Views of Paris- A Book Recommendation

I love to buy art books! Both how-to books on specific techniques and books of work by other artists. As I have delved deeper into urban sketching in the last half a year I have been looking around at the books out there and have ordered a few and picked up a few more at a local art store. They are nice and showcase some interesting work as well as styles new to me or unique to my own. A few months ago I watched an art book review on youtube and realized that a lot of artists are showcasing their own cities or cities to which they have traveled. Wanting a book like this I started browsing Amazon, and wow did I luck out. I found a book of Paris and ordered it. One of the things about a city like Paris is that it has been painted and sketched so many times that the images while nice are sometimes repetitive. So I was hoping I would enjoy it.

 The book, 'Views of Paris' by Thierry Duval is a masterpiece! It arrived a week and a half ago but I have been too busy to be able to sit down with it until a few days ago. What a treat. It surpassed all of my expectations. Duval has so many strong points technically. He has a very light hand and is able to portray a variety of atmospheres from hazy to bright clear skies, sunset, and even evening.

  One of the pictures that appeals to me is a picture of a tree-shaded square with a river going through it. The dappled green light of the leaves reflecting in the water is wonderful. The bridge over the canal created a great composition in the piece.

  Another thing he does so well is glass- so many of his pieces feature shop windows both in passages as well as along the street. He really achieves that balance between reflection and the contents of the window. My favorite window is, of course, that of the Sennelier paint shop.

 Lastly, having spent time with some amazing pre-raphealite work recently I was impressed by Duvals level of detail in the foreground of his paintings, he had the sense, however, to fade into the background creating almost photorealistic images. 

 I can whole heartedly recommend this book to both artists and lovers of Paris. It is a slim one but would be a great coffee table book.

I am in no way sponsored by either the author, publisher or Amazon. I just really enjoyed this book and wanted to share it with you. If you have art book recommendations, I would love to hear them in the comments.

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