Richard F. Lack: Catalogue Raisonné by Gary B. Christensen, Stephen A. Gjertson – Hardcover: 472 pages; Afton Historical Society Press; 1st edition (Nov 28, 2016)

In 1982 Lack focused on the term Classical Realism to differentiate this traditional manner of painting from all of the other isms of our time: Photo Realism, Modernism, Surrealism, etc. Today the term Classical Realism has been successfully absorbed into the American art culture. Lack's contributions to the reemergence of traditional painting and its current public appeal is without question. The Richard F. Lack Catalogue Raisonné documents his achievements in the best way possible, by showcasing his work and his views about painting its past, its future, and the training of painters.

William McGregor Paxton by Ellen W. Lee – Hardcover; Indianapolis Museum of Art (Jun 1, 1979)

Reader review: Willim M Patxon (1869 – 1941) who is almost a forgotten artist from the 1800's is still going stronger than ever today. This book shows you the most complete subjects and styles of works by Willaim Paxton to date. Mr. Paxton's acquaintances in the Boston School never suspected the fine intelligence and delicate sensibility immediately beneath the brash exterior of this sharp dressed, round faced, bald and sporting a black goatee of a man.

With full color images you get a true sense of Paxton the painter and the consummate artist. This book is a wealth of information and a complete must for the true Boston School of Artist / Painter book collectors or the art student wanting to learn more about the changing times in this artist's period and life and how it effected the rise and fall of his style and genre.

Like every painter who has left his permanent mark, William Paxton was no exception. He invoked a personal mode of self discipline and expression by studying nature, with one eye and keeping another on the movement the major artist of his time, and also the ones he admired such as Velasquez, Vermeer and Ingres to name just a few.

Along with his wife Elizabeth Okie Paxton (1880-1972), also taught by William Paxton, they set out to change the Boston art scene forever. And through rejection, criticism and struggle, they succeeded. Collections are all here from many museums in the world. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to look beyond the paint. For this is the only known source of material on William Paxton's life, works and his contributions to life as a major artist of our generation.

Richard F. Lack: An American Master by Stephen Gjertson – Hardcover: 144 pages; American Society of Classical Realism; 1st edition (2001)

Painting in Boston 1950-2000 by Rachel Rosenfield Lafo, Nicholas Capasso, Jennifer Uhrhane – Hardcover: 264 pages; University of Massachusetts Press (Sep 1, 2002)

Although the history of painting in Boston during the first half of the twentieth century has been well documented, with particular attention to the so-called Boston School, the latter half of the century has been relatively neglected, despite the remarkable body of work produced during that period. This handsome volume, created by the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in conjunction with a major exhibition, addresses that oversight.

Along with a general introduction, the editors have provided an extensive chronology of important events, an exhibition checklist, a bibliography, and a brief biographical profile of each artist whose work is included.

Frank W. Benson the Impressionist Years by Wilmerding – Paperback: 74 pages; Spanierman Gallery (Jun 1, 1988)

A prominent figure in the Boston School and a member of the Ten American painters, Frank W. Benson executed a spectacular group of Impressionist works between 1897 and 1920 during summers spent on North Haven Island, Maine. Depicting his wife and daughters at leisure in the outdoors, Benson created vivid sunlit images expressive of the idyllic pleasures of endless August afternoons on a breezy, refreshing coastal landscape. This 74-page catalogue includes essays by Sheila Dugan, William H. Gerdts, and John Wilmerding. In addition to color illustrations of the twelve works in the show, there are ten color and twenty-two black and white reproductions.

Edmund C. Tarbell and the Boston School of Painting, 1889-1980 by Patricia Jobe Pierce – Hardcover: 253 pages; Pierce Galleries; 1st edition (Dec 1980)

100 Boston Painters by Chawky Frenn – Hardcover: 224 pages; Schiffer Publishing (Apr 28, 2012)

100 Boston Painters celebrates the wide-ranging talents, approaches, and personalities of the vibrant world of Boston arts. A labor of love by George Mason University Art Professor Chawky Frenn, this exciting new book features the work of artists selected by an extensive review of Boston arts, both past and present. Including an introductory essay by art critic Charles Giuliano, this volume provides insights into the roots of the arts in Boston, the city’s tradition of painting, and the new directions that painters are pursuing.

Twilight of Painting by R. H. Ives Gammell – Paperback; Parnassus Press (Jun 1990)

Reader review: If you have ever wondered what gave rise to modern art, and you have ever questioned why standards of workmanship declined from the excellence of the 18th century to the shoddiness of the 20th, then this is the book for you. If you would like to have art history explained by a painter, in terms of painting, then this is the book for you. If, like me, you have been searching all your life for some rational explanation to our "Modern Art", then this is the book for you.

Gammell was a competent, if not renowned, painter. This book was written in 1946. By that time, all of the most accomplished painters of the 19th century had died and no one alive could create out of imagination the heroic work that had been so prized since the Renaissance. Gammell explains the real meaning of impressionism and the unfortunate hostility of the two major "schools," the impressionist vs the academics. He explains why the impressionists won and how art degenerated into the current chaos.

He explains why impressionism has the unfinished look. First because it seems appropriate for the artists' purposes, but more importantly, because starting is easy and finishing is difficult. With the revolt of the impressionists against the academies, they never finished their academic training, (so in fact, they didn't know how to finish a painting to the degree of the prior centuries).

For the non-painter, this books gives you the sanction to look at modern art and say, it may be art, but it's not finished enough, interesting, polished, challenging or important enough for me.

Realism in Revolution: The Art of the Boston School by Richard Lack, Richard Whitney and Kirk Richards – Hardcover: 216 pages; Taylor Trade Publications; 1st edition (Oct 1, 1985)

This is the manifesto of a group of American realist painters known collectively as the Boston School, a work which traces the roots of a classical tradition in search of lost beauty. In addition to more than 160 color plates of recent and historical works, this book presents a compelling analysis by twelve members of the school of the crisis confronting the modem painter and the demand for a return to representation of the natural world.

The Boston Painters 1900-1930 by R. H. Ives Gammell, Elizabeth Hunter – Hardcover: 207 pages; Parnassus Imprints; 1st edition (Jul 1, 1986)

In reexamining the contributions of these Boston based artists- their genesis, their motivation, and the pictures which they gave they world—R.H. Ives Gammell does much to hasten this renaissance.”

From artist Kirk Richards: Gammell’s perspective as one who knew and interacted with these painters adds a unique and invaluable perspective on these very important artists of America’s early 20th century. Because of this perspective, The Boston Painters 1900-1930 is an invaluable resource.

Joseph DeCamp: The Boston Technician by Laurene Buckley – Hardcover: 160 pages; Neues Publishing Company (Oct 1995)

Frank W. Benson: American Impressionist by Faith Andrews Bedford – Hardcover: 237 pages; Rizzoli (Aug 3, 1994)

Reader review: Dynamite art book; also a great read! I had thought that Benson was strictly a painter of Victorian era young ladies in seaside settings. This bio (by a descendent) fleshes out his various careers as a painter of oils, a teacher, a watercolorist and whatever is the correct term for one who creates etchings. Also provides a good overview of the American art scene (especially "The Ten") during the transition from the 19th to the 20th century.

Classical Realism: The Other Twentieth Century by Gabriel P. Weisberg, Richard Lack, R. H. Ives Gammell – Paperback; Amarillo Art Center; 1st edition (1983)