Thames & Hudson Sixty years of making a splash

Since his inimitable essays began appearing in The New Yorker in 1998, Peter Schjeldahl has become one of the most influential writers on art.




Blessed with an unerring eye, he has tackled a wide range of subjects with wit, elegance, and perspicacity. At once generous and demanding, his writing springs from a desire to be understood by all readers and a determination to have his readers engage with art of every kind.

'Let's See' brings together for the first time seventy-five of Schjeldahl's pieces, covering subjects from ancient Greece, Mexico, and Byzantium, through Raphael, Rubens, and Rembrandt, to Bruce Nauman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and
John Currin.

These writings seek out, with precision and economy, the essence of the individual artist or work, but they never lose sight of the bigger picture: What is beauty? What does it mean to be an American artist? What does the art we produce and admire tell us about ourselves?

Schjeldahl's far-reaching curiosity leads him to modest shows in private galleries as well as to large-scale exhibitions. His columns include profiles of prominent members of the art world, along with stories of personal encounters with contemporary artists. The unique introduction – twenty questions, each one posed to Schjeldahl by a different artist or writer – shows the high regard in which he is held by the art world.

Peter Schjeldahl was awarded the 2008 Clark Prize for Excellence in Arts Writing.

Peter Scheldahl has been the art critic of The New Yorker since 1998. He is the author of numerous books of poems and criticism and has taught at Harvard University.

Photo of Peter Scheldahl ©Alex Remnick

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