Batschmann centres his argument onthe engraving of the 1856 painting byJacopo d’Andrea in which Bellini meetsDurer. The two great artists are involved indeep discussion to the background ofperforming musicians. Tracing the philo-sophy of the benefit of musical skills andknowledge for a cultured lifestyle fromCastiglione’s Il Cortegiano of 1528, Batsch-mann moves on to discuss Alberti’swritings and then to consider the devel-oping paragone between art and music,basing the discussion on literary texts.

Returning to Bellini, he discusses therepresentation of music in Bellini’s altar-pieces and other works, linking it with theuse of colour to express the emotionalexperience of the viewer. According toBatschmann this innovative approach ofBellini’s to the harmony of colourspresented a new aesthetic akin to music.

The chronology found at the end of thebook will be of particular interest to Bellinischolars. This timeline includes the wholeof the Bellini family, thus putting Giovanniin a wider context. It incorporates archivaland bibliographical references togetherwith possible suggestions for significantevents that are not documented, which inBellini’s case amounts to a significantnumber. The clarity with which this chro-nology is organised and displayed makesit worth buying the book for this alone.

Giovanni Bellini is in hardback and verywell illustrated, including many worksin colour. It is well produced, visually easyto follow and aesthetically pleasing.Batschmann has synthesised the mainthemes in Bellini’s work and the variousapproaches taken to the works. His ideashave a fresh slant and although many ofthe topics have been well worked by othersbefore him he frequently manages to finda new angle on them and illuminate newaspects.

This book would serve as a verydetailed and in-depth introduction forsomeone who would like a well-informedoverview of Bellini’s works and the issuesarising from them. For those familiar withliterature on Bellini it provides a freshapproach to well-discussed topics, anextremely helpful chronology with archi-val and bibliographical references, and asuccinct summary of the numerous issuesin contemporary Bellini studies, and at thesame time it also opens up new vistas andsuggests fresh approaches.

susan grange

Open University

JOASH WOODROW: LANDSCAPES

philip vann and jackie

wulschlager

Leeds Metropolitan University in association with108 Fine Art 2007 d25.00 $50.00168 pp. Fully illustratedisbn 978-0-9548413-2-4

US apply 108 Fine Art, www.108fineart.com

Since 2002 the name and reputationof the late Joash Woodrow (1927–2006) have been increasingly pro-

moted in and outside his native Leeds.This book is the latest in a series devotedto the reassessment of Woodrow’s art, theextent of which was only truly discovered afew years before his death.

It would be easy enough to shoehornWoodrow into a mould and to transformhim into a local figure, as Lowry was, butthis – on the strength of Vann andWulschlager’s open-hearted study – wouldbe to betray him, his intensity, determina-tion and unceasing activity. Woodrow’svalue is much greater than might at firstappear. As a Jewish artist in Leeds he wasnot unique, but, as his apologists show, hewas very highly regarded at the city’sSchool of Art, and, later, at the RoyalCollege, and not solely for his technicalabilities and tirelessness. In the nature ofsuch things, the emergence of a large bodyof unknown work documenting daily life

in a particular area of one of the largestindustrial cities in mid-twentieth centuryBritain has to be, at least, interesting. InWoodrow’s case, there is a bonus, becausea significant part of his recovered oeuvrerecords personal experiences within theLeeds Jewish community, at one time on apar with those of London and Manchester.

Though Woodrow’s friends and familytestify to an early gregariousness, developedsense of humour and a very sociable nature,his later, steady retreat from human inter-action seems entirely appropriate in theworks reproduced in this excellent publica-tion, and Vann’s text is an urbane introduc-tion to the inherent differences betweenWoodrow the Man and Woodrow the Artist.If one has to start somewhere, let it at leastbe at the drawing board, or at the table: asthe talented son of well-travelled, immi-grant parents, Woodrow (literally) drewfrom domestic experiences in ways notdissimilar to those used by Jewish artistsbased in London’s East End at the beginningof the twentieth century. Vann cites IsaacRosenberg and Mark Gertler as two worthypredecessors, but to look at the worksreproduced is to surprise oneself: Woodrowwas making all manner of prescient marksat a relatively young age, and he evidently

JoashWoodrow,TheWhite Shed (c 1975--80).Image:108 FineArt,Harrogate.rTheJoashWoodrowFamily.

r 2009 the authors. journal compilation r 2009 bpl/aah volume 16 issue 1 february 2009 The ArtBook 45

Reviews

continued to do so. The drawings of the1980s reproduced here, of Yorkshire countrylandscapes, and of the cityscapes of Leedsand Harrogate, are evidence of superb skillsustained throughout his working life.

The real magnetism of this book lies inthe power of the painted landscapes repro-duced, drawn from Woodrow’s career fromthe 1950s until the decade before his death.Vann drops the word ‘outsider’ into hisessay, and leaves it where it falls, which isperhaps where it works best, to be casuallyturned over, rather than seized upon: theapparently limitless energy of Woodrow’soutput can only be imagined on the strengthof the illustrations here, and anyone wiseenough to buy this book (and you should atleast investigate it) will immediately wonderat his sources of influence. Vann says thatWoodrow arrived late before Picasso, butreturned regularly; other influences alsocome to mind, including the artists ofCOBRA or de Stael. Nonetheless, to return

to the book repeatedly will simply confirmthat excessive speculation does not work inthe face of such intensity, and that, outsideror not, there is a real and unique world viewhere, operating at a spiritual level. AsWoodrow’s expressive development is rep-resented, the openness and honesty ofeach canvas is revealed, at first rough,always direct, sometimes coarse, but neverbrutal, and, after that, structure takes over:there is never a weak work, and most are ofabsorbing quality. Each vision declares itsown spatial interrelationships, through line,form, palette, and, sometimes, the mannerof their arrival on the picture plane. As atestimony intended to represent at least asingle element of Woodrow’s output, andperhaps, after that, much more, this bookshould be received with respect by anyserious student of painting. I envy itsauthors and publishers, all of whom deservecongratulation for their efforts to supportWoodrow’s posthumous reputation, and tobring it before a wider audience.

julian freeman

Independent art historian

THE SOCIETY PORTRAIT:

PAINTING, PRESTIGE AND THE

PURSUIT OF ELEGANCE

gabriel badea-paun

Thames & Hudson Ltd 2007 d35.00 $70.00224 pp. 182 col/35 mono illusisbn 978-0-500-23842-4

Gabriel Badea-Paun has explainedto us the pedigree and evolution ofsociety portraiture from the turn

of the nineteenth century to the end of thetwentieth century. He offers his readers anexamination of the careers of variousinfluential European and American artists,who, with a common sense of purpose,produced ‘grand manner’ portraits thatvisualised the periods in which they wereproduced. Although an exhaustive ac-count, the author’s succinct prose, andthe intelligent choice of painters and por-traits discussed, make this book a wel-come and worthy addition to the literature.

The authoritative foreword is writtenby Richard Ormond, co-author of themagnificent four-volume catalogue rai-

Four Trees,WhiteFenceandindustrialBuildings(c. 1975--80).From JoashWoodrow:Landscapesby PhilipVannandJackieWulschlager

46 The ArtBook volume 16 issue 1 february 2009 r 2009 the authors. journal compilation r 2009 bpl/aah

Reviews