 2, No. 2(May 1983), pp. 84, 86Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27947123 .

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84 Art Documentation, May, 1983

movement. It also serves as an example of modern book design and is a rare treasure in any art library.

What Bohan makes clear is that the greatest achievement of the Soci?t? Anonyme is the critically acclaimed International Exhibition and its catalog. Under Dreier 's direction, the Soci?t? had sponsored exhibitions, published books and pamphlets and collected art for 20 years. The Soci?t? held its last exhibition in 1939 and donated its collection of over 800 books to Yale in 1941.

This book is a worthy addition to libraries seeking more informa tion on the introduction of European art to America. The Soci?t? will receive even greater documentation when Robert Herbert's catalogue raisonn? entitled "Soci?t? Anonyme and related collections at Yale" is published in 1984.

Deirdre E. Lawrence Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

JAPANESE CLOISONN? : HISTORY, TECHNIQUE, AND APPRECIATION / by Lawrence A. Coben and Dorothy C. Ferster.?New York : Tokyo : Weatherhill, 1982.?324 p. : ill.

(some col.).?ISBN 0-8348-0171-X ; LC 82-2568 : $65.00. Cloisonn?, the art of outlining colored glass enamels with fine

wire, was not widely produced in Japan until the early 17th century. The technique, highly developed in China by the 15th century, was brought to Japan through the often traveled cultural route, Korea.

Although cloisonn? decoration adorned sword guards, dagger hilts, and architectural hardware commissioned by high ranking samurai, the form languished as the Edo period of isolation and peace pro gressed. In 1838 interest in cloisonn? was reborn. Soon thereafter,

workshops of artisans sharing technical secrets and experimental pro cesses greatly expanded the aesthetic capabilities of the craft. When the ports of Japan were opened to foreigners in the mid-19th century cloisonn? became a most sought-after collector's object in Europe and America.

Japanese Cloisonn? is a well organized text that covers this histori cal view of the craft's origins; careful analysis of the 19th century rebirth of cloisson? is given, as well as a survey of critical writings in

Japanese and Western sources. Explanation of technique, methods of

distinguishing between Japanese and Chinese cloisonn?, primary and

secondary sources of use in dating, glossary of enamelists' marks and signatures, bibliography, and glossary of terms all offer practical information for collectors and dealers.

In the 20th century the art of cloisonn? was dismissed by both art historians and collectors as a craft adversely effected in the late 19th

century by Western commercial markets. After James Bowes' now

outdated Japanese Enamels (London : Bernard Quaritch, 1886), the next significant treatment in a Western language was Sir Harry Garner's Chinese and Japanese Cloisonn? Enamels (London : Faber and Faber, 1962). Garner, however, devoted only one chapter of ten to Japanese cloisonn?.

The authors, themselves avid collectors, sought in writing the book to establish cloisonn? in its ' 'rightful place in the history and criticism of art." At times one fears their love of the craft may cloud their

objectivity but this seems more a matter of first-person writing style than lack of careful, extensive research. Japanese Cloisonn? will be a handbook of the art of cloisonn? for collectors and dealers and may well cause art historians to reconsider its relationship to other

Japanese traditional arts. Although few major museums own large collections of Japanese cloisonn?, art libraries which include sections on Japanese decorative art in support of undergraduate or graduate study will undoubtedly need to add the book to their collections.

Nancy S. Allen Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

ALBRECHT D?RER : PAINTINGS, PRINTS, DRAWINGS / Peter Strieder ; translated by Nancy M. Gordon and Walter L. Strauss.?New York : Abaris, 1982.?400 p. : ill. (most col.).? ISBN 0-89835-042-5 ; LC 79-50679 : $85.00.

Among recent publications on Albrecht D?rer, none is more sump tuous than this oversize volume (more than 13 by 10 inches) with its 455 illustrations, many of them in color. The accompanying text is

chiefly by Peter Strieder with additional material by several col laborators. Formerly director of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Strieder has organized three major D?rer exhibitions

in the past twenty years and has published some studies on the artist. His thorough knowledge of his subject is evident in his contribution to the present book, consisting essentially of a series of essays. A survey of D?rer's life and writings is followed by chapters on his artistic and historical background. In subsequent sections Strieder examines vari ous aspects of his art: subjects and techniques, the human figure, influence of classical antiquity, his discovery of nature and the indi

vidual, and religious subjects. Strieder 's text is followed by a short study from Gisela Goldberg,

presenting the results of an examination of the so-called Four Apostles (Munich, Alte Pinakothek) with x-ray and infra-red photography. As

Goldberg's illustrations clearly show, the final compositions of both

panels conform fairly closely to their original designs. There is no evidence for the changes and additions which Erwin Panofsky as sumed that D?rer had made in the panel depicting Saints Paul and

Mark, and his account of the origin of the Four Apostles is no longer acceptable. Joseph Harnest discusses D?rer 's theories of perspective and, with the aid of numerous diagrams, D?rer 's application of

perspective in his own work. In a concluding chapter, Matthias Mende assembles excerpts from D?rer 's writings and from the litera ture on him, ranging from a statement of 1502 (Jacob Wimpheling) to a lecture given in 1965. An appendix contains a fairly extensive

bibliography, an iconographical register of the works illustrated, and an index.

Unlike the chronological presentation of material in Panofsky's classic The Life and Art of Albrecht D?rer (1st ed., Princeton: Prince ton University, 1943), or in the more recent monograph by Fedja Anzelewsky, D?rer: His Life and Art (New York: Alpine, 1980),. Strieder 's treatment of D?rer 's work according to basic subject categories is not conducive to a comprehensive view of his stylistic development. Indeed, Strieder 's discussion of style tends to be cur

sory and we learn little, for example, about the technical innovations and changing artistic vision which lay behind the evolution of D?rer 's

prints. On this and other stylistic matters, Panofsky's mono

graph remains unsurpassed. Strieder is best, perhaps, in his sections on D?rer 's background?the discussion of Nuremberg is particularly good?and on his artistic theories. Strieder also offers valuable in

sights on D?rer 's landscapes and other nature studies, as well as on his portraits. It is in these sections that his thematic treatment of D?rer 's art appears to best advantage.

Although Strieder incorporates the results of recent scholarship, it is often difficult to retrieve a complete reference for an author cited

only by name in the text or in the captions to the pictures. The reader must seek through several sections of the bibliography as well as in the iconographie register. On the credit side, however, the bibliog raphy in the iconographie register is very useful and includes refer ences to the D?rer exhibition held in Nuremberg in 1971 (among others), thereby supplying the sort of index unfortunately lacking in the original exhibition catalog.

The English translation of the original German text is generally clear and quite readable, although the term "spare out," employed several times on p. 336 will probably baffle the reader until he learns that the German expression is "aussparen," in this context meaning to leave an area blank in a painting, to be filled in at a later stage of execution. It may also be the translation which accounts for an am

biguous passage on p. 78, where it is not made clear just who was

responsible for the color blocks used in the later states of D?rer 's

woodcut Portrait of Emperor Maximilian of 1519. It is generally assumed, in fact, that D?rer never made color woodcuts of any kind, and that the color chiaroscuro impressions of the print in question were issued by other artists.

Regardless of these and other problems which might be mentioned, Strieder and his collaborators have produced a sound, dependable survey of D?rer 's art. A useful introduction for the beginner, it also contains new information for the more advanced student. The book

belongs in every library, all the more so because of its abundant illustrations?almost twice as much as in Anzelewksy's monograph.

Although the color illustrations vary in quality, as can be expected, their general level is good, and many of them occupy a full page. Several little-known works are shown in color including the Hercules

Killing the Stymphalian Birds of 1500 (Nuremberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum) and the Altarpiece of the Sorrows of the Virgin (Munich, Alte Pinakothek, and Dresden, Gem?ldegalerie), executed around 1496, probably with workshop assistance. Among the best

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86 Art Documentation, May, 1983

color plates, however, are those reproducing two drawings from the Green Passion and a number of water colors. To readers familiar with the latter works from black and white or poor color illustrations, D?rer 's handling of color, especially in his landscape studies, will come as a revelation. Opening our eyes to this often ignored aspect of D?rer 's art is not the least accomplishment of the present book.

WalterS. Gibson Case Western Reserve University

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED (Subject to Later Review) Generalia & Miscellanea NOTE: The price given on p. 219 of the December issue for The National Maritime Museum (Totowa : Sotheby Publications) is $12.50, not $39.50. At the correct

price, it is excellent value for money. Arcades : The History of a Building Type I Johann Friedrich Geist. ? Cambridge : MIT Press, 1982.?596 p. : ill.?ISBN 0-262-07082-0 ; LC 82-10014 ; $50.00.

Translation of the 3rd edition (1979) of Passagen: Ein Bautyp des 19. Jahrhun derts (Munich : Prestel); 1st edition, 1969.

Art on Nantucket : The History of Painting on Nantucket Island I By Robert A. diCurcio.?Nantucket (Box 1016, MA 02554) : Nantucket Historical Association, 1982.?269 p. : ill. (part col.).?ISBN 0-9607340-0-7 ; LC 81-83847 : $250 + $5 postage and handling.

Edition of 2000.

Artists' London I David Piper.?New York : Oxford University Press, 1982. ?160

p. : ill. (part col.).?ISBN 0-19-520392-5 ; LC 82-081324 : $19.95.

Chinese Ceramics from Chicago Collections I Betty Iverson Monroe. ? Evanston

(Northwestern University 60201) : Mary and Leigh Block Gallery, 1982. ?104 p. : ill. (part col.).?ISBN 0-941680-01-0 ; LC 82-18962 : $12.00 (pbk.) ; $25.00 (cl.) + $1.50 postage and handling.

87 pieces, all illustrated.

Conversations on the Dresden Gallery I Louis Aragon ; Jean Cocteau ;?translated from the French by Francis Scarfe.?New York : Holmes & Meier, 1983. ?166 p. : ill. (most col.).?ISBN 0-8419-0730-7 ; LC 81-6640 : $49.50.

Originally published as Entretiens sur le Mus?e de Dresde (Paris : Ed. Cercle d'Art, 1957).

Costume Through the Ages : The evolution of styles of dress illustrated in 250 plates and over 1500 figures.?New York : Rizzoli, 1982.?unpaged : chiefly col. ill.? ISBN 0-8478-0565-4 ; LC 82-60208 : $45.00.

Originally issued as separate sheets {M?nchener Bilderbogen) around 1850, issued as a volume in 1893 {Zur Geschichte der Costume, Munich : Braun & Schneider). Very nineteenth-century.

The Distant Mountains : Chinese Paintings of the Late Ming Dynasty, 1570-1644 I James Cahill.?New York ; Tokyo : Weatherhill, 1983.?302 p. : ill. (few col.).? (History of Later Chinese Painting ; 3).?ISBN 0-8348-0174-4 ; LC 82-6939 : $49.95. Weatherhill's new address is c/o Asia House, 56 Washington Square, Box 8008, Salem, MA 01971.

Encyclopedia of the Arts I edited by Dagobert D. Runes and Harry G. Schrickel. ?Detroit : Gale, 1982. ?1064 p.?ISBN 0-8103-4162-X ; LC 82-20932 : $68.00.

Sturdily bound unaltered reprint of the original 1946 edition (Arntzen E19) originally published at $13.00.

English Delftware in the Bristol Collection I Frank Bri tton.?London ; Totowa :

Sotheby Publications, 1982.?335 p. : ill. (few col.).?ISBN 0-85667-152-5 ; no LC: $100.00.

A lot of primary research here, although the photographs are rather small. Over 800 pieces are discussed and cataloged.

In Search of Modern Architecture : A Tribute to Henry-Russell Hitchcock I Edited by Helen Searing. ?Cambridge : MIT Press, 1983.?368 p. : ill.?(Architectural History Foundation/MIT Press Series ; 6).?ISBN 0-262-19209-8 ; LC 82-7828 :

$45.00. With a continuation of the bibliography, 1967-1981; festschrift.

Japanese Lacquer Art : Modern Masterpieces I edited by The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo ; translated by Richard L. Gage.

? New York ; Tokyo :

Weatherhill/Tankosha, 1982.?299 p. : col. ill.?ISBN 0-8348-1524-9 ; LC 82-2650: $150.00.

Originally published as Kindai Nihon no Shitsugei (Tankosha, 1981), and based on the exhibition catalog from the NMMA Crafts Gallery, November, 1979.

Respectful Rehabilitation : Answers to Your Questions About Old Buildings.? Washington : Preservation Press, 1982. ?185 p. : ill.?ISBN 0-89133-103-4 ; LC 82-15018: $9.95.

In question and answer format, with line drawings.

Romanesque Signs I Early Medieval Narrative and Iconography I Stephen G. Nichols, Jr.?New Haven : Yale University Press, 1983.?247 p. : ill.?ISBN 0-300-02833-4 ; LC 82-7028 : $23.50. Toronto Art and Artist's Guide I Linda Mollenhauer.?Toronto : Visual Arts On tario ; John Wiley [dist.J, 1982. ?136 p. : ill.?ISBN 0-920708-06-4 ; no LC : $C6.95.

Really a complete guide to the city, although aimed at the practicing artist new to town.

Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia I John Topham and others. ? London : Stacey International ; Washington : Textile Museum [dist.], 1981. 192 p. : col. ill.?ISBN 0-905743-30-X ; no LC : $45.00 -I- shipping & handling. The Visual Arts : A History I Hugh Honour ; John Fleming.?First Edition.?

Englewood Cliffs : Prentice-Hall, 1982.?639 p. : ill. (most col.).?ISBN 0-13-942359-1 (cl.) ; 942342-2 (pbk.) ; LC 83-5351 : $30.00 (cl.).

The title in England is A World History of Art (Macmillan). Visual Puns in Design I The Pun Used as a Communications Tool I Eli Kince.?New York : Watson-Guptill, 1983. ?168 p. : ill. (few col.).?ISBN 0-8230-7490-0 ; LC 82-16065: $23.95.

Somehow this should be more amusing than it is_For graphics folks.

Artist Monographs Canaletto I J. G. Links.?Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1982.?240 p. : ill.

(part col.).?ISBN 0-8014-1532-2 ; LC 82-70752 : $48.50.

Franz Anton Pilgrim {1699-1761) I D?l Voit.?Budapest : Akad?miai Kiad?, 1982.?472 p. : ill.?ISBN 963-05-2780-4 ; no LC : $39.50.

Thorough study of the Baroque Austrian architect, in German.

Hungarian Memories I Andr? Kert?sz.?Boston : Little, Brown, 1982. ?194 p. :

chiefly ill.?ISBN 0-8212-1508-6 ; LC 82-60888 : $55.00.

Jules Breton and the French Rural Tradition I by Hollister Sturges ; with contribu tions by Gabriel P. Weisberg, Annette Bourrut-Lacouture, and Madeleine Fidell Beaufort. ? Omaha : Joslyn Art Museum ; New York : The Arts Publisher, 1982. ?148 p. : ill. (few col.).?ISBN 0-936364-09-2 ; LC 82-17135 : $28.50.

Exhibition in Omaha, Memphis, and Williamston, 1982-1983.

Matthew Moss I The Man and the Artist I Sheila O'Maolmorda.?New York (Suite 426, 636 5th Ave., 10020) : Conservation Press, 1982.?60 p. : col. ill.?ISBN 0-943884-00-4 ; LC 82-72263 : $49.50. "It is a true Horatio Alger story of determination of a talented and impoverished

young artist who finally achieved fame in the international art world."?press release. Even this limited edition of 500 is widely over-priced artistic vanity. Absolutely to be avoided, unless your library is totally committed to contempo rary Irish art.

Michelangelo IA Psychoanalytic Study of his Life and Images I Robert S. Liebert, M.D. ?New Haven : Yale University Press, 1983.?447 p. : ill.?ISBN 0-300-02793-1 ; LC 82-7042 : $29.95.

The Painting and Teaching of Philip Pearlstein I By Jerome Viola. ? New York :

Watson-Guptill, 1983.?168 p. : ill. (most col.).?ISBN 0-8230-3862-9 ; LC 82-13401 : $29.95. Something here for everyone, art historian or studio artist.

Rembrandt: The Nightwatch I E. Haverkamp-Begemann. ? Princeton : Princeton

University Press, 1983. ?138 p. + 90 ill. (1 col.).?(Princeton Essays on the Arts ; 12).?ISBN 0-691-03991-7 (cl.) ; 00341-6 (pbk.) ; LC 81-47921 : $32.50 (cl.); $12.95 (pbk.).

Velazquez I Enriqueta Harris.?Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1982.?240 p. : ill. (part col.).?ISBN 0-8014-1526-8 ; LC 82-70748 : $48.50.

This content downloaded from 195.34.79.20 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 07:31:37 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions