Boudoir Art

Book excerpt: The pictures of beautiful and powerful women by artists of the Boudoir art movement occupy an important place in the history of twentieth century art. The popularity of Louis Icart led less well-known French artists to create countless engraved works in a style similar to his. This new book resurrects the knowledge about these artists and their work. Beautifully illustrated in full color with hundreds of examples of Boudoir art, the book chronicles "major" and "minor" artists. While the greatest emphasis is on the wonderful Boudoir etchings, the book also covers Boudoir lithographs, which were also quite popular in their day. Invaluable information about the art and artists accompany the photos. Both the French and American titles (when know), the size of the picture's image, the number of copies printed, and the exact wording of copyright declarations whenever known are included. A Price Guide, based on the current economy, will give beginners some perspective, but use it cautiously in this new and unpredictable field.