Patterns in Art: A Closer Look at the Old Masters

Amazing!

I looked forward to receiving this book and really wanted to love it. From an art history perspective, the concept is wonderful— take a closer look at European art from the 13th to 18th century with an eye for the beautiful graphic designs in the paintings. True, the format and a quick flip through the book might lead you to believe that the authors have brought their concept to life: For each painting, the left side page contains a graphic image created by modifying the designs in the painting, with a sideline identifying the CMYK color patterns in each graphic. And then, there are the fatal flaws: While the authors’ text directs you to the design in the full painting, that painting is allotted a roughly 2 inch by 2.5 inch rectangle reproduction. Even with a magnifying glass, it’s impossible to see the details referred to in the text. The authors do reproduce slightly larger “details” of the painting mentioned in the text, and in a very few instances when the painting is allowed four pages instead of just two, they reproduce details that take up a full page. The second fatal flaw: even though the introduction states that this is not their intent, the authors use the text to detail the painting’s historical and demographic background, which is usually quite interesting (except when they go into great detail about details we can’t see), but never, not once, explain how and why they created the graphic design printed on every facing page. Finally, the subheading for the title, “A closer look at the Old Masters” is basically a come on— many of the paintings are so obscure that the authors admit they can’t identify the artist.Probably the most disappointing art book I’ve ever read. I’m giving it three stars out of respect for the authors’ scholarship, but it would get zero if I were judging the book on meeting the readers’ expectations.

The concept of this work is staggering in its innovation. It permits lovers and students of fine art/design a close read of great paintings. It is most remarkable how a work that seems entirely familiar becomes somewhat less so when reading through this text ... one genuinely begins to see these pieces anew. This allows for an even more profound appreciation.I found myself mesmerized by patterns I had previously "disregarded" (I was working on an M.F.A. in illustration when I switched to a Ph.D. in literature/film; so, I am well acquainted with many of these works ... and was still amazed/amused at these "excised" sections).As far as I'm concerned, this reads and looks like a text twice its price. I cannot fathom how it costs so little.If you have a deep interest in fine art/design or are seeking a fascinating book for a class you may be teaching, this text is just a phenomenal contribution to the field. Very highly recommended!

This is a pretty book, and one that will cause me to look at details in paintings that I might otherwise have overlooked.The concept of this book, to examine the detailed patterns that are included in paintings, primarily those from the Medieval to Renaissance periods. Most of the works covered are allotted two pages, a few four, to introduce the work, and where it is currently displayed, to show the work itself, and a detail of the patterns, and give a brief description. Unfortunately this format does not allow for nearly enough information to be conveyed. The pictures of the works are too small, requiring the reader to use a magnifying glass to see some of the details being described. The accompanying text is too brief, only two or three paragraphs in most cases, leaving the reader to wonder about the significance of the work, and why the authors felt it deserved inclusion in this book.

What an original idea for a book. I enjoyed just leafing through the book and looking at all the details from Old Masters, a whole different way of looking at art for me. But I can also imagine how useful a book like this could be to art students and even more to various designers, especially those involved in fabric arts. Great patterns and motifs here, tons of ideas for your own projects, complete with color guides to capture the original colors if that is important to you. Most of these patterns are taken from the clothes of the subjects in the paintings, or the fabrics on the furniture or curtains, or from the tiles on the floors. "Look inside" to get an idea of what you'll see, very little text, mostly full color pages of patterns and smaller images of the relevant paintings.

I am an art museum hound and enjoy looking for interesting details in art. This book is a treasure trove of details in art from the 1300's to the 1800's. The book's focus is on detail patterns in the paintings. Details that are found in the floor tiles or the garments worn. Most are intricate geometric designs with diverse color combinations. Along the edge of each page are strokes of the paint colors in each pattern but also some letters and numbers that are not explained anywhere else .