Artistic Places

Artist and art historian Hodge’s (The Short Story of Art) introduction to this book, part of the “Inspired Traveller’s Guide” series, is as beautiful and colorful as its subjects and illustrations. The guide highlights 25 places associated with famous artworks and artists. Some of the places featured are the Mount Fuji of Katsushika Hokusai, the Iowa of Grant Wood, and the London of J. A. M. Whistler. Each entry includes a description of the artwork, its present location, and a history of the artist. For example, the entry about Oslo, Norway, and Edvard Munch’s The Scream, includes a biography of the artist, notes on things to see in the Munch Museum, and a guide to the place where Munch painted the masterpiece. Entries also list things to do in between the art; for instance, a map of Venice featuring St. Mark’s Basilica and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection also includes ice cream and drink stops! For each place and artist, illustrator Grimes has created several lively sketches that reference that artist’s style.