America's Art: Masterpieces from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

by Theresa J. Slowik

Book Overview

The Smithsonian Museum of American Art houses the world's premier collection of American art in one of the country's most beautiful buildings, the old Patent Office Building. This book illustrates paintings, sculpture, photography, and folk art, and is useful for the entire family.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810955326
• ISBN13: 9780810955325
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 5.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 10.4" x 12.8"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Well illustrated but little text

Published in 2006 to mark the Museum's reopening, this very large book of 324 pages measures 32.3cm x 26.2 cm (12.75" x 10"). The text is fairly minimal; following the Foreword and Introduction each of the sixteen chapters and has but a few paragraphs of explanatory text which very briefly outline the social and political conditions of the period under discussion. There is little if any reference to the accompanying art work illustrated - it speaks for itself. The book concludes with a catalogue of the work providing details of each piece, Notes on the text and a brief Selected Bibliography. It is undoubtedly an impressive looking volume. It is illustrated throughout in full colour (apart from the few period black and white photographs), with many of the images full page. Paintings predominate, but there is also three-dimensional work and photography; and the book is attractively laid-out. There are 225 items pictured of what the publishers claim are the Museum's best works. With work covering over 400 years of American art, including some very familiar but no less stunning pieces, this is a very well illustrated book. The text is surprisingly not very informative as regards the art work, but the generally chronologically arrangement is in itself interesting. A book which is certainly worth having for the illustrations alone.

Beautiful coffee table book

This book is so beautiful and full of wonderful american art. I have purchased it for a dear friend in Europe who is a tour guide and expert in european art. I thought it would be a wonderful addition to her collection of art books.

America's Art by Slowik

After a 6 year restoration, the Smithsonian is slated to open this July 4, 2006. This rendition on American Art contains priceless reprints of famous scenes which depict ordinary households. i.e. - The Young Moravian Girl 1755 - Mrs. James Smith and Grandson 1776 - Buffalo herds in the 1840s - The Speculator (1852) - Major Ballou- a letter to the wife - The White Ballet (1904) - High Cliff by Winslow Homer (1894) - Saturday Evening Review (1964) by R. Buckminster Fuller This acquisition would be perfect for Americans everywhere, as well as a wide constituency of authors, historians and others in general academe.