Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories

by Wanda M. Corn, Tirza True Latimer

Gertrude Stein is justly famous for her modernist writings and her patronage of vanguard painters (most notably Matisse and Picasso) in Paris before the First World War. Seeing Gertrude Stein, the companion book to an exhibition of the same name, illuminates less familiar aspects of her life. Wanda M. Corn and Tirza True Latimer analyze the portraits for which Stein posed, the domestic settings she created with Alice B. Toklas, her partner, and the signature styles of dress the two women adopted. Corn and Latimer also explore Stein’s engagement with multiple art forms and the bonds she formed with younger artists. Focusing on portraits in a range of media, photo essays, press clippings, snapshots, clothing, furniture, and other visual artifacts, this pathbreaking study reveals Stein’s sophistication in shaping her public image and cultural legacy. Lavishly illustrated throughout, these “five stories” represent Stein’s life on a human scale while tracing her influence on a wide variety of visual artists of her own and subsequent generations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

416 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 2011

Reviews

[Hol]

What a feast! I was happy to find this at the library, having read about the exhibit it's based on, and sad to return it. The essays are good but the images are fascinating--it's the kind of book that would be worth borrowing just for the pictures. To quote Gertrude Stein: "the pleasure of looking if you like to look is always a pleasure." This was a pleasure indeed.

[Eileen Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book: well-written, carefully researched, and smartly conceived and organized. It is a rich resource and read for anyone curious about Gertrude Stein.

Although it addresses everything from her fashion to her sexuality, from her family origins to her legacy, the book does so deftly. The authors are aided by the inclusion of hundreds of illustrations, historical quotes, and terrific documentation (including footnotes, a bibliography and a timeline). While all of this sounds like it might be overwhelming, the book/catalogue (for it was produced for an exhibition presented by the National Portrait Gallery and the Contemporary Jewish Museum) is so well designed that the whole enterprise is wonderfully successful.

Above all, the book feels even-handed and fair, which seems something of a rarity when dealing with Stein. Both the words and actions of this singular figure from the 20th century tend to inspire impassioned judgements: Stein tends either to be championed as a genius, or regarded with skepticism. In contrast, this pair of writers (Wanda Corn and Tirza True Latimer) thoughtfully lay out evidence for both, particularly paying attention to historical context. Great writing carries all of this along so smoothly that it's hard to set the volume aside.

Bravo!

[Jonathan Frederick Walz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[E. V. Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exhibit catalog of sorts for the Gertrude Stein show that came to the National Portrait Gallery this past winter/spring. I saw the show, and bought this book, as research for my senior thesis. It's a really interesting look at Stein and Toklas' domestic life, Stein's work and the art that her work and enduring legacy inspired.