Pontormo: Drawings Hardcover – January 1, 1992

rather scarce and pricy book... however it's the only book in color that covers Pontormo's drawings in such luscious detail...

As one would expect from a book printed in Italy about a fabulous Italian painting this publication provides perfect reproductions and 15 pages of analysis of my favorite Florentine mannerist's greatest painting and in the remaining 33 pages information about and copies of his entire oeuvre.An unexpected bonus is the inclusion of a virtually finished preparatory chalk drawing for the Deposition which is not to be found in a large Abrams volume entirely devoted to Pontormo's drawings and frescos.

I knew this book from a library borrowing many years ago and have finally bought it despite the high price as an out of print specialist book. It's excellent - beautifully produced by the editors to present in full colour and at sensible page sizes the work of a consummate artist, perhaps still underestimated, whose drawings are to my mind some of the most beautiful ever made. Schiele hundreds of years before Schiele, with something of the same sensual sensitivity, particularly in the male nudes. The drawings are rarely shown, most are in the Uffizi, and this is the only full colour book of his drawings I know of so... if you can get it for a reasonable price you won't be disappointed. The exhibition catalogue from the Met of his pupil (and proabably partner) Bronzino's drawings is another beautiful catalogue which also contains a small number of Pontormo's drawings and a nice small book is available about his painting the Halbadier. Beyond that, we will have to hope for an exhibition of Pontormo's work, long overdue, to expand his bibliography.