Chloe Ashby

This book contains art from an amazing range of artists, time periods and styles, from the traditional white male canon such as van Gogh, Monet, Lowry and Degas to lesser-known female and BAME artists such as Carington, , Kauffman, Kasuma and Himid. I came across old favourites and new artists to explore. I loved the side panels with suggestions of places to visit, books and music that link to the artist and painting and similar artists. The book is organised into interesting categories. The commentary on the art is insightful without becoming pretentious. I read a free digital advance copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review, but this is a book that I will be purchasing to go back to again and again.… (altro)

The title of this book says it all.

Reading this book made my heart soar. I got no further than page 25 in my digital review copy, (the page depicts a strangely unsettling Mark Rothko), before I found myself moving to Amazon to purchase my own hardback copy (on pre-order as it will be published Apr 6, 2021).

This book is absolutely sublime and I need to view it, repeatedly. ❤️

Structured unlike any art book I have ever seen before, in a way that instantly resonated deeply with me, the author takes us through a soul-stirring examination of 100 pieces of art - not all of them classically beautiful but each of them destined to touch you in some way - arranged by unique and interesting thematic chapters including: emotional rollercoasters, nakedness, pushing the boundaries, mythical creatures, dreams, and the ordinary made extraordinary. (There are more but I have to leave some for you to discover!)

Not only does each page contain a beautifully rendered photograph of each piece of art discussed, but the author has done a phenomenal job of curating the pieces displayed into the themes, as well annotating each with additional material, including: where to find the piece, more information on each artwork, and (my favorite) other literary or artworks similar conceptually.

I have never enjoyed an art book more, lingering over each page and almost reluctant to turn to the next one, so wanting the experience to continue. I found myself learning about artists I knew nothing, (or very little) about, appreciating their work in a way I have not, and most of all, just living through the art, in the moment, - really luxuriating in each piece - and letting the authors guidance inform it.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance review copy of this beautiful book. All thoughts presented are my own.… (altro)

Look At This If You Love Great Art by Chloe Ashby is a wonderful book for both the experienced and the more casual art lover. The works included span history and styles while the brief discussions are less about jargon-filled criticism and more about conveying how one might view the work to gain more insight.

When considering art, including literature, music, etc, I tend to think about "ways into the work." That is what I find particularly appealing about this book, it offers details, asks questions, and gives some critique for each work. For me, this approach showed me various ways into each piece.

While I would recommend this to anyone with even a remote interest in art appreciation, I would especially recommend this to those who sometimes feel intimidated when looking at or discussing art. I plan to give this book, as well as the volume on photography, as gifts to several high school age relatives I have.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (altro)