History of American Painting, Volume One: First Flowers of Our Wilderness (The Colonial Period) by James Thomas Flexner, 2/5

In my experience, it’s unusual to encounter a book that has become outdated due, not to the information it contains, but to the technology used in its production. Unfortunately, that is the case with this book due to its high-contrast, black and white illustrations that bear very little resemblance to the historic paintings they represent. Additionally, individual illustrations are not specifically referenced in the text, nor are they always adjacent to relevant passages, so one is constantly flipping around in annoyance.

Having realized the pictures would be of little use, I tried to focus on the text, but was put off by the author’s highly opinionated tone (particularly combined with his lack of formal expertise on the topic). Flexner writes with a chip on his shoulder, simultaneously making it seem like he is the first to shed light on the early history of American painting, while also finding more bones to pick with other academics than you would expect if that were the case. While I didn’t appreciate his pettiness and have no idea how his mid-twentieth-century scholarship has held up, it was interesting to read about the evolution of painting from trade to Art, and develop an appreciation for details that might otherwise go unobserved.

Why I read it: I bought it from a library sale many years ago and it’s been sitting on my shelf ever since.