Queer Thing, Painting. Fourty Years in the world of art

by Walter Pach

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Genres: Art History

335 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

Walter Pach (July 1, 1883 – November 27, 1958) was an American artist, critic, lecturer, art adviser, and art historian who wrote extensively about modern art and championed its cause.

Pach's fluency in French, German, and Spanish made it possible for him to understand and interpret the avant-garde ideas developing in Europe and translate them for the English-speaking audience.

Reviews

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the author denies that this is memoir, to me it read like one in places. An interesting look at the American art scene (with some looks at the Parisian scene) and how Americans especially appreciated art in the late nineteenth and early 20th century. I particularly enjoyed the section on Renoir.

Pach was the son of a portrait photographer who studied classical art, so it was interesting to read the minor asides about photography here as well.

It will be interesting to have this in the back of my mind the next time I re-read My Name Is Asher Lev. (Or, alternately, it was interesting to have My Name Is Asher Lev in the back of my mind when I was reading this. In that book, a non-fiction book by Robert Henri is mentioned; here, Robert Henri's thoughts on creating art are briefly discussed.)

[Mike Zickar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this strange book. The author, a distinguished painter himself, writes about his interactions with famous figures in the art world, including Monet, Renoir, Robert Henri, dealers, and collectors. He purposely does not talk about his own art (with just a few minor exceptions). For the most part, the book is filled with colorful anecdotes and stories about the individuals he interacted with and exhibitions that he took part in. There isn't much critical analysis. A pleasant read for those interested in art history by one who interacted with many of the greats of the 1900s.