Women in the Fine Arts by Clara Erskine Clement WatersReview by: Susan E. WyngaardARLIS/NA Newsletter, Vol. 4, No. 2 (FEBRUARY 1976), pp. 48-49Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Art Libraries Society of NorthAmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27945573 .

Accessed: 14/06/2014 04:09

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

The University of Chicago Press and Art Libraries Society of North America are collaborating with JSTOR todigitize, preserve and extend access to ARLIS/NA Newsletter.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 185.44.78.129 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 04:09:56 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

volume entitled, Beaumont Newhall, published on the occasion of Newhall's retirement from the Directorship of the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York, in 1971. That book simply listed the 632 works authored by Newhall to date, with appropriate apprec iations. It is an interesting footnote to the history of

photography as a self-perpetuating system that, at the time of publication of Beaumont Newhall, Coke was

replacing Newhall at the Eastman House. Now, both have professorships at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque. One Hundred Years of Photographic,

History was published with the assistance of a grant from the George Eastman House, by the University of New Mexico Press.

How all of this honors Newhall is another matter. While the introduction states that these never-before

published essays are the kind of research Newhall feels should be undertaken, some of the writing, unlike New hall's own,tends to have pedantic and obscure over tones. Nor is the title altogether accurate since more than 100 years are dealt with, nor are all the essays photographic history. For example, some of the writing may be more appropriately categorized as criticism than history, since its viewpoint is highly personal and specu lative. No real thematic overview exists and this makes the book difficult to consider using as a text. Unfortu

nately, the essays presuppose too much previous know ledge of the field to make this a book for general, lei

surely reading. It is not a picture book, as the reproduc tions are adequate for identification purposes only but little more.

While some of the essays don't get beyond the level of inquiry of the graduate seminar paper, others are real contributions to the photographic literature. The biogra phies of Cuthbert Bede, Robert Hunt and Thomas Sut ton by Helmut Gernsheim are certainly useful. The dis covery, by Heinrich Schwarz, of an eighteenth century poem on the camera obscura, is a nice addition to the

pre-history of photography. The essay on Atget's trees

by John Szarkowski is not only clever, but delineates some of the problems of research methodology specific to work with photographs. A helpful article by William C. Darrah on stereographs is both concise and informa tive. Jean Adhemar's essay on Emile Zola reveals ano

ther aspect of the writer, one in need of more research. Other essays on such diverse subjects as photomontage, the aesthetic relationships between seventeenth century Dutch painting and nineteenth century photography, the poetry of scientific illustration, photography in

Hamburg and on individuals such as Victor Regnault and Julia Margaret Cameron are interesting, if frag

mentary, reading. Others are not. When they are not,

they at least identify areas of concern within the medium in need of more research. As an indicator of the level of scholarship in the photographic medium, this book makes clear the need for the involvement of

more people with Beaumont Newhall's clarity of style, ability to narrate and dedication.

?Marie Czach

Western Illinois University

Art still has truth, take refuge there.

-St. Louis Art Museum, Cass Gilbert's entablature, 1904

Waters, Clara Erskine Clement. Women in the Fine Arts. New York, Hacker Art Books, 1974. $17.50 LC 73-92107 ISBN 0-87817-150-9. CIP not included.

This biographical dictionary of women artists active from the 7th century B.C. to the 20th century A.D. was first published in 1904 in Cambridge, Massachusetts un der the author's maiden name, Clara Erskine Clement. Before writing this review I thought it wise to look up reviews of the original publication. I think I can safely say this work entered the world practically unnoticed.

The reprint edition presents a thousand artists from various countries and different periods of time. The en tries are arranged alphabetically by artists' last name, al

though very few cross references are given for name

changes after marriage. Included at the back of the vol ume is a "Supplement," compiled to cite artists omitted in the main body of text and to give additional informa tion on some already mentioned.

To collect her information, the author sent a circu lar to women artists in the United States and Europe, in

quiring where their studies were made, what honors

they received, the titles of their principal works, etc.

Many responded with photographs of their works which have been included as black and white illustrations. While this method of research naturally results in giving more coverage to Ms. Waters' contemporaries, at the

same time it provides exposure to numerous 19th cen

tury artists who would never be found in other biogra phical dictionaries.

Entries range from approximately 75-3000 words.

Many lack specific dates and often times will mention the title of a work exhibited, but will neglect to reveal where it was exhibited. Almost every entry mentions where the artist studied and with whom. The style of

writing tends to be charming, ("If she paints the branch of a rose-tree, it seems to spring from the

ground with its flowers in all their luxurious wan

tonness, and one can almost imagine one's self in

haling their delightful perfume") and rather dated

("Mme. Abbema wears her hair short, and affects such absolute simplicity in her costume that at first sight she reminds one of a charming young man. In no other direction, however, is there a masculine touch about this delightful artist. She has feminine

grace, a love for poetry, a passion for flowers. . . in

short, a truly womanly character. . .").

In spite of its omissions and subjective descrip tions, I have found Women in the Fine Arts to be

very helpful in reference work simply because it often lists artists who cannot be found in other sources. An interesting anecdote illustrates this

point. Not too long ago an elderly couple from a

nearby farming community came to our university art library to look up second cousin Matilda, an

artist, in their opinion, certainly worthy of note.

They owned one of her paintings and it was "quite good." All of us have encountered these situations, and all of us are subject to that indescribable charis ma of certain library patrons which can lead us into maniacal searches which surprise even the most apa thetic of us. I assisted this couple with every source

I knew of, all to no avail. Second cousin Matilda simply

48

This content downloaded from 185.44.78.129 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 04:09:56 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

was not documented. Eventually we gave up although I promised to be in touch if anything should turn up. Shortly thereafter'arrived a review

copy of Women in the Fine Arts which not only contained a very informative entry on cousin Matil

da, but also included a full page illustration of one of her works. (And, you know, she was pretty goodi )

Women in the Fine Arts may not have made much of an impact when first published in 1904, but I pre dict that the 1974 reprint will become a very useful

biographical tool in art libraries throughout the country. _ Susan E. Wyngaard

University of California, Santa Barbara

Collins, J.L. Women Artists in America IL. University of

Tennessee at Chattanooga, 1975. $15.00. LC 73

163882 CIP not included.

After what many considered an assemblage of misin

formation in his previous volume, Jimmie Lee Collins is back for a second try. This new work was originally intended to be an updated, revised edition of his first

biographical dictionary, Woman Artists in America,

Eighteenth Century to the Present (Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1973). However, after two years of research he decided instead to compile a reference source that

focused primarily on the contemporary American woman artist.

The earlier work was reviewed by Anne Tompkins in Vol. 1, no. 6 of the ARLIS/NA Newsletter (October,

1973). Unfortunately many of her well-founded criti cisms still hold true in this second volume. Collins either omits citations to well-known artists, such as

Joan Mitchell, Sylvia Sleigh (living in the U.S. since

1961) and Pat Mainardi, or provides such scanty infor

mation that after reading the entry, I wish I had spent my energy elsewhere. The entry for Romaine Brooks

is an example: "Painter. She was painting figures and

portraits in the 1920's." Neither does he inform his

readers of little known artists such as Alice Adams,

"Sculptor. Noted for her constructions," or Ursula

Meyer, for whom my favorite entry is written,

"Sculptor. Noted for her work in the 1960's which was

minimal."

Arrangement of the text is alphabetical by artists' last name, with no additional index. Entries range from approximately 5 to 50 words, and cite medium of

the artist, and occasionally where she has studied or

exhibited. Pages are not numbered, available birth and death dates are more often lacking than present, and

the quality of the black and white reproductions is

poor. Addresses and names of dealers of living artists, information which would have been useful, are not

provided. After reading through this book it occurred to me

that another year or two of research on the part of the

author could have produced an excellent reference tool. Why publish a book so incomplete and of such

little value? But then, 1975 was International Women's

Year, and the red, white and blue waving banner on the

book jacket is just in time for the Bicentennial. ?Susan E. Wyngaard

NOTE: Correct documentation of reviewed titles is the

sole responsibility of each reviewer. The ARLIS/NA Newsletter staff is not accountable for any misinformation.

Artist's Market'76. 2d ed. Cincinnati, Ohio, Writer's Digest, 1976. $9.95

2,894 markets for art! 40% more markets! 45 cate

gories instead of 35 ! Well, it's all true, but the second

edition remains essentially the same as the first. True, there is now a Glossary of Art Terms, but it's only 3 1/4 pages. True, there's an ABC of Original Graphics, but it's 2 1/2 pages. True, there are

" 'cameo' interviews

with representative Art Buyers (7)." The "Notes on

Marketing" are verbatim the "Notes on Freelancing" from the first edition?(still without mention of identi

fying red dots on slides.) Still no selective bibliography, which would have been preferable to inadequate glossa ries and ABC's. Still no geographic breakdown. And an

unfortunate change: Medallic Art of the first edition

finds itself transformed to Metallic fat first, I thought it

was a "typo".) With no reference from medals in the

index.

The most unfortunate change, however, is the weight of the paper and the size of the type. While the first

edition included a designer's note at the very end?from

which the designer modestly excluded his own name?

the second carries a designer's credit on the back of the

title page. Yet the second edition is not nearly so plea sant to eye and touch. The paper is about half the

weight of the first (which is 50 pounds) and the type considerably smaller (first ed. is 9 or 10 Times Roman on a 25 pica measure.) Cover stock is different and cover title is Condensed Bold instead of Bold. Trivial

perhaps, but the total effect is of skimpy production and casual editing. The work and planning that evi

dently went into the first edition here seem lacking, which is unfortunate, since the need still exists for

well edited thoughtfully prepared reference tools.

(See review of Artist's Market '75, ARLIS/NA News

letter, vol. 3, no. 3, April 1975, p. S-3).

?Joan Hugo Otis Art Institute

Jimsrs Market 76

562

illustration Markets 1,083

Cartoon Markets 678

craft Markets

BtsignMarkeis L540

Photography Markets Fine Art Martels

BOOKS OF NOTE

Authenticity in Art: The Scientific Detection of

Forgery by Stuart J. Fleming will probably attract

"practicing forgers" as readers. The book is co

published by England's Institute of Physics and

Crane, Russak & Co. of New York, selling for

$14.50. It is illustrated with art masterpieces and

fake duplications as it describes methods of art

authentication and the technologies employed by

past and present-day forgers.

49

This content downloaded from 185.44.78.129 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 04:09:56 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions