Rosa Bonheur (Portraits of Women Artists for Children) - Softcover

Turner, Robyn Montana

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0316856533 ISBN 13: 9780316856539

Publisher: Little Brown & Co, 1993

Synopsis

A biography of one of the world's greatest female artists.

About this title

From School Library Journal

ea. vol: 32p. photos. reprods. (Portraits of Women Artists for Children Series.). CIP. Little. Oct. 1991. Tr $15.95. Grade 4 Up-- In her brief introduction to O'Keeffe's life, Turner stresses the fact that, until recent years, women were not encouraged to become artists or permitted to attend the best schools of art. This theme--that O'Keeffe had to create her own style and establish her own place in the art world--is carried through in a rich, colorful biography. The reproductions chosen to illustrate her life are excellent. An early charcoal drawing shows how she developed her abstract style, while Evening Star III and Red Canna show her mastery of pure color. Other examples demonstrate her sense of pattern, and display her later work in New Mexico. Throughout, the succinct, clear prose stresses O'Keeffe's art, her search for ways to express her feelings, her love of nature, and her total subjection of all else to the study and the demands of a creative life. Gherman's thoughtful and carefully researched book (Atheneum, 1986) and Berry's Georgia O'Keeffe: Painter (Chelsea, 1989) are both useful, factual biographies. Turner, however, offers the best selection of full-color reproductions and a text that, while brief, engaging, and accessible to all readers, gives insight into the woman as artist, and highlights O'Keeffe's vision and amazing talent. Rosa Bonheur opens with a portrait of the artist as a young woman and ends with one of her at age 76. Throughout, there are are pictures of her artist-family, the French chateau that she shared with her lifelong friend Nathalie Micas, and some fine samples of her famous animal paintings. Readers should be drawn to the book by the full-color paintings of sheep, cows, birds, wild lions, and especially the reproduction of The Horse Fair. They will also enjoy the smoothly written story of the artist's largely happy and successful life. Turner writes with skill and sensitivity, and with this book the name of Rosa Bonheur is added to the small but growing list of juvenile titles dedicated to women in the arts. --Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

In the same format as Georgia O'Keeffe (above), a biography of a painter (1822-99) known for her animal paintings in the realistic Academy style, whose subjects, drama, and often heroic treatment have special appeal for the young. The emphasis on the problems faced by women artists is repeated here; the text is informative but undistinguished (and it's ridiculous to state that the French Bonheur learned her letters by noticing that ``C'' stood for ``cow'' and ``B'' for ``bird''). Still, an adequate introduction to an artist of merit. (Biography. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Little Brown & Co
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0316856533
• ISBN 13: 9780316856539
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32