The artistic legacy of Alphonse Maria Mucha (1860ndash;1939); one of the founders of the Art Nouveau style; is both brilliant and bewilderingly diverse. Mucha is most famous for his Sarah Bernhardt posters and his magnificent decorative panels such as "The Seasons;" works that continue to grow in popularity; despite the indifferent quality of most modern reproductions. To graphic artists and commercial designers; Mucha is praised for the innovative stylebooks that pioneered the use of Art Nouveau in commercial packaging; design; and ornament. But the primary element in all of Muchas artistic endeavors mdash; his evocative; highly original draftsmanship mdash; has never been adequately surveyed.This collection of 70 high-quality illustrations mdash; six in black-and-white and nine in full color mdash; offers the first and only comprehensive survey of Muchas drawings; and as such; provides a unique insight into the aesthetic qualities that were fundamental to all of the artists work. Reproduced directly from his original drawings; these works span Muchas entire career and include sketches for his famous book and magazine illustrations; preliminary sketches for paintings; advertising and packaging art; studies for stylebooks; etc. Famous examples include "The Seasons;" full-color drawings for the complete set; plus a preliminary charcoal sketch for "Autumn"; St. Louis Worlds Fair poster; full-color lithograph and preliminary pencil sketch; Sarah Bernhardt; four works in India ink; pencil; etc.; and "Documents deacute;coratifs" and "Figures deacute;coratives;" studies from Muchas two innovative stylebooks.Naturally; many of these drawing are interesting because they reveal the initial thoughts for famous works but most basically these drawings show that Muchas draftsmanship mdash; highly admired; even by the cantankerous Whistler mdash; was the brilliant underpinning of his entire craft.
#1474178 in eBooks 2012-09-21 2012-09-21File Name: B00A3YENSI
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Interesting enough BUT Certainly Not Definitive with its Mistakes...By Dennis E. FerraraA biography of this American soprano needs to be fully definitive and this one in its second edition by Elizabeth Nash does not fulfill this requirement whatsoever. Granted; she was certainly a actress-singer; however; she is best remembered through her recordings and very little about her films since only two are available on DVD: Carmen and Joan the Woman; moreover; there are also several problems concerning information and the lack thereof. According to the Metropolitan Opera Annuals as complied by William Seltsam; 1947; Farrar never sang Violetta in La traviata in 1908 or any other time at the Met; rather; she sang only once the very secondary role of Flora in Act I as part of the Farewell Appearance and 25 Anniversary of Marcella Sembrich on February 6; 1908.Strange; Nash lists this fine reference book in her bibliography but did not seem to refer to it enough. The photo; one of several; with incorrect dates; states" Farrar as Violetta in 1919" (pg. 21). Further mistakes include: pg. 68 "Farrar as the Goose Girl; 1916." Again; according to Seltsam; Koningskinder was dropped from the Met in 1914 after the April 18 (Matinee) performance. The opera had been a staple from 1910 until 1914 because of Farrar. In fact; she recorded two excerpts from it; yet; the opera was never seen again on the Met stage. Concerning the photo of "Farrar as Mignon 1916;" in the Victor Book of the Opera (2nd and 3rd edition); this same photo appears in 1913 and 1915 respectively and before 1916.The author refers to Farrars vocal problems; in The Great Singers from the Dawn of Opera to Caruso; Callas and Pavarotti; Henry Pleasants; 1981; interesting; this reference book is not listed as part of Nashs bibliography; he referes to Farrar having a vocal node on her throat and an operation followed. Granted; she was an actress singer; however; nothing is discussed regarding her recordings. By the way; the author incorrectly states something about the "Victor Gramaphone Company...." The Victor Company was always known as the Victor Talking Machine Company until the change in 1928-1929 and it became RCA-Victor. The German sister company was known as the Grammophone Company but never Gramaphone Company. Regarding the excellent resource website: (www.victor.library.ucsb;edu/index/_plp/talent/detail/28157/Farrar_Geraldine_vocalist_soprano_vocal.; the discography there does not list the 33 G Ts of Ms. Farrar recorded in Berlin in 1905; and two sessions in 1906. The author should have checked the excellent source on Ms. Farrar found in The Record Collector; vol XIII; nos.9/10. Farrar talks about her recordings. Concerning the authors statements that "Farrar recorded from 1907-1927." This is not quite accurate. Farrars last acoustic sessions were on April 3; 1923; five recordings; however; only two selections were published. There are no recordings in 1924 through 1926; however; on January 11; 1927; five selections were recorded; January 12; 1927; seven sections were recorded; March 12; 1927; 12 selections; and April 5; 1927; seven; however; all electrical recordings including some experimental Bell recordings done in 1930 were all unpublished until the the recent cds issued by WardMarston. Collectors and opera buffs must again wait until someone else decides to really do an excellent and definitive biography on Geraldine Farrar.There is information available regarding Farrars recording contracts and royalities at BMG in New York. There is nothing discussed regarding Farrars only reproducing roll for the AMPICO Company: Mighty Like a Rose - 201392-G; there is no information regarding Farrars vocal arrangements and transcriptions. A definitive listing should have been made regarding dates and casts of her MET performances - 1907-1922. If the author knows little about her varied recordings; there are certainly enough very knowledgeable collectors and historians who could have helped Nash to make this book outstanding instead of a short; mediocre book with several factual mistakes.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. a well-written biography of a great starBy Col. William Russell (ret)Writing a biography of a singer is very hard. All too often what get either a boring chronology of she/he sang-here-sang-there or the unobjective written by a fan who lavishes praise ignoring the human failings of the subject. This book is well-written and shows a well-rounded picture of a great star. The one failing of this book is not with the biography but that it wou;dve been helpful to add a discography as an appendex. There is a list of CD reissues but collectors enjoy a discography of the original recordings with recording dates; matrix numbers; and takes published.One comment I will make is that the author fails to give the correct title for Leoncavallos best-known opera. The correct title is "Pagliacci" (the title on the manuscript); not "I Pagliacci" (a common error that reserach wouldve gotten right) nor; in her version; "I pagliacci" (the P is capitalized). Another is that the author couldve spent a few lines explaining that Farrar; a newcomer; was given the 1906 Metropolitan opening night is that this was not long after Carusos "monkey house" affair and the management didnt know how the audience would react. As a note; when Caruso did appear next he was given an ovation proving that the fears were groundless.