An Invitation To See: 150 Works from The Museum of Modern Art

by Helen M. Franc

From the many thousands of paintings, sculptures, and constructions in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, 150 outstanding examples have been selected to indicate the quality and diversity of modern masters and movements from about 1885 to the present day. This book, a substantial revision of An Invitation to See first published in 1973, takes account of new developments in art since then and the Museum's acquisition of notable examples of both earlier and more recent date. Of the 120 paintings reproduced, almost a quarter are new selections; and whereas the original edition was confined to paintings, in the present volume 30 examples of three-dimensional works have been included. Painters range from late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century pioneers of modernism such as Degas, Cezanne, van Gogh, and Seurat to current artists who challenge the very premises of modernism itself. Sculptures vary from representations of the human figure by Rodin, Matisse, and Moore to an abstraction by Arp, a bird by Brancusi, and a soft sculpture by Oldenburg. Among the constructions are works by Picasso, Calder, and David Smith. The selections are grouped in pairs or sequences that offer opportunities for contrasts or comparisons - sometimes of an unexpected sort. Such traditional genres as portraits, historical subjects, landscapes, city views, and still life are investigated, as well as the many kinds of abstraction that have evolved during the past century. Different ways of portraying reality and fantasy are discussed, as well as artists' free experimentation with new mediums and means of expression. The comments that accompany the illustrations include frequent quotations from statements by the artists themselves or from writings by distinguished critics.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2002

Reviews

[Julie Doan · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10

[Alejandro Teruel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and rewarding selection of works in the Museum of Modern Art.

However, most of the reproductions are far too small, filling up less than a quarter of a page (as small as 10 cm x 7.5 cm, roughly 4 inches by 3 inches), of originals that range from just over 20x 15 inches to over 51 inches by 6 feet. There are no enlargements of details or preparatory sketches of the works.

In general Helen McFranc has tried to fit a picture per page, taking care to select pairs of pictures that are somehow related on opposing pages, an interesting concept and one she generally handles well, but certainly insufficient as an organizing principle for the whole book. She does warn us that the book´s "organization is somewhat unconventional. Though most of the earliest works will be found at the beginning, and the more recent toward the end, there are exceptions to that order."

I felt that sometimes the text accompanying could have been shortened to make more room for the pictures: sometimes the text does indeed point out interesting aspects of the picture in keeping with the book´s "invitation to see", sometimes the text´s focus is on the artist, the circumstances in which the work was conceived or the history of the work itself. However, in my opinion, some of the book´s graphic design decisions are decidedly at odds with its express purpose, "an invitation to see".

A book to dip into, rather than study or read through.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful pictures, rough draft drawings and lots of history and back ground stories.....