Vieira Da Silva Paperback – January 16, 1999

both in stature and girth, this is small - i wanted to buy a book to see more detail than i can w my laptop screen. Its got clarity in its pictures but it's not a large book at all. gotta get my cheaters specs out to see it.also it took like a month to ship but that might just be covid-reasons so i didn't take stars off for that.

This book gets off to a brilliant start, with Gisela Rosenthal covering Da Silva's childhood in ample detail and accounting to the reader some of her important childhood experiences (her father's death, her many tours of European art galleries) whose impact eventually infiltrated her artwork. Although few of the earliest works depicted in this collection hint at her later virtuosity, it is astonishing to learn at what an early age Da Silva was already a master of concept - able to discern the vital characteristics of each separate art movement, past and present, while using those ideas to vault her into a style uniquely her own. It is simply breathtaking to see her development of both style and ability throughout her early career, as each successive print in the first half of this book reveals a work of improved technique, greater cultural relevance, and heightened emotional impact.Throughout the first half, the author communicates the major events of da Silva's life - her marriage to the artist Arpad, as well as their exile from France during the war - and in every case, does a fantastic job of interpreting the works created during these years, relating each work to both her life and the world around her. Given the incredible evolution of da Silva's work, the reader cannot help but wonder what form of expression her many talents will take next.Then the final chapter happens. Entitled simply, "The Labyrinth," this rambling, uninformative portion of the text leaves the reader questioning who has become lazier, Rosenthal, who restates her one or two theses ad nauseum (by the end of this chapter, you had BETTER realize that the "labyrinthine" spacial conceit in da Silva's work is a metaphor for uncertainty in the postmodern world!!!!); or da Silva, whose plethora of works represented from this period - though revealing an unbelievable attention to detail and outrageously advanced conception of line and space - are, in all honesty, only slight variations on the same basic idea. In addition, Rosenthal pulls up the authorial slack by using a quote from da Silva seemingly every other line, several of which rehash the same material covered in the previous paragraph. While it is valuable that Rosenthal attempts to place da Silva's unique work into a cultural context, she spends so much time covering the "labyrinth" idea and pontificating on the grand purpose of da Silva's art that she fails to provide the reader with pertinent biographical information about da Silva during this time period, only infrequently addressing the specific meaning or importance of particular works. Toward the very end, we are treated to such "penetrating" insights as "the question of meaning could no longer be raised under the conditions of the modern age," and, "[following the death of Arpad], da Silva's paintings served as a means of grieving." Forgive me if I think these comments fall short of qualifying as illuminating.As usual with Taschen, the prints are amazing, providing a good introduction to an important artist at a reasonable price; and although the first half of the book is intensely enjoyable, one wishes Gisela Rosenthal had planned more material for the last 30 or 40 pages.

How could I have lived for over 50 years before ever hearing of Maria Helena Vieira da Silva? Such events provide much evidence to support the theory that malign spirits guide our destinies.This Portugese-French expressionist (actually closer to Tachisme and Surrealism) has created some wonderful paintings that would, to my mind, qualify her to be the official painter of libraries everywhere. Take a look at this, entitled "Bibliotheque" 1949, one of many paintings depicting the infinite universes contained in libraries.[...]Vieira da Silva has said: "When I paint a landscape or a seascape, I'm not very sure it's a landscape or a seascape. It's a thought form rather than a realistic form."I give this volume only 4 stars simply because, although Taschen has done an admirable job in its production, and Gisela Rosenthal certainly does no worse than many in providing commentary, I can imagine a much more splendid book that would truly do justice to this creator of masterpieces. I will make it my quest to seek out and find.

I like the artists work so good to read about her

Books on this fascinating and underrated painter are as rare as hen's teeth and this volume in the Taschen Basic Art Series (long out of print) is the only one I know of.Fortunately, it's well-illustrated with quite large and plentiful colour plates of work from all periods of her career.Known mainly as an abstract painter, her work is always relatable to real-world subjects; a Portuguese artist, she trained in Paris, made her name first in Brazil then returned to France where she was in the vanguard of the post-war Art Informel movement - the European school of Abstract Expressionist painting that usually only gets one line (or maybe a paragraph) in most art histories.A decent monograph and reference for an unfairly neglected artist, worth tracking down if it can be found for a fair price.

I had no book about Vieira da Silva and Taschen Basic Art Series about this painter gave be a very interesting knowledge about life and paintings along her life time. All presented paintings are described in a way that even the layman can understand the artist motivation. The influence of Arpad Szenes is also enhanced. I recommend this book.

B beautiful book.

A much underrated artist