The Private Life of a Masterpiece - Hardcover

Bohm-Duchen, Monica

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0563537671 ISBN 13: 9780563537670

Publisher: University of California Pre, 2001

Synopsis

By following the trail of clues through each masterpiece this book explores the life of the artist and the masterpiece from its conception through to its unveiling and afterlife. The focus is mainly on "David" by Michelangelo and "The Scream" by Edvard Munch. The book covers a broad range of themes: the process by which a work was made - who commissioned it, the people involved in making it; the historic context; the reception of the work when unveiled; the theft of artworks; and the restoration of damaged works; dramatic discoveries, such as some of Rembrandt's works, which were painted over when out of fashion in previous centuries.

About this title

Review

If you have ever wondered what makes a piece of art a masterpiece, then Monica Bohm-Duchen's The Private Life of a Masterpiece is the perfect place to start. Bohm-Duchen sets out to look at eight "extremely famous works of Western art and examine them in detail from as many angles as possible," exploring "their origins, evolution and context, but also looking at their rich and varied afterlife." The result is a lavishly illustrated account of Michelangelo's David, da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Goya's The Third of May, 1808, Manet's Olympia, van Gogh's Sunflowers, Munch's The Scream, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, and finally Jackson Pollock's Autumn Rhythm. Obviously, in a book so broad and ambitious, there is much to dispute, particularly in the choice of images (surely Monet would have provided a better image than Manet). Bohm-Duchen also bemoans her inability to discover any iconic female artists (or non-Western images, for that matter). However, the book is excellent in covering the creation and fine detail of its eight masterpieces, and is particularly strong regarding Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Munch, if less convincing on Manet, Picasso, and Pollock. Bohm-Duchen is also less than persuasive in explaining just why these images have become so famous, but perhaps that is the most difficult question of all to answer. This book will not amaze the experts, but as a well-written approach to iconic western art works, it is hard to beat. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk

From the Inside Flap

"The Private Life of a Masterpiece presents a close reading of the significance of these masterpieces and the reasons each has been granted iconic status today. Lively and entertaining."—Dianne Macleod, author of Art and the Victorian Middle Class

About this edition

• Publisher: University of California Pre
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0563537671
• ISBN 13: 9780563537670
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Illustrator: Well-illustrated