Meet Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas, Annie Newlands, Anne Newlands. J.P. Lippincott, $13.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-397-32369-2
Produced in conjunction with a recent retrospective of Degas, this book was designed to introduce children to the artist. Newlands uses the device of having Degas himself ``speak'' directly to the reader, explaining 15 of his works. This is a somewhat tricky and risky maneuver, but Newlands pulls it off--the artist's ``voice'' rings true as he explains such subjects as his self-portrait, painted when he was just 23, and progresses through a sampling of many of his subjects: dancers, jockeys, bathers, family and friends. The author has done a fine job of selecting paintings (and one sculpture) that are particularly revealing about Degas, his life and his beloved Paris; readers will get a genuine sense of what motivated and inspired his art. The text is clear and informative, offering details that will interest adults as well as children. All ages. (Mar.)
Details
Reviewed on: 02/27/1989
Genre: Children's