Chaim Soutine, 1893-1943
Category: Books
Chaim Soutine, 1893-1943 Details
Reviews
Soutine's magic lies in his use of color in heavy brushstrokes, with often strident colors working against each other. But almost all of these illustrations are in black and white, evaporating their true impact, reducing them to random swatches of light and dark gray.I leafed through this book with moving annoyance and sorrow, trying to imagine what these B&W illustrations can only hint at. (Given Soutine's canny distortions of perspective and proportion, it's impossible what many of these colorless reproductions actually represent!) It's like listening to Beethoven with no woodwinds or strings in the orchestra.As an final example of the designer's lousy judgment, the front of the DJ is in glorious full color. The back of the DJ, which was printed at the same time, could have featured another full-color photo, or at least some text about the book. But no---it's left entirely blank!Before buying ANY book about Soutine, first make sure it has color plates galore. 'Nuff said.