Summary

A Comprehensive Reference to Great Artists of the World

From Finnish architect Alvar Aalto to Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán, the four-volume Biographical Dictionary of Artists provides concise profiles of the world's most important artists. Covering sculptors, architects, painters, video artists, and many other visual artists, this comprehensive reference details the lives and major works of prominent artists throughout history and from around the world. Each entry offers biographical data on the artist, characteristics of the artist's creative output, significance of the work, career milestones, and locations where the work is displayed. Further readings follow selected entries, and a glossary at the end of the fourth volume defines art-related terms.

Accessible and Inclusive Biographies

Organized in an A-to-Z format, Biographical Dictionary of Artists includes not only well-known artists, but also lesser-known individuals who in many cases are excluded from or glossed over in general surveys of art history. The inclusion of artists who are not part of the canon of Western art gives readers the opportunity to discover unfamiliar artists and develop a broader understanding of art history. Artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries are covered, as are women and artists from other groups who have traditionally been underrepresented in art books. The ideal companion to Facts On File Encyclopedia of Art, this biographical encyclopedia makes information about artists easy to find and readily available.

Beautifully Illustrated with Informative Captions

Each highly illustrated volume is packed with photographs or reproductions—many in full color—accompanied by informative captions. A chronology of artists and a comprehensive set index add to this accessible reference.

Artists covered include:

• Laurie Anderson
• Louise Bourgeois
• Chang Ta-ch'ien
• Chuck Close
• Paul Durand-Ruel
• Albrecht Dürer
• Frank Gehry
• Eva Hesse
• Jasper Johns
• Frida Kahlo
• Ellsworth Kelly
• Anselm Kiefer
• Li K'o-jan
• Jan Lievensz
• Limburg Brothers
• Henri Matisse
• Nam June Paik
• Jusepe de Ribera
• Richard Serra
• Jan Vermeer
• Andy Warhol
• and more.

Specifications

For each volume: Full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Index. Glossary. Chronology. Further reading. In four volumes.

About the Author(s)

General editor Sir Lawrence Gowing was a distinguished painter, author, and the Slade Professor of Fine Art at University College, London. He had many successful one-man exhibitions and his work is represented in major collections throughout the world. His numerous publications include studies of Renoir, Vermeer, Cézanne, Constable, Goya, Turner, Matisse, and Hogarth, as well as a highly praised biography of Lucian Freud.