149 Paintings You Really Need to See in North America

Starred review from February 17, 2014
Packing your bags for a European trip that includes visits to art galleries and museums? Be sure to tuck in this guide written for the "gallery-going novice." Not only will it save its readers time, sore feet and frustration by providing essential information about gallery locations, hours, closures and ticket-booking procedures, but Porter, a barrister and art critic, offers fresh insights into works in those famous galleries. The 149 "show-stoppers" he has chosen as mustâsees are accompanied by reproductions, and his comments about the paintings' historyâtime, place, customs, context, style, and techniqueâare refreshingly distinct from the usual gallery audio tour. He is forthright, sometimes irreverent, always entertaining, insightful, sensitive, and exceptionally attentive to unique details. The paintings come from 62 galleries in Eastern and Western Europe and Scandinavia, including the Louvre, the Prado, the Hermitage, the Rijksmuseum, the Sistine Chapel, and the National Gallery. The book's bold title reflects Porter's justified confidence in his critiquesâsufficient to allow him to give a thumbs-down to the number one choice of the 1985 Illustrated London News's top 20 paintings in the world. Luckily, this "must-have" travelling companion is available as an e-book for easy packing.

September 15, 2017
Though too large to throw in your backpack, this is a travel guide to the best art in public museums in North America. Porter and Grant, lawyers by trade, make difficult art accessible through simple formal descriptions and introductory histories of artists and patrons. Both write in an inviting, casual tone. Porter recalls his wife looking at a Rembrandt and exclaiming, Look at that wonderful peppy young self-portrait! A Bridget Riley piece prompts Grant to ask, Is it even art? Their book is rich with color illustrations and brief, wall-text-style explanations that make turning the pages akin to strolling through a museum's galleries. Canonical works by Titian, El Greco, Kandinsky, and de Kooning are all on view. Porter and Grant focus on older European art and more modern North American and European works because those, respectively, are their areas of interest. It's a shame they don't also look at paintings from other parts of the world because their book promises those curious but intimidated by art and museums a comfortable introduction to great works.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)