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340 Books edges. The puppets, mysterious beings made of plaster of Paris, painted in pastel tones, were part eerie, tender, grotesque, and witty. . .. Indescribably expressive, each single figure, even portraits of close friends aptly characterized and humorously caricatured. There was no end to the laughing and the enthusiasm when Felix gave a performance. ... Klee then sat somewhere in a corner, smoking his pipe and smiling in quiet enjoyment’ (pp. 100-101). Apparently, Klee’s concern with performance was far removed from the professional stage. Hechose not to introduce his puppets into the public arena, though they would certainly have been acceptable, since Sophie Taiiber-Arp and Carl Fischer had already presented artistically successfulmarionette programs in Zurich (1918). Some of the faces and figures were not child-like and charming. Significantly,in the 193Os,many of the expressions in and titles for these physiognomies and figurines struck an ominous note, for example, ‘Struck from the List’(1933). ‘Mask of Fear’ (1932), ‘Dancing from Fear’(1938)and ‘Death and Fire’ (1940). Klee, the quintessential fantasist, was facing the contemporaneous reality and expressing his reaction in the best way he knew. Plant has analyzed many of the illustrated works intelligently and succinctly and substantiates her critical appraisals with background material from wide-ranging sources. Additional information is included in the notes on the text, the selected bibliography and the list of illustrations. This book is a valuable contribution to the critical literature on the work of Paul Klee. Masereel. Roger Avermaete. Rizzoli, New York, 1977.318 pp.. illus. $70.00. Reviewed by Emiel Bergen* This extensive monograph on the Belgian artist Frans Masereel (1889-1972) was begun by Pierre Vorms in 1958, but the manuscript was later turned over to S. H. Scholl, a friend of the artist, to complete. After Scholl’sdeath in 1968Masereel had the manuscript completed by the art writer Roger Avermaete, who knew him verywell. Avermaete had founded the ‘Lumiere’group in Antwerp after World War I and invited the artist to participate at its initial exhibition. In 1911, after his marriage, Masereel settled in Paris. There, with Claude Le Magnet he founded the magazine Les Tubleftes, in which he published 48 woodcuts (1916-19). Masereel’s first important illustrated work was a set of 57 woodcuts published in Paris in 1917. As a book illustrator, he worked principally for Swiss, German and French publishers, and the authors whose books he illustrated ranged from Shakespeare and Tolstoy to Ernest Hemingway and the Flemish writers August Vermeylen and Herman Teirlinck. In the earlier work his woodcuts were balanced in black and white and devoid of realistic shading. His style was forceful, expressive; the content could be described as aggressive, yet humanitarian. In about 1925 his style changed. Black prevailed over white and the edges became blurred. His harsh style was generally accepted in Germany but not in France. Although woodcuts were his principal medium, he made oil paintings, lithographs and drawings. For seven years he worked exclusively in these other media, but he returned again to woodcuts, retaining his vigorous style. Avermaete presents not only a detailed account of the artist’s work but also an intimate description of his life. Masereel mingled loneliness, suffering and evil with tenderness and harshness and with optimism and despair. The book is profusely illustrated and includes a few colour plates of paintings by the artist. There is a bibliography and a complete tabulation of Masereel’s works, both of which were prepared by Pierre Vorms and Hanns-Conon von der Gabelentz. Mackintosh Watercolours. Roger Billcliffe.John Murray, London , 1978. 144pp., illus. f 10.00. Reviewed by Nancy Hubbe** *I 16Verboeckhavenstraat, B1030 Brussels, Belgium. **288 Katahdin Ave., Millinocket. ME 04462, U.S.A. More than just an illustrated catalogue, Billcliffe’s book will serve as a resource for artists and art historians and as a refreshing diversion for knowledgeable art lovers. His Introduction tellsenough to place each watercolour in its historical and biographical setting. The author points out the development of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s style as it veered from Art Nouveau influence and the dominance of long curved lines to that of powerful shapes in his more original late landscapes. Billcliffe argues that...

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