Baroque and Rococo Art and Architecture by Robert Neuman is a beautiful, elegantly written book that covers the years 1585-1785. Despite the warning about books and their covers, in this case the cover really does capture the essence of what's inside. The cover is a wrap-around reproduction of Seaport with Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba by Claude Lorrain, a painting with figures enjoying life among majestic buildings, emphasizing both the art and the architecture found within the book's pages.In this compendium Neuman covers paintings, sculpture, architecture, prints, and drawings, as well as furniture, clothing, and gardens. Throughout, Neuman augments discussions of the art with exciting details about the artists' lives, such as how Caravaggio got into fights and ran all over Italy trying to evade the law. There are also several insets that spotlight a particular point, such as the difficulty of attributing particular paintings to Rembrandt, since he had so many followers.This book stands out among art history texts, because almost every one of the pictures is in color. The few black and white illustrations are for sculptures that are perfectly enjoyable that way. Even black and white prints have been reproduced in color, revealing the nuances of sepia that many of them possess. As an art historian who has worked with prints, I applaud this level of authenticity.But perhaps the most important thing about this book is that it is organized in a fashion that is accessible for readers at all levels, from amateur to professional. Instead of presenting his material thematically, Neuman chapters his volume by chronology, geography, and medium, with emphasis on the main centers of art production. All of the major artists and architects of the period are covered, such as the Carracci, Caravaggio, Bernini, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Poussin, Lorrain, Fragonard, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Neumann, and Tiepolo. Neuman also focuses on women artists such as Gentileschi and Leyster, who had successful careers and influence despite considerable odds stacked against them.I like how the author both begins and ends the book with a painting that shows someone interacting with artwork in a museum--something he emphasizes in his introduction as an essential part of an artist's education. He starts with a Norman Rockwell painting depicting an art student examining a Baroque painting of a noblewoman who reacts to his gaze. The last image in the book, painted more than 100 years after the Rococo ended, shows an art student sitting in front of a Watteau painting while she works on her own artwork. She is from a different era yet obviously learning from the great masters.Overall, with its beautiful color illustrations and expertly written text, Neuman has created a book that is accessible, thought-provoking, elegant, and beautiful--much like a Vermeer. It would make a wonderful gift for anyone who loves art.
