His recent book Words for Art compiles his reviews of essays by historians, philosophers, curators, critics, artists, and journalists published in English (some in translation) over the past two decades. Covering so vast a range is an ambitious if not Herculean task; one has the sense that casting so wide a net was Schwabsky’s way of orienting himself to the task of criticism after returning to the U.S. from an extended European stay. For example, he analyzes Walter Benjamin’s remarks on color, which were never published together as an essay, both because he is (rightly) fascinated by Benjamin and because he seems to be trying to define the role of color in painting for himself.