1: Good pictures, but don't expect to learn more about reading Chinese Paintings
I bought the soft cover edition of the book. At $16.50 (after discount), I feel it's a good buy. The book is produced in a large format, and the paintings are reproduced superbly on good quality paper. There are 36 works (mostly paintings but also a few calligraphic scrolls) gleaned from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The earliest work is by Han Gan (active 742-56) and the last by Gong Xian (1619-1689). Most of the artists are represented by a single scroll, with the exceptions of Ni Zan and Zhao Mengfu, who have two and three works on display respectively. The paintings and calligraphy are first presented in its full format, with subsequent reproductions of close-ups to show details.
The text, however, is disappointing. It's written mostly in a dry, academic style, and it hardly points the way to a deeper reading of the works of art. Most of the time it merely describes what's in the picture. Buy the book to feast on its sumptuously reproduced scrolls but look elsewhere to learn how to read Chinese paintings.
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