PICASSO

A book that must set a standard for its kind, combining the best elements of museum retrospectives, field trips, and studio visits while providing a ringside seat to the intellectual life of the Paris art world in the early 1900s. This sumptuous entry in the Masters of Art series introduces readers to the central characters in Picasso's life, then leads them on the journey from precocious young painter to the creator of such revolutionary works as Guernica. Loria examines major periods of the artist's work through a wealth of superb, full-color reproductions of major paintings, chosen and analyzed with intelligence. The artistic and cultural milieu of the era is epitomized in stunning representations, e.g., the salon of art patroness Gertrude Stein. If there is a wrong note in this narrative, it may be the portrayal—at odds with recent theory—of Picasso as a victim of women, rather than as victimizer. Otherwise, this is an exceptional, captivating book for art lovers and neophytes alike. (chronology, list of works and locations, index) (Biography. 8+)