Synopses & Reviews
This prize-winning book offers the only comprehensive discussion available on materials, techniques, and condition issues in Western easel paintings from medieval times to the present.
andldquo;An essential handbook for the pro, and also a beautifully illustrated primer for the layperson. Kirsh and Levenson teach the most valuable lessons about painting of all: how meanings, material, and techniques are bound up together.andrdquo;andmdash;John Walsh, former director, J. Paul Getty Museum
andldquo;Every element of Kirsh and Levensonandrsquo;s book is smart, concise, and informative. . . . [It is] the essential book on its subject.andrdquo;andmdash;Kenneth Baker, San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle
andldquo;A long overdue book with direct relevance for modern students of the history of art.andrdquo;andmdash;Libby Sheldon, Burlington Magazine
Synopsis
This clear and accessible handbook introduces viewers to the study of paintings as physical objects. In close examinations of twenty-five works of art from medieval to contemporary times, the book explains the layers of a painting, how paintings can change over time, information that may be on the reverse, and more. The authors also show how the physical attributes of an artwork can illuminate important critical, historical, and social issues.
About the Author
Andrea Kirsh is an independent scholar and critic. Rustin S. Levenson is conservation director of Rustin Levenson Art Conservation Associates, New York City, and Florida Conservation Associates, Miami.