The remarkably talented, if previously neglected, African American painter Bob Thompson (1937-1966) finally has his day in the sun. This excellent book, published to accompany an important exhibit at New York's Whitney Museum, tells the story of an artist who overdosed on heroin at age 29, but not before leaving many dozens of excellent canvases, mostly inspired by the mythological scenes of classical painters like Poussin. Subjects such as Mars and Venus and The Massacre of the Innocents show Thompson's fascination with the artistic past, and the very personal variations of this essentially self-taught painter have a winning energy and skill. Elegance of gesture was of primary importance to Thompson, and his works kept on improving until the very end. He was an important American painter, and fully worthy of the attention he is at long last getting. This book will intrigue anyone interested in modern figurative art. The only disappointing element is the brief and somewhat confused notes on individual paintings. Otherwise, this is a very useful title, whether or not one has visited the Whitney retrospective. --Benjamin Ivry 9 x 12.2, Paperback: 200 pages Publisher: Whitney Museum of Art (1998) OUT OF STOCK |