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Pablo Picasso: A Retrospective
Picasso retrospectiva. Over 460 full color pages Exceptional and hard to get book. Luxury Edition (hardcover). In excellent condition (real photos of the book). We are a company of books, arts and antiques registered in Florida, USA. Take advantage of this offer. Worldwide shipping. We have many more books. Excepcional y dificil de conseguir libro. Edición de Lujo (tapa dura). En excelente condiciones (fotos reales del libro). Somos una compañia de libros, artes y antiguedades registrada en Florida, USA. Aproveche esta oferta. Worldwide shipping. Tenemos muchos libros mas. Exceptionnel et difficile à obtenir. Luxury Edition (couverture rigide). En excellent état (vraies photos du livre). Nous sommes une entreprise de livres, d’art et d’antiquités enregistrée en Floride, aux États-Unis. Profitez de cette offre. Expédition dans le monde entier. Nous avons beaucoup plus de livres. Excepcional e difícil conseguir livro. Edição de luxo (capa dura). Em excelente estado (fotos reais do livro). Somos uma empresa de livros, artes e antiguidades registrada na Flórida, EUA. Aproveite esta oferta. Transporte mundial. Nós temos muito mais livros.
- GenresArtBiographyArt History
464 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
4 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
The Museum of Modern Art
467 books10 followersThe Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, and includes over 200,000 works of architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated and artist's books, film, as well as electronic media.
MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, and includes over 200,000 works of architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated and artist's books, film, as well as electronic media.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 26, 2019
This book was published to accompany the exhibition “Pablo Picasso: A Retrospective”, shown May 22-September 16, 1980 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The exhibition was organized to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the museum. The exhibition, not surprisingly, set attendance records at MOMA.
The paperback edition which I have is typical of such books issued in conjunction with a major art exhibit. It’s large (about 9 x 11 inches), thick (450+ pages) and heavy (over 4 pounds). It’s definitely a “coffee table” book – just the sort of book that a guest, left alone for a few moments, might relish picking up and perusing (assuming one’s living room was not dominated by a powered up television). This is not a “reading” book, not a Picasso appreciation book. There are actually very few words in the book other than the captions to the illustrations, and the introductory “chronologies” (very nice, by the way, and prepared by Jane Fluegel) for each of the sixteen periods which the exhibit’s curators (William Rubin gets top billing) divided Picasso’s creative life into. These periods run consecutively from 1881-1899 (the second longest) to the last and longest, 1954-1973. Four intense periods of Picasso's work cover a mere two years each: 1900-1901, 1902-1903, 1907-1908 and 1912-1913.
Good points? The sheer number of illustrations of Picasso’s works contained in the book, and the detailed information about each contained in the caption. As to number, I estimate about a thousand illustrations. In most captions (I can’t vouch for all) the information given includes: name of the work; where Picasso was when he created it (Paris, Boisgeloup, etc.); the year, and sometimes more detailed dating; the medium (oil on canvas, etc.); the dimensions of the work (both inches and cm); entry numbers in various catalogues raisonnes (primarily Zervos) where available for the work; and the owner of the work (Guggenheim Museum, Private Collection, etc.).
Another plus is the fact that many of the illustrations are large enough that they occupy a page by themselves. So we’re definitely not talking here about a book filled with hundreds of teensy pictures.
Less than optimal points? First, for me, the lack of an index. I appreciate the fact that an exhaustive index would have added many, many pages to the book. Nevertheless, and despite the fact that the illustrations are arranged in chronological order, if one wants to see The Old Guitarist, even find out whether it’s depicted in the book, it’s irritating to have to know, first, when it was created (1903) and then look in that chapter of the book to find if it’s there (it is). And of course, if one only knows the name, but not what the work actually looks like, one is reduced to looking at the titles given in the captions, and not simply at the pictures.
Another problematic point is that although perhaps 200 of the illustrations are in color, hundreds are not. Certainly, pen and ink drawings require no color; but even paintings from Picasso’s Blue Period, which often are close to monochromatic works, cannot be appreciated at all in a black and white illustration. The Old Guitarist is a case in point. Take a look at the Wiki illustration
and compare it with this, from the book:
Bottom line? Although the book is, to my knowledge, out of print, both used and new copies are readily available. Given that, and despite the drawbacks mentioned, I recommend that if you are looking for a picture book of Picasso’s art, covering his entire creative life, you should certainly consider this book. It may not be the best choice for you, but unless you know of something else that you think is very nearly perfect, you should look at this before making a decision.
The paperback edition which I have is typical of such books issued in conjunction with a major art exhibit. It’s large (about 9 x 11 inches), thick (450+ pages) and heavy (over 4 pounds). It’s definitely a “coffee table” book – just the sort of book that a guest, left alone for a few moments, might relish picking up and perusing (assuming one’s living room was not dominated by a powered up television). This is not a “reading” book, not a Picasso appreciation book. There are actually very few words in the book other than the captions to the illustrations, and the introductory “chronologies” (very nice, by the way, and prepared by Jane Fluegel) for each of the sixteen periods which the exhibit’s curators (William Rubin gets top billing) divided Picasso’s creative life into. These periods run consecutively from 1881-1899 (the second longest) to the last and longest, 1954-1973. Four intense periods of Picasso's work cover a mere two years each: 1900-1901, 1902-1903, 1907-1908 and 1912-1913.
Good points? The sheer number of illustrations of Picasso’s works contained in the book, and the detailed information about each contained in the caption. As to number, I estimate about a thousand illustrations. In most captions (I can’t vouch for all) the information given includes: name of the work; where Picasso was when he created it (Paris, Boisgeloup, etc.); the year, and sometimes more detailed dating; the medium (oil on canvas, etc.); the dimensions of the work (both inches and cm); entry numbers in various catalogues raisonnes (primarily Zervos) where available for the work; and the owner of the work (Guggenheim Museum, Private Collection, etc.).
Another plus is the fact that many of the illustrations are large enough that they occupy a page by themselves. So we’re definitely not talking here about a book filled with hundreds of teensy pictures.
Less than optimal points? First, for me, the lack of an index. I appreciate the fact that an exhaustive index would have added many, many pages to the book. Nevertheless, and despite the fact that the illustrations are arranged in chronological order, if one wants to see The Old Guitarist, even find out whether it’s depicted in the book, it’s irritating to have to know, first, when it was created (1903) and then look in that chapter of the book to find if it’s there (it is). And of course, if one only knows the name, but not what the work actually looks like, one is reduced to looking at the titles given in the captions, and not simply at the pictures.
Another problematic point is that although perhaps 200 of the illustrations are in color, hundreds are not. Certainly, pen and ink drawings require no color; but even paintings from Picasso’s Blue Period, which often are close to monochromatic works, cannot be appreciated at all in a black and white illustration. The Old Guitarist is a case in point. Take a look at the Wiki illustration
and compare it with this, from the book:
Bottom line? Although the book is, to my knowledge, out of print, both used and new copies are readily available. Given that, and despite the drawbacks mentioned, I recommend that if you are looking for a picture book of Picasso’s art, covering his entire creative life, you should certainly consider this book. It may not be the best choice for you, but unless you know of something else that you think is very nearly perfect, you should look at this before making a decision.
June 9, 2011
My copy of this book was purchased through half.com and I do believe it has been out of print since 1984 but it is a great collection of Picasso's work as well providing biographical details as to where as well as when they were created. It has literally hundreds of illustrations ranging from seldom seen sketchs from his sketch books to the very well known works. These are interspersed periodically with a sort of annotated outline of where and when he was working at the time he made them thus it would be useful for students who want to write on or study his work. My copy is from 1980 hard cover, has roughly 460 pages, practically every page has one or more of Picassos works depicted, and it cost a little under $5 not counting media mail. I recently purchased a half dozen of these sorts of books that are put out by MOMA to coincide with major exhibitions and such an at the price they are a great way to collect some reference works. This particular volume came about as a result of a major retrospective in the early 1970's most likely not long after the artists death. I believe I read somewhere that it marked the first time MOMA had emptied it's permanent displays in order to put on an exhibition of a single artist and as such it underscored his influence. I believe there were both cloth and paper bound versions of which I have the cloth which I would definitely recommend as it is very nicely made and has stood up well over the 31 years since it was published.
One word of caution for parent might be warranted as this is Picasso uncensored and some of this more lusty works are included that might not quite right for younger readers. While it is true that what Pablo was painting or drawing was not always perfectly clear at first glance young minds are sharp and might discern it.
One word of caution for parent might be warranted as this is Picasso uncensored and some of this more lusty works are included that might not quite right for younger readers. While it is true that what Pablo was painting or drawing was not always perfectly clear at first glance young minds are sharp and might discern it.
June 18, 2024
I like that it gave a great overview of his life and his artwork but I wish more of the pictures would’ve been in color. Less than a third of the pictures are in color. It mainly gave a journal entry of his life versus a biography which I would’ve preferred. The journal entriesbecame very boring to read. But this is from a museum and wasn’t meant to be a biography. What I would have preferred to read was a biography with all the pictures being in color.
April 5, 2017
This covers just about everything on the man.
January 15, 2015
I love art books and got this for .59 on Amazon!
March 26, 2015
I own it,Ilove it, it is comprehensive and well organized chronologically!!!!!
Read
July 9, 2015I attended this exhibit and loved everything about it including the book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews