Publisher's Weekly Review
This work is a marvelous, carefully-researched study of Picasso?s influence on some of the most significant American artists of the 20th century. Fitzgerald moves chronologically, from the earliest Americans who engaged cubism in the teens (Max Weber, Mardsen Hartley, Man Ray, Stuart Davis), through the modernist investigations of Arshile Gorky, Willem De Kooning and Jackson Pollack, and winds up with Roy Lichtenstien?s pop-art and Jasper Johns? postmodern responses to Picasso. Fitzgerald takes great pains to triangulate exhibition specifics with the work and words of each artist to document the precise nature and extent of the influence in each case. And because the story of Picasso?s influence is intertwined with the gradual acceptance of modern art in America, the book also touches on events leading to the foundation of MoMA and the Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as their development during the decades during and after WWII. The essays here are excellent, filled with rich detail and sustained consideration of each artist; and despite the sophistication of the analysis, Fitzgerald avoids overly-technical or hyper-academic prose, which will make the book accessible to more than just art historians and cultural critics. There is a generous supply of images presented with the text, and they are as successful as Fitzgerald?s prose in illuminating the complexities of Picasso?s influence on these artists. Both as an exhibition guide and a coffee table book, this volume is outstanding and will appeal to those looking to learn more about these artists or who simply wish have a handsome volume to look at and display. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Booklist Review
Although Pablo Picasso never set foot in America, the protean artist had a profound impact on American art. In this groundbreaking and exhaustively researched study, FitzGerald takes measure of Picasso's influence, serving up a feast of juicy art-world tales of fervent advocacy and outright hostility. As the unbelievably prolific Picasso changed styles as readily as the mythological beings that inspired him changed shapes, American critics and artists scrambled to keep pace. From the small Picasso still life Max Weber brought to New York in 1909 to Picasso's first exhibit two years later in Alfred Stieglitz's now legendary gallery to major museum exhibitions, the story of Picasso's art in America sheds new light on the evolution of modern American art. And the reproductions are many and sumptuous as FitzGerald parlays the acumen of his commentary into shrewd pairings of awe--inspiring Picassos with powerful works by Max Weber himself, Stuart Davis, Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner, and Jasper Johns. FitzGerald's revelations remind us that Picasso remains a force to be reckoned with. --Donna Seaman Copyright 2006 Booklist
Choice Review
In this important catalog of a traveling exhibition, FitzGerald (Trinity College, Hartford, CT) drives home the accepted truth of Pablo Picasso's impact on 20th-century American art. Ranging from 1905 (Max Weber's introduction to Picasso's art in Paris) to 2003 (Jasper Johns's recent activity in a decades-long conversation with the Spanish master), FitzGerald chronicles familiar territory with scholarly rigor, flashes of insight, and a clearly written text. Private curator Boddewyn's chronology of exhibitions, auctions, and magazine reproductions is a significant scholarly resource that will be consulted for a long time to come. The Stieglitz Circle, Arshile Gorky, and Jackson Pollock are given extensive analysis, while a thoughtful recuperation of artist-theorist John Graham is extremely welcome. As critics of the exhibition pointed out, the drawback with this catalog is signaled by the overly broad title. Focused on New York, the catalog tells only a limited--if significant--part of the story of Picasso and American art. Its scholarly strengths deserve to inspire other art historians and curators to extend the story north, south, and west. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels. J. E. Housefield Texas State University--San Marcos
Library Journal Review
The pervasive influence of Picasso is one of art history's best-established facts. As Jackson Pollock said of the famous Spaniard, "That guy missed nothing!" In a thoroughly researched and approachable study, Fitzgerald (Trinity Coll., Hartford, CT; Picasso: The Artist's Studio) scrutinizes a diverse group of American artists, focusing mainly on Weber, Davis, Gorky, Graham, de Kooning, Pollock, Smith, Lichtenstein, and Johns and their individual artistic dialogs with Picasso. The catalog, which accompanies an exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art running through January 28, does more than draw visual parallels. The experiments of each artist are examined chronologically, and extensive quotes elucidate their individual struggles to come to terms with the inescapable master. Though the artist never set foot in this country, Fitzgerald shrewdly deconstructs America's role in Picasso's reputation as well as the movements that can be attributed to his oeuvre. The handsome result is a unique addition to Picasso scholarship, with high-quality reproductions including rarely seen works. Highly recommended for all art collections.-Doug McClemont, New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
