The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler: A Catalogue Raisonne - Hardcover

This magnificent, two-volume boxed edition, whose editors are associated with the Art Institute of Chicago, is a landmark of Whistler scholarship and should be acquired by every library serving the scholarly needs of art patrons, historians, and students. Although one cannot discount the earlier catalogues raisonnes of T.R. Way (1896, 1905) and Mervyn Levy (1975), this definitive edition is incomparable in many respects, including the beautifully crafted essays, the size and quality of the reproductions, and the meticulous scholarly apparatus. Volume 1 is the catalogue raisonne proper, interspersed with period essays contributed by Katherine A. Lochnan, curator of prints and drawings at the Art Gallery of Ontario, who traces the development of Whistler's lithography from the early 1850s through the late 1890s. The volume concludes with a collection of untransferred lithographic drawings and a detailed accession list. Volume 2 contains a collection of some 170 letters exchanged with Whistler's London printers, Thomas Way and T.R. Way, dating roughly from 1878 through 1897. A series of technical essays follows, including a discussion of Whistler's lithographic techniques; a chronology of exhibitions, publications, and sales; notes on important individuals, publications, and galleries; Whistler's choice of paper; watermarks in Whistler's papers; and a compilation of lifetime and posthumous watermarks. A chronology of posthumous printings, concordance, bibliographies, lifetime exhibitions and selected reviews, selected references, and an index conclude this volume. One could hope for little more in such a work. Highly recommended for art collections of public and academic libraries and specialized collections.?P. Steven Thomas, Central Michigan Univ. Lib., Mt. Pleasant
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

While American expatriate painter and aestheticist James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) is heralded as a printmaker, that reputation is based on his etchings rather than his lithographs. Indeed, as curator Katharine A. Lochman remarks in this opulent, two-volume, slipcased collection, those familiar with "the subtle and sensuous effects" of Whistler's paintings and the "nuanced precision" of his etchings may find the lithographs "strangely devoid of personality." Whistler himself considered the lithographs "drawings," and many do resemble sketches. Whether this quality suggests that his work was careless or spontaneous is in the eye of the beholder. In the first volume, Stratis and Tedeschi, both of the Art Institute of Chicago, have used new digital technology to ensure accurate reproductions, including useful small plates of relevant works in other media or by other artists. The second volume contains illustrations of watermarks, organized to distinguish the posthumous prints from those made during the artist's lifetime, and an edition of Whistler's extensive correspondence with his lithographic printer, Thomas Way. The first comprehensive collection of Whistler's lithographs to be published this century, this sumptuous, carefully assembled reference work will be of most value to art dealers, collectors and scholars.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.