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From Booklist:
This is the third edition of this standard art reference work, and
coverage has been expanded and enhanced. The first edition (1964)
covered 1900 to 1960; the second (1984) covered a century, 1880 to
1980. This version goes back to the Civil War and continues into
the twenty-first century. The basic format remains the same. The
history of American illustration is outlined decade by decade
through a series of biographical essays on noteworthy artists
accompanied by representative illustrations. The essays range in
length from a couple of paragraphs to a couple of pages. The
author packs a great deal of information into the brief entries:
training, influences, life circumstances, career highlights,
notable works, and lasting contributions or influences to the
field. The illustrations have been well chosen and are crisply
reproduced in a full-color process. One innovation in this latest
offering is that now all of the reproductions are in color. As a
result, almost all artists are represented by works new to this
edition.
Entries chronicle the achievements of more than 450 artists, among
them printmakers Currier and Ives; caricaturist Al Hirschfeld;
Kewpie creator Rose O'Neill; graphic novelist Art Spiegelman; book
illustrator Chris Van Allsberg; and Alberto Vargas, known for his
pinup girls. A time line provides an overview of major artistic
influences. A selected bibliography of print sources and an index
of artists complete the work. There are no sources cited for
individual entries because, as explained in the introduction, "the
information is an amalgam from many sources," including
questionnaires, reference works, and periodicals.
This new edition will be welcomed by collections that support an
art curriculum. Those libraries that own the first two editions
will want to update because of the expanded chronological
coverage, the use of color throughout, the introduction of new art
reproductions, and the addition of new artists to every decade.
The vivid illustrations and historical arrangement make for
delightful browsing. Recommended for secondary, academic, and
public libraries.
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