John White Alexander: An American Artist in the Gilded Age

I have been waiting for a monograph on Mr. Alexander for years. Ms. Goley, in her preface, says that if you were to ask a specialist in American Art for their favorite Alexander painting, they would most likely choose “Isabella and the Pot of Basil” or “Repos”, without suggesting, as I will, that these are probably the only two Alexander paintings they would be familiar with. Hopefully this will change, as Mr. Alexander is deserving of the same recognition accorded his contemporaries Sargent and Whistler. As an illustrator and educator who loves painting drapery, I have been a fan of Alexander’s for decades. He is one of those artists whose name I look for in the collection of any museum I visit while I travel, in hopes of seeing a “new” work. My own favorite would be either “The portrait of Mrs. Herman Duryea” in the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma (which terraced gardens make it one of the most beautiful Museums you could ever hope to visit), or “Alethea” from the same period as “Repos” and also featuring a woman- the same model- in a flowing dress on a divan. “Alethea” is illustrated in Ms. Goley’s book; “Mrs. Duryea”, alas, is not. That any works should remain unillustrated when in fact one of the most frustrating things in the book is the number of works mentioned but noted, parenthetically, as “(unlocated)”, and therefor only described from the artist’s notes or exhibition catalogues, is a shame. The book is primarily a biography, however, so don’t be fooled by the proportions; look at the dimensions. While at 10.75” x 8.5” it is larger than an “average” bio of 9.5” x 6.5”, it is not a full blown coffee table book with large, full page images. The book is clearly well researched in following the artist’s career, but seems rather lacking (despite, or perhaps because of, the cooperation of the artist’s grandchildren) in any intimacy. It records a famous artist’s public life; where he was and what he did at any given time. There are no personal letters quoted; his work is tracked through newspaper reports and magazine articles. The style of the book is: “He went here and painted this (and this is what was said about it) and went there and painted that (same).” Having read the book in its entirety, I can say that I know virtually nothing about the artist’s relationship with his wife, or his son, or his models. Alexander died just over a hundred years ago, and the distance is obvious. The reader knows the artist was highly respected and well liked, but beyond this surface impression there is little depth to his personality. All this being said, the book is worth having, given the quality of the art and the importance of this artist. If this were the bio alone, with a section in the middle with a few paintings, I’d give it three stars; but then I’m already very familiar with the outlines of his career. It is because of the beauty of the work, and the reproductions on the pages where the paintings are discussed, that I rate it higher, plus the fact that if you are unfamiliar with the artist, you’ll be overjoyed at the discovery. Alexander’s depictions of elegantly draped women, and the effects of sunlight through glass and cloth and water, are wonderful to view. I cannot recommend his work enough, and Ms. Goley’s book is virtually the only game in town. Add it to your library.

I have loved John White Alexander's work ever since seeing his painting at the Met in New York. I was hoping for a survey of his his other works in full color with large images of high quality when I purchased this book. Unfortunately, the book is a near classic example of art historians valuing their own words far, far above the artist's work. Out of the 250+ pages in pages in the book, less than 20 are full page images of Alexander's paintings, and there are fewer than 50-60 images overall, most of which are quarter page size or less.Here's a tip for art historians and their publishers - nobody wants to read your words unless they are placed alongside many beautiful full page reproductions of the artist's work. It is the artist that matters, not the critic or the historian.If you must have have at least some samples of Alexander's paintings, there are not a lot of choices out there besides this book, but just be aware that the book fails to do any justice at all at reproducing the painter's work. Buy the book used and save yourself as much money as you can. John White Alexander was a great American painter - he deserved better than this book to represent his work.

Mary Anne Goley has been our family's go to person for this Artist for long, long time, as we follow this Artist's work. I am sure this book is worth the read. We are buying our copy today....

Like reading a great Edith Wharton novel, a beautiful, evocative, insightful book.