The Shape of Content

“The book is the clearest, most forceful statement on art by an artist of our time that I have read.”—Frank Getlein, The New Republic

“To find a lucid painter speaking lucidly of art is a thrilling discovery… [He traces] the formation of painting from idea to completion, both generally and specifically with a clarity of thought and a precise use of language which should be a very archetypal model for all critics and painters alike.”—Virginia Quarterly Review

“A remarkably interesting book, which puts the reader in rewarding contact with a questing mind and a humane spirit.”—The Atlantic

“[Shahn] sets forth his views on both the practice and the purposes of art with a clarity, cogency, and incisiveness that any professional writer might envy, and he manages to interweave with this a good deal of interesting material about his own development as an artist, as well as a running summary of his opinions on contemporary painting in general…the book is highly controversial…also highly stimulating.”—The New Yorker

“Points made in the collection are pertinent, lucid and most readable. A valuable addition to the appraisal of the condition of the arts.”—Kirkus Reviews