Encyclopedia of Jewish American Artists presents over 80 19th- and 20-century Jewish American artists, ranging from the critically neglected Theresa Bernstein, Ruth Gikow, and Jennings Tofel, to the well-known Eva Hesse, Roy Lichtenstein, and Larry Rivers. The subject matter of some of these artists may surprise readers. Adolph Gottlieb designed and supervised the fabrication of a 35-foot wide, four-story high stained glass facade for a synagogue; Louise Nevelson sculpted a Holocaust memorial; and Philip Pearlstein painted a version of Moses with the Tablets of the Law early in his career. Covering painters, sculptors, printmakers, and photographers, as well as artists who engage in newer forms of visual expression such as video, conceptual, and performance art, the book is in part intended to stimulate further scholarship on these artists. When appropriate, entries reveal the influence of the Jewish American encounter on the artists' work along with other factors such as gender and the immigrant experience. In many cases, the artists' own words are employed to flesh out perspectives on their art as well as on their Jewish identity. To that end, the volume contains excerpts from recent interviews conducted by the author with some of the artists, including Judy Chicago, Audrey Flack, Jack Levine, and Sol LeWitt. Illustrations accompanying each artist's entry, some in color, aid this invaluable look at Jewish American art. The newest volume of Greenwood's Artists of the American Mosaic series covers Jewish American artists. Baskind, professor of art history at Cleveland State University, provides information on 85 artists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. She includes painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers, and video, conceptual, and performance artists, offering a wide range of artistic expressions. The artists were born or spent most of their lives in America. Their art may or may not contain obvious Jewish content, but it is usually influenced by Jewish values and culture. The volume begins with a brief history of Jewish American art. The alphabetical entries contain a brief biography of the artist, highlights of his or her career, a description of one or more significant images, and a short bibliography and list of selected public collections containing the artist's work. In some cases, the author includes excerpts from recent interviews that she conducted with the artists (Judy Chicago, Audrey Flack, Jack Levine, and Sol LeWitt, among others). Each entry has a black-and-white illustration, and there are eight pages of color reproductions at the center of the book. Leonard Baskin, Alex Katz, Ibram Lassaw, and Mark Rothko are among the artists included. Women are well represented, with coverage of Eleanor Antin, Diane Arbus, Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Nevelson, and Eva Hesse, to name a few. A brief reading list and an index complete the work. This is a good introduction to Jewish American art. Using the artists' own words to explain their perspectives on art enriches the presentation. The Encyclopedia of Jewish American Artists is a useful resource for academic, Judaica, and large public libraries. Bibel, Barbara "Baskind is a smart and sophisticated art historian.Her encyclopedia demands a place on the bookshelf of anyone seriously engaged with debates about America and Jewishness and art.It will quickly become the gold standard against which all subsequent such tabulations will be measured."Sander Gilman, Images:A Journal of Jewish Art "This carefully researched reference work not only introduces readers to 85 American Jewish artists, it also poses the question of what makes the work of these artists Jewish. A masterful introduction to a much neglected subject." - Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University SAMANTHA BASKIND is Associate Professor of Art History at Cleveland State University. She is the author of Raphael Soyer and the Search for Modern Jewish Art (2004), among other books.