The Art of Making Great Art

I loved Lachlan Goudie’s The Secrets of Painting. Hot off the presses from Thames & Hudson, it’s an answer to a question I get sometimes from readers. What’s a good survey book on art? Not a book for dummies, or a generalist’s book on, say, French Impressionism, a written version of “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Étretat.” No, something that’s meaty, covers lots of territory, and banishes jargon.

Goudie’s not an art historian, though he knows plenty about art history, but an artist. Scottish but based in London, he had an accomplished artist for a father and teacher. The first thing to know about The Secrets of Painting is that it’s clear, succinct, and elegant. The second is its substance. It’s a handyman’s guide — focused on how a painting itself gets made — from cave painting to David Hockney and AI art, which, we see, is not an evil in itself.

About the Author

Brian T. Allen

Brian T. Allen is National Review’s art critic.

Featured Tags

Manage following

Art

I loved Lachlan Goudie’s The Secrets of Painting. Hot off the presses from Thames & Hudson, it’s an answer to a question I get sometimes from readers. What’s a good survey book on art? Not a book for dummies, or a generalist’s book on, say, French Impressionism, a written version of “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Étretat.” No, something that’s meaty, covers lots of territory, and banishes jargon.

Goudie’s not an art historian, though he knows plenty about art history, but an artist. Scottish but based in London, he had an accomplished artist for a father and teacher. The first thing to know about The Secrets of Painting is that it’s clear, succinct, and elegant. The second is its substance. It’s a handyman’s guide — focused on how a painting itself gets made — from cave painting to David Hockney and AI art, which, we see, is not an evil in itself.