The London paintings /

This slim catalog accompanied the fall/winter 2005 Somerset House exhibition that examined the artistic and intellectual pursuits of Fauvist painter and sculptor Derain (1880-1954), who visited London three times from 1906 to 1907. The book offers a record of this focused exhibition as well as a recapitulation and clarification of an intense and extremely meaningful year in Derain's early development. Readers unfamiliar with this artist will encounter illustrations that display brilliantly colored landscapes in finished form with lush details, as well as sketchbook doodles. These are interspersed with photograph and postcard reproductions and a contemporary map of London (Londres et Ses Environs, 1908) that put the reader where Derain traveled a century ago. Scholars will enjoy the precise treatment of Derain's technical diversity and theoretical concerns. Transcripts of seven letters, an exhibition checklist, and select bibliography accompany three rich essays by Remy Labrusse, Jacqueline Munck, John House, and Nancy Ireson. The volume also offers a catalog of the 30 known London paintings, each vibrantly reproduced and supplemented with smaller comparative illustrations, including preparatory drawings from pages of two associated sketchbooks. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals. J. Decker Georgetown College