May 2006 is the launch date set for the first ever English language edition of the Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Over the past five years a dedicated team of over 150 translators, editors and art historians has been working to complete this monumental work. The result is more than a simple translation of the original French text; the team has revised, adapted and updated the text in order to serve a wider audience.

First published in 1911, the Benezit immediately became the focal source of documentation for art historians and dealers. Today its publishers Editions Grund-Paris say that the publication owes its reputation partly to its staying power, but mainly to the quality of its information.

Since the 1920s, a highly skilled and dedicated team has been working on the publication full-time, and thousands of new entries have been added to reflect current art trends and innovations.

The first 3-volume edition was followed by an 8-volume edition in 1955, 10 volumes in 1976, and finally 14 volumes in 1999.

The new English language edition runs to over 15,000 pages with over 170,000 entries, including thousands of new or updated entries since the last French edition in 1999.

A typical listing will cover four areas: Biographical data, Bibliography, Museums and Galleries, and Auction Records.

Biographical data includes essential information such as name, nationality and dates, field of expertise, media, genre and subject matter, and movement, group or school. This is followed by a critical biography which is concise and specific and concentrates on training, influences, exhibitions and works.

Bibliographies range from books, periodicals and exhibition catalogues to essays, dissertations and multi-media and basically concentrate on English texts.

Museums and Galleries focuses on the main public collections where the works of an artist can be found and listed, together with brief details of the work.

Although never intended to be an exhaustive directory of auction sales, these listings have been very significantly updated to provide an invaluable record of the movements in prices of an artist’s works. In addition there are also around 11,000 signatures, monograms and stamps of sale included where relevant, to help with identification and authentication.

What does all this great information cost? A cool but well-spent $2310.00!

To order your copy contact Westbridge Publications at 604-736-1014 or email to info@westbridge-fineart.com.