Tom Benton and His Drawings: A Biographical Essay and a Collection of His Sketches, Studies, and Mural Cartoons

Studies works treating bucolic and cosmopolitan themes and compares Wood's form of regionalism to those of Thomas Hart Benton and John Stewart Curry

Few people are neutral about Thomas Hart Benton. His work has been admired by many and despised by others, including art critics who have considered him chauvinistic. Since his death, his reputation has grown in art circles, causing critics and historians to probe more deeply into his life and art. Marling's fine study of Benton's drawings demonstrates the vitality of his works on paper. The publisher deserves praise for resisting the temptation to provide mere black-and-white reproductions, for the subtle colors of ink washes and paper add considerably to the effect of this superb book. Marling's essays are livelytrue to the spirit of the artistand complement rather than overshadow the more than 200 drawings. Recommended. Charles K. Piehl, Director of Grants Management, Mankato State Univ., Minn.
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