Corot

This was a great purchase. For a "used book" it came in almost perfect condition. The paper it is printed on is of high quality, very smooth and thick to last a long time. The illustrations are all color and high quality and the various essays on Corot are very informative and well-written. The chronology of Corot's life is fascinating. This book was worth every penny and for a person who loves a painter's painter like Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, this would make a great gift. There is a story of how Corot was presented with one of the many forgeries of his work produced when his paintings were in high demand late in his life. Corot would make a face because the painting was so obviously bad and take it for a few days to re-paint it to his satisfaction (now making it now a real Corot). This story is very telling about Corot in his later years - a man finally happy to have some success and eager to help others less fortunate.

"No man should become an artist who is not passionate about nature" Corot"There is only one master here-Corot. We are nothing compared to him, nothing" Claude Monet,1897"He is still the strongest, he anticipated everything...." Edgar Degas, 1883"Corot's figures aren't so well known as his landscapes, but it cannot be denied that he has done them. Besides Corot drew and modeled every tree trunk with the same devotion and love as if it were a figure" Vincent van Gogh 1881.Nowadays Corot's reputation is somewhat below the abovementioned masters. Examining some of his finest paintings as presented in a major retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum in 1996 should cause the observer to wonder why this is the case. His landscapes are wonderfully evocative and atmospheric and there are a number of very beautiful figure paintings. It is to be noted that Corot (1796-1875) was a prolific painter - some 3000 canvases. Many forgeries exist as well, as explained in an interesting essay on this subject. The curators of this exhibition have selected 163 of the best of his works.This book is somewhat of a collectors piece; hard backed copies generally fetch a substantial price. This fact is understandable given its magnificent printing standards, general presentation and rarity. I have the soft cover version which, though less desirable, is also a splendid addition to my library. If available at a reasonable price you should snap it up.

Beautiful, scholarly book, with plenty of color plates, historical information, photos, &c, &c. Corot's landscapes are really stunning, pre-Impressionist wonders. As an amateur painter, they are very inspirational!

Although labeled in "Good" condition, the book's pages are in constant danger of coming loose from the binding. The whole thing is quite fragile, so that the book can be opened only slightly, and the pages must be turned with the greatest care. Many pages are slightly curled, as if from dampness. The contents of the book -- the reproductions and accompanying texts -- are marvelous, which is why I give it 3 stars instead of 1. But I wish the description of the book's condition on Amazon's page had said "Mediocre" or "Delicate" or "Needs careful handling" (including by the packers and shippers), and perhaps that a few dollars had been accordingly taken off the price.

Beautiful

Great overview of this artist's work. Shows images not reproduced in other publications.

I was looking for a book with good reproductions of the best paintings by Corot, especially his later landscapes. In this respect I was disappointed with this exhibition catalogue, because it focuses too much on Corot's portraits and some less important works. Also, most of the reproductions are quite small scale. On the plus side, this book is packed with information: each painting is thoroughly presented with detailed background information.