A rather fast-paced survey of major painters in Europe from Cimabue through the Surrealists (the final paragraph on Hockney and the figurative revival in England is perfunctory; abstract expressionism and pop art, being mainly American movements, are passed over entirely). Few unorthodox claims are made, and some artists of great importance but less fame are given short shrift.

A short introductory chapter quickly mentions cave paintings, Roman frescoes, and gothic religious art and explains why Jacobs chose to begin, like Vasari, with the late medieval painters Cimabue and Giotto (though I suspect it was more for economic reasons than anything else). As with most surveys of this type, the chapters on earlier centuries are the best. Jacobs makes a strong argument for the great importance of Masaccio, explains why the reputations of Fra Angelico and Boucher have waned, and clearly traces the various threads of artistic innovation and influence (e.g., from Rembrandt to Fabritius to Vermeer) and aesthetic disputes of the past 800 years. He is particularly good on transitional figures like Constable, with his Neo-classic head and Romantic heart, and Manet, whose work was claimed by champions of naturalists and impressionists alike.

However, the later chapters, especially the ones covering the 19th and 20th centuries, seem rushed, and Jacobs seems overwhelmed by the number of artists he feels obligated to cover (nevertheless, he manages to miss a few--Henri Rousseau, Chagall, Balthus, Miro, Klee). Some of the illustrations are not described in the text (not the case in the earlier chapters, where nearly every painting gets a paragraph), and passages defining the importance of individual artists are replaced by descriptions of movements, often reduced to little more than list of names.

Another quibble would be the book's exclusive emphasis on painting. It's hard to discuss Michelangelo and ignore his sculpture, or Hogarth without mentioning his prints, or indeed virtually any artist while leaving out his drawings. The positive side of this compromise is that it leaves more room for reproductions of the paintings.

The illustrations are plentiful, well-chosen, and all in color. The paper is not of the best quality, and some of the reproductions are a bit dark, but that's what you expect from Chartwell Books, which are made to be sold cheaply. Goya is represented mainly by "The Colossus," which has recently been de-attributed by the Prado (though some art historians still believe he painted it), and the scale of Ensor's 'The Entry of Christ Into Brussels" is reduced too much to be useful, but for the most part, these pictures are ravishing. The book is best read in a setting with plentiful natural light.

Cross-posted at http://painting.suite101.com/article.cfm/book-review-a-guide-to-european-paintin... ( )