Best of
Art-History

1958

Complete Letters of Vincent Van Gogh (vol. iii of iii)


Vincent van Gogh - 1958
    The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh was first published by New York Graphic Society in 1958. Surely among the most distinguished books ever published, it is still the only complete edition of the letters in English. Illustrated by the more than two hundred ink drawings the artist sketched into his letters, the collection has been the source of numerous biographical and fictional works, but none has matched the intensity of the original material. Most of the letters were written to the artist's brother, Theo, and it was Theo's son, Vincent, who acted as consulting editor for the publication. A touching memoir by Theo's wife serves as the introduction.

Renoir, My Father


Jean Renoir - 1958
    Recounting Pierre-Auguste's extraordinary career, beginning as a painter of fans and porcelain, recording the rules of thumb by which he worked, and capturing his unpretentious and wonderfully engaging talk and personality, Jean Renoir's book is both a wonderful double portrait of father and son, and in the words of the distinguished art historian John Golding, it "remains the best account of Renoir, and, furthermore, among the most beautiful and moving biographies we have." Includes 12 pages of color plates and 18 pages of black and white images.

Pagan Mysteries in the Renaissance


Edgar Wind - 1958
    An exploration of philosophical and mystical sources of iconography in Renaissance art.

The Hokusai Sketchbooks: Selections from the Manga


Katsushika Hokusai - 1958
    

Sacred Art in East and West


Titus Burckhardt - 1958
    Defining the meaning and spiritual use of sacred art through its symbolic content and dependence on metaphysical principles, this work is wide in scope, covering Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, and Taoist art.