This is a fascinating look at the surrealist photographer Dora Maar. Like many women artists her work has been overshadowed by the male artists. This book tries to change that. The essays are informative and well written. The photographs are beautiful to look at. Overall it is a lovely book. Enjoy

I was excited to find not one but two new books about Dora Maar on #NetGalley this year after reading "The Age of Light" last year. The women of surrealism are getting their due. Dora Maar is a well researched volume filled with the gorgeous work of this little known surrealist photographer.

Interesting look at Dora Maar's work. Highly recommend for people interested in photography and Surrealism.

This is a fascinating collection of Dora Maar’s works. She has only ever been shown on one level before, I adored her Street photography and surrealism.

A great collection of the talented photographers work. The book shows a nice progression from her early photography work to her more sural work. If you enjoy anything by Dora Maar or early photography you most likely will enjoy this book like I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is an exhibition catalog for a show that will be visiting the Tate Modern, the Centre Pompidou, and the J. Paul Getty Museum this year. Most of it is photographs from the 1930s and 1940s, with some of her paintings at the end.

I had never heard of Dora Maar, but I like looking at old photos, so I knew this would be interesting. Maar created a variety of photos including advertising, nudes, fashion, street people, and surrealist collages when that became fashionable. There seems to have been a period of time where it was the thing among photographers to take pictures of poor people in cities. I especially enjoyed looking at Maar's photos of these people in France and England. If you look at all the details, including the backgrounds, you get a real feel for what life was like for the average citizen back then.

If you have any facility with Photoshop, you might look at her surrealist collages and think you could knock out something like that in a few hours. But back then it took a lot of time and skill to manipulate the photo plates and create the effect you wanted.

Maar was Pablo Picasso's mistress for a few years. During that time he allowed her to do her work in the same studio where he was painting. She took a series of six photographs of his famous work "Guernica" when it was a work in progress. I found it fascinating to see how the canvas was gradually filling in. I was surprised to discover how huge that painting is. I had seen photos of the painting, but never checked the dimensions. About 11 1/2 feet tall and 25 1/2 feet wide. No wonder people are so impressed by it.
Picasso was apparently also the one that convinced Maar to switch from photography to painting. I think she should have stuck with photography. She should have told him to buzz off. Not that her paintings are bad, but her eye was better suited to photography.

The catalog also has a lot of interesting articles by various authors detailing Dora Maar's life, the progression of her career, and the people who influenced her. This was not a time that was kind to women who wanted to work in "men's" professions, but she was innovative and persistent, and was able to create a name for herself and separate her work from the men who wanted to take credit for what she had done.

The first time I had any knowledge of Dora Maar was (sadly) when she died in the 90's.
Curiosity had me look into her vast expanse of work and quickly had me obsessed with her photography.
While she was also a painter, poet and muse (to Picasso of all people) it's her photography that resonated with me.
If you are unfamiliar with her work I would highly recommend getting familiar.
Heck you can start with this book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Getty Publications for my DRC.

Dora Maar was incredibly talented in a way few people ever get to be. She has an impeccable eye for beauty and surrealities, capturing an image or moment that never fails to require a closer look from the viewer.

I requested this book based solely on the cover, which in this case was a smart decision because the contents inside are just as good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

A great art book on the photographer/painter/Surrealist Dora Maar. Most of the work focuses on her output during the late 1920s and 1930s with her photography and photomontage while the last section showcases her work with painting and a nice, small section of the work she did of and with Picasso. The text provided a nice introduction to Maar within the art movements she was involved with throughout her career.

ARC from NetGalley.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Finally, Dora Maar's work is being given the focus it should have had years ago. A beautiful catalogue to accompany a wonderful exhibition. A must have for photography and art lovers.

5 out of 5 stars.

Muse to Pablo Picasso, Dora Maar's work shines amongst the rest. With stunning photographs and essays sprinkled throughout, this book perfectly encapsulates all that is Dora Maar. From portraits to street photography, this book provides any reader with a well-rounded collection of Maar's work that perfectly explains who she is, what she does, and who she loved through her photography. Although most of her pieces are in black and white or sepia-toned, her photos tell a thorough story. This book would be perfect for any fan of Maar's or one who just enjoys the aesthetically pleasing aspects of life.

I cannot praise this collection highly enough. The Getty Museum never disappoints, but this is just downright exciting to have this much Dora Maar all in one place! I am over the moon at having received this ebook and cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy.

I received this ARC for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dora Maar lived in that magical time when, as one person said, "everybody knew everybody." And she traveled in an amazing circle that included Henri Cartier Bresson, Andre Breton, Pablo Picasso, Brassaï, Jacques Prévert, Max Morise, Simone Weil, Jean Renoir, and Georges Bataille.

This book chronicles the varied stages of her career, from street photography to magazine work to surrealist images, to documentary photography (including photographing Picasso as he worked on "Guernica"), to her own painting. This volume covers the best of these works.

My own favorite is her street photography which is spontaneous and alive. The magazine work is equally fine and compares to some of the best of the times. The surrealist works are interesting but others did it better. And I am less enthusiastic about the paintings, which seem overly derivative.

But overall this is a fine collection and deserving to be in any photo book collector's library. Much of this work has not been published before and as a group establishes her as an important photographer.

Fantastic exhibition catalogue for a retrospective on Dora Maar's life and work.

Maar (1907-1997) was a Surrealist photographer/artist whose own creations have--in the intervening years--been passed over and forgotten in light of her liaisons/friendships with famous male artists of the period, most prominently Pablo Picasso. This book makes it clear that Maar deserves her place among the influential Surrealists, particularly for the breadth of her foci across photographic disciplines. Maar worked not only in artistic photography but also fashion and commercial avenues.

Many great plates of her work--photography/collage/painting--interspersed with scholarly essays on the periods of her aesthetic development. Also, some great info on her work with the Surrealist Women's Network! The Dora Maar exhibit is coming to NYC in 2020--i hope i can get up there to see it!

Dora Maar is about a artist I had never heard of and it was interesting to learn about. The author clearly had done a lot of research. Well written.

I went into this book knowing next to nothing about Dora Maar, the cover enticed me and I wanted to learn something new. This book is meant to accompany an exhibition traveling to Paris, London, and Los Angeles. This book goes through the history of the artist, touching on key relationships and formative experiences that shaped and moved the direction of her art.

I appreciated the beautifully arranged images of Maar's work, which mapped out the progression of her style and mediums over the years. I found myself wishing that her art had been better cataloged, better cared for, and better recognized during her lifetime. How unfortunate that she was creating during a time when women were seemingly more valued for their relationships to men than to their craft.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to learn more about an artist you may not have heard of, but who was creating consistently and prolifically throughout their life. Dora Maar is so much more than Picasso's Weeping Woman and worth a look. The photographs of her work are fantastic, even if you can't catch the upcoming shows.