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149 Paintings You Really Need to See in Europe
"Who can resist an art critic with attitude?"
– Former Supreme Court of Canada Justice, Ian Binnie
"It was wonderful! Julian shared his enormous knowledge of the world's best art with a panache that is irresistible."
– Justice Stephen Goudge, Ontario Court of Appeal
This essential companion to all the major European museums and galleries discusses some of the world’s greatest paintings from Giotto through to Picasso. Julian Porter’s passion for art began with the seven years he spent as a student tour guide in Europe. Since then, he has conducted countless tours of Europe’s famous galleries – The Louvre, The Prado, The Hermitage, The Rijksmuseum, the Sistine Chapel, and many others.
In the usually pretentious arena of art connoisseurs, Porter’s voice stands out as fresh and original. He finds the best of the best, which he describes with entertaining irreverence, and spares you hours of sore feet and superfluous information.
- GenresNonfictionTravelArt
492 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 27, 2015
I really enjoyed reading about some of these paintings especially after having actually seen quite a few of them in person.
March 17, 2026
This book is comprehensive. It has many, many paintings that I would seek out if I'm ever in Europe again. The details and descriptions are helpful, to an extent. You, the reader, are able to zoom in on a painting, to a degree, by clicking on the painting; when it turns red, you then roll your mouse wheel to enlarge the painting. With some of the paintings, you are able to see much more detail; with other paintings, not so much. Some of the paintings' subject matter is beautiful, some dull, some macabre. Some of these paintings are in vivid colour, while some are in black and white.
The author gives us the background story of the artist, his life challenges, his health, his finances, failing or soaring, his age, his friends, enemies, compatriots. I enjoy art and thought that I would like to learn about the art, the artist, what was going on in the world when a particular piece was painted, who it was painted for, how it was received, that sort of thing. Some of the chapters were very interesting, some I just had to skip over, either because it was not doing anything for me or because it was just too bizarre, too disgusting. I hope you enjoy this book much more than I did.
The author gives us the background story of the artist, his life challenges, his health, his finances, failing or soaring, his age, his friends, enemies, compatriots. I enjoy art and thought that I would like to learn about the art, the artist, what was going on in the world when a particular piece was painted, who it was painted for, how it was received, that sort of thing. Some of the chapters were very interesting, some I just had to skip over, either because it was not doing anything for me or because it was just too bizarre, too disgusting. I hope you enjoy this book much more than I did.
July 24, 2024
I picked this book up at a yard sale for 99 cents so my investment was properly priced.
Having seen many of these paintings on various visits to Europe, I was intrigued to see what additional insights Mr Porter could offer. I thought, naively, that Mr Porter, an acclaimed lawyer and politico, would bring rigorous and enlightened background to the artist and artistic vision.
Unfortunately, Mr Porter only engages in brief puerile comments that add absolutely nothing. Rather, his comments significantly detract from these works of art that should be celebrated not lampooned.
Zero stars.
Having seen many of these paintings on various visits to Europe, I was intrigued to see what additional insights Mr Porter could offer. I thought, naively, that Mr Porter, an acclaimed lawyer and politico, would bring rigorous and enlightened background to the artist and artistic vision.
Unfortunately, Mr Porter only engages in brief puerile comments that add absolutely nothing. Rather, his comments significantly detract from these works of art that should be celebrated not lampooned.
Zero stars.
July 17, 2017
hoping to see at least a dozen of Porter's suggested works when I go to Europe this September.
February 21, 2014
It was about five years ago that I realized my great love of paintings. I happened to be visiting my dear friends in Chicago for a few days and managed (mainly at their insistence) to squeeze in a visit to the famous Art Institute of Chicago. Now, don't get me wrong, I've always loved paintings, but coming face-to-face with ten-foot canvases infused with colour and emotion and history was mesmerizing.
And so when I came across this book: 149 Paintings You Really Need to See in Europe by Julian Porter, I had to pay attention. Travelling can be fun, but travelling on a time schedule makes things difficult to plan. On my last trip to Barcelona a few years ago, I made it a special point to see the Picasso Museum. Yes, Pablo Picasso is one of my favourite modern abstract artists, and despite the hour long line up, this display of some of the finest works of a brilliant artist did not disappoint. The book unfortunately focuses on the best paintings by artists during the period 1298 to 1937, and so a lot of Picasso's newer works have not been included. Regardless, I look forward to a new book in the near future by the author who acknowledges this limitation.
I digress from my point: I love paintings. But I don't know enough of their history, much less the history of the times when they were created. But, I'd love to know. And because I have a terrible memory for these kinds of things, it's nice to have a bit of a guide. Even more importantly, I know that when I travel to Europe again, I have only a limited amount of time allotted to sightseeing. After all, I've lots of other great things to do. The foodie in my won't let me leave without trying out the local cuisine, and the shopaholic in me won't let me leave without browsing for hours. So, I must be prepared to cram all the art I can into my limited time, and 149 Paintings You Really Need To See in Europe is the perfect companion to help me paint my perfect vacation canvas.
Did you know the Guernica was done in only four weeks? Twenty-seven metres of canvas, all black, white and grey. He experimented with colour but the final work eliminated it. It was Picasso's contribution to the Republican cause and paid for by the government.
"The painting is a black and white image of torture, LSD dreams, and electric shock, your mental finger wetted up and jammed into the live socket white your feet are in water. The figures are unrealistic, part absurd. Is war anything but?"
To really look at a painting takes time and knowing a bit about the story behind the painting offers great understanding and satisfaction. Wish I had researched a bit more about the artists and history during my recent visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario to witness The Great Upheaval: Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Collection, 1910-1918.
If you happen to be in Toronto, you only have until March 1st to check out The Great Upheaval: Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Collection, 1910-1918. You won't be disappointed with these paintings featuring Constantin Brancusi, Marc Chagall, Vasily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, among others. The exhibition chronologically traces the achievements of these tumultuous years as artists experimented with new ways to create art while launching such movements as expressionism, futurism and cubism.
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149 Paintings You Really Need to See in Europe by Julian Porter, is published by Dundurn Press.
Post by @ShilpaRaikar @SukasaReads -- also posted on http://www.sukasastyle.com/2014/02/14...
And so when I came across this book: 149 Paintings You Really Need to See in Europe by Julian Porter, I had to pay attention. Travelling can be fun, but travelling on a time schedule makes things difficult to plan. On my last trip to Barcelona a few years ago, I made it a special point to see the Picasso Museum. Yes, Pablo Picasso is one of my favourite modern abstract artists, and despite the hour long line up, this display of some of the finest works of a brilliant artist did not disappoint. The book unfortunately focuses on the best paintings by artists during the period 1298 to 1937, and so a lot of Picasso's newer works have not been included. Regardless, I look forward to a new book in the near future by the author who acknowledges this limitation.
I digress from my point: I love paintings. But I don't know enough of their history, much less the history of the times when they were created. But, I'd love to know. And because I have a terrible memory for these kinds of things, it's nice to have a bit of a guide. Even more importantly, I know that when I travel to Europe again, I have only a limited amount of time allotted to sightseeing. After all, I've lots of other great things to do. The foodie in my won't let me leave without trying out the local cuisine, and the shopaholic in me won't let me leave without browsing for hours. So, I must be prepared to cram all the art I can into my limited time, and 149 Paintings You Really Need To See in Europe is the perfect companion to help me paint my perfect vacation canvas.
Did you know the Guernica was done in only four weeks? Twenty-seven metres of canvas, all black, white and grey. He experimented with colour but the final work eliminated it. It was Picasso's contribution to the Republican cause and paid for by the government.
"The painting is a black and white image of torture, LSD dreams, and electric shock, your mental finger wetted up and jammed into the live socket white your feet are in water. The figures are unrealistic, part absurd. Is war anything but?"
To really look at a painting takes time and knowing a bit about the story behind the painting offers great understanding and satisfaction. Wish I had researched a bit more about the artists and history during my recent visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario to witness The Great Upheaval: Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Collection, 1910-1918.
If you happen to be in Toronto, you only have until March 1st to check out The Great Upheaval: Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Collection, 1910-1918. You won't be disappointed with these paintings featuring Constantin Brancusi, Marc Chagall, Vasily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, among others. The exhibition chronologically traces the achievements of these tumultuous years as artists experimented with new ways to create art while launching such movements as expressionism, futurism and cubism.
--------
149 Paintings You Really Need to See in Europe by Julian Porter, is published by Dundurn Press.
Post by @ShilpaRaikar @SukasaReads -- also posted on http://www.sukasastyle.com/2014/02/14...
November 13, 2016
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews