Painting Central Park

Central Park may be the most wonderful park in the Western world. It has been an inspiration to artists from its very inception, and this elegant work examines its development as well as the paintings that record its changing image. Ornithologist and conservationist Pasquier's book is divided into five sections. The first, covering early artists, is followed by an excellent section of a walk in the park with the painters, images of popular activities, celebrations and quiet times, and, finally, the frame around the area. He traces the history of initial depictions, from an engraving by Winslow Homer through the impressionist images of Childe Hassam, the moodiness of Edward Hopper, the photorealism of Richard Estes, and the wrapped gates of Christo. A scholarly tribute to a well-loved icon, this labor of love serves as a stunning visual reminder of the importance of an oasis of peace in a turbulent city and reflects the essentially American social experience in the quintessential U.S. park.