A sumptuous visual pleasure, Catalogue Raisonne compiles the entire oeuvre of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Divided into two volumes and packaged in a handsome cloth and velvet slipcase, the set comes with a limited-edition lithograph stamped by the artist's estate; the whole presentation is a work of art in its own right. Volume one provides an in-depth biography of the artist by Wieland Schmied, an art historian and friend of the subject. Weiland considers such high points as Hundertwasser's year-long quest to create a single tapestry without a pattern, his "speeches in the nude," and his abiding environmentally conscious aesthetic. Hundertwasser's love of ecology was naturally reflected in his paintings and tapestries, which are permeated by strings and whorls of vibrant colors, organic forms and nary a straight line. He carried the visions he conveyed on canvas into architecture, designing amorphous, delightful buildings that come as close to Dr. Seuss as physics allow. Volume two is a sometimes overwhelming compendium of his life's work—painting by painting, sketch by sketch. Hundertwasser oversaw the production of Taschen's grand tribute, and his influence can be felt in the layout and text of the volumes. He died shortly after his work on the Catalogue Raisonne was completed, aboard the Queen Mary II. While not necessarily intended as such, the set is a loving final tribute to the artist. -- Ryan Boudinot