Paris: City of Art

L'art de France

by Jean-Marie Pérouse de Montclos

“Weighing a hefty eleven pounds, this surpassingly rich visual and intellectual feast is the luxury book bargain of the season. . . . Pérouse de Montclos’s method of examining landmarks individually and in depth opens our eyes to treasures that even habitués of Paris may have missed.” —Martin Filler, The New York Times Book Review

 

Now expanded, this towering volume is more comprehensive—and compelling—than ever. Illustrated with more than 850 full-color images, maps, plans, and chronologies, Paris: City of Art is an unparalleled celebration of the city’s artistic vision and energy. From antiquity to the present day, Paris: City of Art is a guide through centuries of artistic achievement: soaring Gothic cathedrals, the sumptuous and extravagant Louvre, luminous Impressionist masterpieces, and the birth of Modernism.

 

Featuring notable additions to the city’s skyline, such as Jean Nouvel’s Quai Branly Museum, as well as designs for major works in progress, such as Frank Gehry’s Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation, this expanded edition is the quintessential authority on the aesthetic past, present, and future of this incredible city.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, France, History

730 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know that I'd say I actually read this book but I did go through it, enjoying all the beautiful full color plates of paintings, buildings, sculpture, etc. The text is good, too, though more detailed than I needed. Covering 1000 years of Paris's art and architecture does require lots of verbiage though . . . author emphasizes architecture & buildings, especially for early times.