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Mesozoic Art II: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals in Art
256 pages, Hardcover
Published September 23, 2025
About the author
Steve White
189 books14 followersLibrarian note:
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There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 2, 2025
This was one of the books that caught my eye when I was on a Bob Nicholls kick. I haven't read/seen the first book, although I plan to.
This book features full-color artwork from 25 paleoartists. The full list: Andrey Atuchin, Rebecca Dart, Simone Zoccante, Brian Engh, Natalia Jagielska, Min Tayza, Bill Unzen, Beth Zaiken, Frederic Wierum, Simone Giovanardi, Curtis Lanaghan, Edyta Felcyn-Kowalska, Anthony J. Hutchings, Haider Jaffri, Lewis Larosa, Gaëlle Seguillon, Henry Sharpe, DJ Washington, Rudolf Hima, Stieven Van der Poorten, Ramón M. González, Maija Karala, Ashley Patch, Mattia Yuri Messina, and Bob Nicholls.
Each artist had a brief bio and then several pages of artwork, some of it full-page and some of it smaller, but all generally large enough to see everything well (there were only one or two pieces that I recall wishing were larger). Each piece included a caption that identified the species of animals and plants depicted, along with a little relevant info from recent research (aspects that the artist depicted particularly well, research that supports the artistic decisions made, etc.).
This was an awkward book to hold, but the large size meant that the artwork got a lot of room to shine. Much of it was intended to be realistic (sometimes to the point where it felt like you could reach out and touch feathers and scaly skin), although there were a few more stylized pieces. All in all, this was really enjoyable to look through.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
This book features full-color artwork from 25 paleoartists. The full list: Andrey Atuchin, Rebecca Dart, Simone Zoccante, Brian Engh, Natalia Jagielska, Min Tayza, Bill Unzen, Beth Zaiken, Frederic Wierum, Simone Giovanardi, Curtis Lanaghan, Edyta Felcyn-Kowalska, Anthony J. Hutchings, Haider Jaffri, Lewis Larosa, Gaëlle Seguillon, Henry Sharpe, DJ Washington, Rudolf Hima, Stieven Van der Poorten, Ramón M. González, Maija Karala, Ashley Patch, Mattia Yuri Messina, and Bob Nicholls.
Each artist had a brief bio and then several pages of artwork, some of it full-page and some of it smaller, but all generally large enough to see everything well (there were only one or two pieces that I recall wishing were larger). Each piece included a caption that identified the species of animals and plants depicted, along with a little relevant info from recent research (aspects that the artist depicted particularly well, research that supports the artistic decisions made, etc.).
This was an awkward book to hold, but the large size meant that the artwork got a lot of room to shine. Much of it was intended to be realistic (sometimes to the point where it felt like you could reach out and touch feathers and scaly skin), although there were a few more stylized pieces. All in all, this was really enjoyable to look through.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
March 11, 2026
This is jam-packed with magnificent artwork, accompanied by a short description of the animals, era, and plants being depicted in each piece. 25 artists are featured, with a variety of backgrounds (nationality, gender) and artistic style. I love the diverse subject matter and perspectives taken. There are individual portraits as well as sweeping vistas. It's great that not just work commissioned by museums are included, but also those not previously published, or intended for books, scientific journals, and even comics. Dinosaurs, ancient reptiles, pterosaurs, mosasaurs, and plesiosaurs abound!
This is for EVERY paleontology fan. Definitely one to buy a hardcover copy of. It was the best thing I received this past Christmas, certainly! I haven't read MESOZOIC ART that came out a couple years before this, but I want to check that out now, and I want a part III one someday too.
I am baffled that Goodreads failed to include a title description, so here's what the jacket cover says:
"The Mesozoic Era has long been known as the muse of many paleoartists--those creators who focus on the depiction and reconstruction of the prehistoric world.
"Our knowledge of how dinosaurs and other extinct species looked is continuously evolving with each new paleontological discovery, as is the discipline of bringing these prehistoric worlds to light artistically. Using fossilised material and the latest scientific knowledge, paleoartists put flesh on the bones of long-extinct species and bring the Mesozoic to life in fresh, breathtaking detail.
"Following on from the hugely popular MESOZOIC ART, this magnificent volume showcases twenty-five leading paleoartists who present life in the primordial past through a broad diversity of artistic styles and techniques, from traditional graphite pencils to cutting-edge digital art. Each portfolio features captions by the highly regarded paleontologist and writer Darren Naish and artist Steve White.
"The artwork featured offers so much more than images of dinosaurs: it also showcases the world they lived in, the other animals and plants that would have been a part of the species' ecosystem, and their place in the history of life on this planet."
This is for EVERY paleontology fan. Definitely one to buy a hardcover copy of. It was the best thing I received this past Christmas, certainly! I haven't read MESOZOIC ART that came out a couple years before this, but I want to check that out now, and I want a part III one someday too.
I am baffled that Goodreads failed to include a title description, so here's what the jacket cover says:
"The Mesozoic Era has long been known as the muse of many paleoartists--those creators who focus on the depiction and reconstruction of the prehistoric world.
"Our knowledge of how dinosaurs and other extinct species looked is continuously evolving with each new paleontological discovery, as is the discipline of bringing these prehistoric worlds to light artistically. Using fossilised material and the latest scientific knowledge, paleoartists put flesh on the bones of long-extinct species and bring the Mesozoic to life in fresh, breathtaking detail.
"Following on from the hugely popular MESOZOIC ART, this magnificent volume showcases twenty-five leading paleoartists who present life in the primordial past through a broad diversity of artistic styles and techniques, from traditional graphite pencils to cutting-edge digital art. Each portfolio features captions by the highly regarded paleontologist and writer Darren Naish and artist Steve White.
"The artwork featured offers so much more than images of dinosaurs: it also showcases the world they lived in, the other animals and plants that would have been a part of the species' ecosystem, and their place in the history of life on this planet."
September 24, 2025
A mouth-watering and remarkably diverse collection of the very best of current palaeoart, Mesozoic Art II takes all the winning qualities of the first volume to give us, yes please, *more* of the same. Read the full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2025...
November 24, 2025
Al igual que el volumen anterior, es una pieza imprescindible para cualquier amante del paleoarte. Es lógico que al ser una compilación de diferentes artistas el nivel sea variado y no todos te lleguen igual, pero se agradece ver tanta variedad de estilos, y desde luego es una gozada poder recrearte con muchas de estas ilustraciones en enormes páginas a todo color.
October 24, 2025
Ещё одна книга Уайта и Нэйша, фиксирующая состояние современного палеоарта.
Плюсы те же, что и у предыдущего тома: офигенно напечатанные офигенные картины офигенных художников.
Минус тот же: лично мне слегка не хватило глубины.
Плюсы те же, что и у предыдущего тома: офигенно напечатанные офигенные картины офигенных художников.
Минус тот же: лично мне слегка не хватило глубины.
November 28, 2025
absolutely phenomenal work - gorgeous artwork and wonderful descriptions!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews