Portraits: Talking with Artists at the Met, the Modern, the Louvre and Elsewhere

by Michael Kimmelman

The chief art critic for "The New York Times" gives a painter's-, sculptor's-, and photographer's-eye view of art as he explores museums with some of today's most important artists. Photos throughout.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

New York Times architecture critic.

Reviews

[Jesica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book! I am seriously jealous of painters/artists. I'm jealous because they get to go to a building and look and learn. As a writer/poet I have no such place.
Here's what I wrote in my blog:

And while reading, I realized that as a poet, I'm lacking in my poetry education. I came to this realization while reading about how these artists go to art museums to view, and learn from the Masters. These Masters are mostly painters. And I found myself being jealous that these artists could just go to a museum and learn just by viewing and just by going to one place. And I also realized that I have never studied the masters of poetry. yup! I went to graduate school and have never studied the masters. In fact, I'm not even sure who the Masters of poetry are. Granted I could throw out some names, like, Byron, Keats, Wordsworth, Whitman, Dickinson, but who else? Does Homer count? Shakespeare? And not just the masters of poetry but the movements of poetry which are linked to art. Why aren't there any Poetry History classes in graduate programs, specifically, MFA's? It's really quite frustrating.

Also culled a great quote:
"Why make art? Because I think there's a child's voice in every artist saying: 'I am here. I am somebody. I made this. Won't you look?'" - Chuck Close

[Brian Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, perhaps more to novices than experts in fine art. The four is really only because they reference so many artworks they don’t show in the book, and the ones they do show are in black and white. Thank goodness for smartphones.

[Edith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave up with Dead Boys (I have like 20 pages left but it bored me) and skipped to this.

I think they should force art history majors to read this or something like it in school. The author takes artists to the Met or other large msuems and they "shoot the shit"

I mean, actually reading what ARTISTS have to say about what they think is good art. It's very hard for to to say if someone who "doesn't know dick" about art would enjoy it - surely it is full of references , but the book is filled with images of most the pieces the artists discuss. There is a good range of different types of artists and altogether enlightening.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

You're going back to the library, mister! I really loved Kimmelman's book _The Accidental Masterpiece_, but the essays in _Portraits_(brief interviews/sketches with various contemporary artists) are generally less substantive and less intriguing. If you're not so familiar with folks like Cindy Sherman and Chuck Close, this might be a good introduction.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great concept, talking to artists (rather than critics, or dealers), about art. It's surprising it hasn't been done more often. With loads of useful illustrations (too bad they're in black and white, but if they were in color the thing would cost fifty bucks).

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

review for Portraits: Talking with Artists at the Met, the Modern, the Louvre, and Elsewhere:
http://tallerthanaveragetales.blogspo...

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimmelman writes so beautifully. I'm a big fan.

[Betty Bastai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a typical standard review.

This novel is the second book that I read related to my action art project Memory Loop.
Visit the Memory Loop webpage to find more information about it at:

https://www.bettybastaifinearts.com/m...

If you are interested in participating in this project send me a private message or E-mail (you can find the address on the webpage.)

I look forward to hearing from passionate readers who are interested in having extra interactions with books.

Happy Reading!

[Katherine Hillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“For me, the thrill as a painter is not only seeing what another painter has made but how he or she has made it. And I think one reason painting continues to have urgency, when many so called expects like to say it is dead, is that there is something about the smearing of colored dirt on a flat surface and denying the flatness through the illusion of depth which retains its original magic from the days of the cave painters and which can never be denied.”

[Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as interesting as i thought it would be.