We hate to think about price when we review books, but no one in the book world can help but notice the increase in cost, hence our delight with Abrams' fine and affordable Great Modern Masters series. These volumes epitomize good page design and succinct yet insightful commentary. Each artist, four of the twentieth-century's most remarkable and influential painters, is introduced with a brief biographical profile and a tightly focused description of the most salient aspects of his work. In the book on Bacon, one of England's most controversial painters, the emphasis is on his interest in X rays and how he translated that into his powerful, rather tortured portraits. Dali's fascination with dreams, the landscape of his homeland, and his complicated relationship with his wife, Gala, are all briskly summarized in the volume bearing his name, while the well-chosen plates provide an excellent overview of this almost destructively prolific and wildly popular artist. Matisse, the painter of patterns, women, windows, and flowers, and Dali's psychological opposite if ever there was one, is presented in all his lush glory. Picasso, that precocious chameleon, is shown in his many guises, from cubism to his own mythic brand of expressionism. This exceptional series, rich in sumptuous color prints, is perfect for public and school libraries. We look forward to future releases. - Donna Seaman-
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