Camille Pissarro [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

The number, size, and quality of color reproductions justifies the physical weight of this book. Joachim Pissarro's commentary interests and informs the reader without making the volume unduly heavy intellectually. I found that the basic chronological organzation with some thematic digressions provided a good vantage point for understanding Pissarro's work.

AS ONE REVIEWER, STILL POSTED AT THIS TIME, WARNS: THE PAPERBOUND EDITION OFFERED BY AMAZON AND OTHER BOOKSELLERS AS AN ALTERNATIVE CHOICE TO THE HARDBOUND EDITION, IS 24 PAGES IN LENGTH. Used copies of the monograph are available but at at a price which is usually well above that for which it was obtainable when published.
Joachim Pissarro, grandson of the artist, is a highly regarded art historian and curator who has been associated with some of the most distinguished museum exhibitions of recent years. This study, one of several he has authored or co-authored on this oldest of the major Impressionists is, simply, beautiful. Abrams publishers, still at that time in the original hands, outdid its customary high standards in putting out a book which is, as a physical entity, gratifying to own. Printing, illustrations and editing are first rate. The author's text is notable for its precision of speech and thought, its analytical acuteness and, importantly for the lay reader, extremely accessible in style. There are some technicalities in discussions of individual pictures, but the ideas are not arcane and the language is straightforward and totally lacking in the speech patterns which characterize professional to professional communications. It is a joy to read for those of us who have not had the benefit of graduate degrees from Yale Fine Arts or other training grounds for art historians.
The major intellectual thrust, as opposed to some other excellent, more recent publications, is that Pissarro's art is to be understood as a reflection of a mind striving objectively to create images which are honest reflections of reality as filtered through the sensibilities of the individual artist and laid down on canvas, paper, or other material, with the most sophisticated techniques which the artist can master. It is not intended as a reflection of the artist's anarchism, story-telling abilities, need to satisfy an audience, desire to win status among fellow-artists, make people feel good, sad, pitying, or, in sum, feel anything but in the presence of a master of the painters, etchers or lithographers skill, and a product which is a good picture, an artist's picture.
Joachim Pissarro does give us a selective biography of the Artists life as well his work. He manages, though without the emphasis that others have, to give us some feeling for the reasons why, as a person, he was so respected. Upright, supportive, absolutely dedicated to the craft of art and to achievement of the good life for all, he was, surely, a great teacher, without being an Academic, and a wise counselor, without demanding any dependency from his students, including his children.
If the price of the book is beyond the reader's means, I strongly recommend reading it where you can find it. Should you find a copy within your means, it will be a worthwhile resident on any bookshelf, whatever may be the quality of the other works thereon.

Highyly reccomend it. It is an amazing portrayal of the arist life and provides a complete account of Camille's various artisit treasures. Preceding this book, there was not much info on Camille that could be commonly found in bookstores. Upon reading the book, i found it unlocked a completely new door to camilles work. Litereary gold, it has so much more than pictures in it. Filed under complete keys you oughtto understand about camille. An unforgettalievable treasure.