Artists' Letters

LOVE, LOVED this book!! I really enjoyed having the actual letter/postcard/note in the book, then an explanation of the two parties and then a transcription of the letter. I could not get enough of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

This is a very interesting book which I have read over several days. I have a few friends who would love this book as a present.


Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I love to read artists' letters and this book offered me a new opportunity to do so. I especially liked the photos of original letters and postcards and the little explication before each letter.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this very interesting book. This is the kind of book that can be read in small doses with much enjoyment. I think this would make a fine gift book
3.5 stars

This book is a beautiful sneak into the private letters of other people which is amazing. I love how you can see all of the writing styles and the illustrations of the letters as well as the stories behind the author and recipient of the letters. As someone who still appreciates the love of letter writing and still has pen friends even as adult this book resonates with me.

A fascinating book to either read through or dip into with illustrations.
On the theme of friendship, letters provide evidence of a creative community between peers, with support and mutual appreciation that helps to dispel the myth of the artist as solitary genius. Letters between Vincent van Gogh and Pail Gauguin show an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas. Mutual admiration between Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot, and Picasso’s quick notes to Jean Cocteau illustrate their closeness.

In a world where news is constantly available and changing, it is refreshing to take a moment to appreciate letters sent between friends and colleagues. The fact that the letter writers are exceptional artists adds another layer of interest. This book, Artists' Letters by Michael Bird, encompasses more than just letters. It provides a glimpse into the minds of some of the most talented artists in history and provides you with background knowledge to add context. The book also includes the images of the letters themselves, which often speak to the character of the writer. This book would be an excellent gift for friends or family members interested in writing, art, or history.

Most of the letters themselves weren't much to get excited over. Even more so since there were a few names I did not recognize, though I do appreciate the brief description with every letter.
The thing I really liked about it was the pictures of the actual letters themselves. In this digital world very few are still handwriting certain things so I loved seeing the different penmanship attached to each one.

DNF @ 24%

If I had a print copy of this book, I can definitely see myself picking it up to leaf through occasionally. But it doesn't really lend itself to a cover to cover read-through; beyond the chapter groupings by writer-recipient relationship ("Family & Friends," "Artist to Artist," etc) and/or topic ("Love," "Travel," etc) there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason behind the selection or the order of the orders — which means that although the letters are interesting, I didn't feel immersed in the collection.

The "commentary" / historical context for the letters was helpful, but again I wasn't totally sure of the relevance of certain details or, in some cases, the exact relationship between author and addressee. I would've enjoyed more editorializing, such as why each particular letter interested Bird and how it fits into the chapter theme / our knowledge of the historical figure / our understanding of people and relationships generally.

tl;dr This has an interesting premise and the execution isn't half-bad, but it just wasn't holding my attention.

This was such a lovely book to read. It was interesting to see the letters written by artists on a range of topics including love, support and friendship. The letters gave us a little glimpse inside their personal lives. Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fascinating book! And what a treat to see the actual letters written by these artists with the illustrations they included in them. They showed a personal side of the artists that isn't often seen.

This book would be a great gift for any art lover.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group- White Lion Publishing for a temporary digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Artists’ Letters - Leonardo da Vinci to David Hockney’ by Michael Bird in exchange for an honest review.

This was a little difficult to review in a digital format rather than the hardback physical edition where the letter and accompanying details are on facing pages. I also feel that it is the kind of book that is perfectly suited for dipping into rather than trying to read from cover to cover in a few sittings.

This is an interesting collection that provides brief glimpses into the private thoughts and lives of the featured artists. Each letter is presented as a reproduction followed on the facing page by a commentary by Bird providing background and context of the letter and a transcript or translation of the letter. Being letters by artists there are often doodles on the paper. Some of the handwriting is rather illegible so I was grateful for the transcripts.

Bird has grouped the letters into eight thematic chapters with a timeline of the letters at the end along with sources for the letter images and an index.

As the publisher points out the opening chapter titled ‘Family & Friends’ puts to rest the myth of the artist as a solitary genius and shows evidence of creative communities that provides support and mutual appreciation.

An intriguing book that would make a lovely gift for an art lover.

Wow! Artist' Letters is an expertly curated collection of letters for famous artists throughout history. The actual letters are shown! Real letters from as far back as the 1500's! Each one is then followed by a brief account of what was happening in the artists life and/or the relationship between the sender and receiver. Then the letter is shown in type so that we can actually read what was written. This is helpful as some needed to be translated into English, and others were just written in hard to read script. I was so amazed to see letters written in Dali's own hand, DaVinci discussing his inventions, Lucien Frued writting to a friend, and Andy Warhol succinctly describing his current living conditions. This book is an absolute treasure! Each time I turned the page I was awed by letters I saw. This is an absolute must read for anyone who loves art and wants a glimpse into the artists' lives. Incredible! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Each set of letters includes photos the letters, post cards, envelopes creating a lovely visual representation. In fact, reading this on my phone, the pictures came first and I had a great time trying to guess ho wrote which correspondence with those such as Beatrix Potter and John Lennon easy to guess.
Each letter comes with a sort explanation of time period and history of the correspondence. Also included is a translation o the letters to the author's best possible work.
This would be a great gift for your bookish friend.

What a neat book! This would be a great gift for any art lover. I loved seeing the actual letters written by the artists, especially the Beatrix Potter one.

In my opinion, this is an absolutely wonderful book. It will surely be loved by art aficionados and by those who are fascinated by reading letters that were once written on intimate terms. The book is organized into subjects; a examples include Family & Friends, Artist to Artist, Gifts & Greetings, Patrons & Supporters, Love (a favorite of mine), Professional Matters, Travel and Signing Off.

Readers can dip in and out of this book wherever their interests or fingers take them. I enjoyed reading letters between Georgia O'Keefe and Alfred Stieglitz and those between Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel for example. In many instances, photographs of the letters are included. There is also biographical and other information that places the letters in context.

I loved this book which I received from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I may buy the hard copy just for the joy of it.

If you have read a book called "Letters of Note" it is like that but for artists and by the artists. it is inspiring to see letters - handwritten, drawn. Getting an insight into the artists minds.

Engaging and inspiring insights, where the artists' voices come through poignantly and in an interesting selection.

What an absolutely fascinating book! Anyone who loves art history would love to get their hands on this one. I would make wonderful gift! I covers an extensive array of artists, includes pictures of the actual letters (now I can say I've seen Michelangelo's handwriting), and is well organized into categories (family, love, professional). This is one to buy in hard copy, enjoy by bits and pieces, and keep at the coffee table to share with your like-minded friends! Loved, loved, loved this book!

A wonderful intimate look at authors letters.love reading the letters the photographs of the original letters cards notes with sketches drawings the artists included This would make a perfect gift.#quarto#netgalley

A great selection of letters between artists offering unique insights on their lives,friendships and artistic patterns.The project is very interesting however I was not entirely captivated as I believe the book could be truly enjoyed in its paper form.This is just my personal opinion as I read an electronic copy.

An applause to the editor and to the curator for the selection and the meticulous research of the letters.

A lovely 'coffee table book'. Has some good context around each letter and it is nice to see the originals. If you love the Treasures of the British Library collection at The British Library you'll love this book.
I have ordered a paper copy for my library as I think it would be much nicer to read in that format than a digital copy. It is definitely a book that should be enjoyed in paper format to get the full impact.

The title is difficult to read on the format given. What I have struggled through has been interesting, Will share the title with other artist,

This was a really interesting and visually stunning look at how people used to communicate before our insipid, sterile little texts and emails. The book is worth buying just for Beatrix Potter's letter! There are several pairs of letters, such as the exchange between Gauguin and Van Gogh. There's even a holiday card from John & Yoko. If you like artists' biographies, found objects, or just handwriting analysis, this is the book for you.

This book was lovely and very interesting. The photographs really brought the letters to ‘life.’ There is a wide range of letter too, on numerous themes....something for everyone.

This book made me achingly aware of the things, such as letter writing, that sadly are being lost as we become a more technologically obsessed society. So many of the letters were glimpses into an artist's current project or a frustration concerning one. Familiar names of artists and authors are scattered throughout. Their delightful little doodles and random thoughts were utterly charming.
This book doesn't 'play well' digitally though. Irony, huh? The letters are difficult to read and, therefore, the impact is lessened. I would love to read this book in print and would, undoubtedly, read and re-read it more than likely finding some new little gem that was previously overlooked.
Kudos to the people who sought out these letters and included a copy of the original with accompanying text. It's a remarkable compilation!

Email came and it killed letters. Human beings started to write texts on wtsapp or SMS.

And our capacity to conserve our communications; in physical form vanished.
And lately we are progressing towards self destructing emails and messages.

We want to communicate and delete. To keep the slate clean.

But old times were different.
Famous people and artists wrote letters to other famous counterparts.
And these letters have survived sometimes from natural decay and are preserved in highly readable state.

This book contains such letter from mighty and talented.
There are great people like Picasso, Da Vinci, David Hockney, Van Gogh and others whose names I cannot make out clearly.
But this is grand Heritage and collectables on show.

I liked profound use of cartooning and drawings in letters. Some drawings are very adorable.
Letters discuss business, love , travel and careful incisive inquest into lives of each other.

Writer and receiver don't matter with time, but what they left keeps affecting masses.
Lovely postcards are also eye-catching and glorious.

A delightful peek into history of solid and perennial communication between two human beings.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.

Fascinating. If, like me, you are an avid book reader and often wonder about the lives behind the words, well this is perfect. Thoughtfully thought through and well edited. Brilliant.

Fabulous book. A collection of 100 artists’ letters, reproduced in facsimile with a transcript and commentary, offering a fascinating glimpse into their lives. More of a book to peruse in hard copy than digitally, as it’s a one to dip in and out of rather than read straight through, but even as an e-book the production values stand out and it’s a joy to behold. Loved it.