Hermetic Library fellow T Polyphilus reviews Surrealist Painting 1919-1939 by Jose Pierre:

This tiny softcover book has eleven unnumbered pages of text, illustrated by fifteen plates; or fifteen plates contextualized by a brief essay, depending on how you look at it. The page size is roughly that of a postcard, and the plates are in full color.

Pierre’s essay provides a thumbnail history of Surrealism before 1940, with emphasis on painting. He is no fan of Salvador Dali, despite the inclusion of two Dali paintings among the plates. He does extol the work of Rene Magritte, who also rates the inclusion of two paintings. The other artists so highlighted are Giorgio de Chirico and Max Ernst.

The book is an admirably efficient overview of its topic. [via]

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