Mediterranean: From Homer to Picasso - Softcover

Girard, Xavier

9782843232459: Mediterranean: From Homer to Picasso

Softcover

ISBN 10: 2843232457 ISBN 13: 9782843232459

Publisher: Assouline, 2000

"What is the Mediterranean? A thousand and one things at the same time. Not just one landscape, but innumerable landscapes. Not one sea, but a series of seas. Not one civilization, but civilizations piled up one upon the other" (Fernand Braudel). This is all true, but the great paradox of the Mediterranean is that despite the fact that it is so varied, so difficult to encompass, it presents itself in our collective minds as a single, coherent image, a system where everything blends together to become one unified entity. The union is neither historical nor geographical: instead, The Mediterranean "whole" binds together, as with Mitteleuropa, a cultural synthesis of works and ideas, ways of thinking, customs and costumes, lifestyles, tastes and passions which give form to a specific style - a Mediterranean style. In order to explain this paradoxical cohesion, the author leads us on an exploration of the many different features that make up the geographical, philosophical and cultural identity of the Mediterranean. In particular, a quest is set for those elements that constitute what Roland Barthes referred to, in speaking of Cy Twombly's work, as the "Mediterranean effect."

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From Booklist:

For art historian Girard, his beloved Mediterranean is an "idealized dreamscape, a sentimental geography," a place wide open to the sort of dynamic interpretation and celebration that transpires within the covers of this unique, ingenious, colorful, and sophisticated volume. Girard begins with a lithe history of the region and its maps and then moves on to cover centuries' worth of regional representations. Diversely styled landscapes give way to lively analyses of Mediterranean narratives, such as Ulysses and The Thousand and One Nights; various archetypal figures--the monarch, odalisque, and fisherman; quintessential locales; and the arts, which, in keeping with his sensuous approach, include cuisine and gardening. These categories are wonderfully and aptly dishabille and energetically illustrated with a great range of reproductions, including Roman mosaics; works by Ingres, Corot, Matisse, Picasso, and Magritte; and lots of photographs, including portraits of Gina Lollobrigida and Anna Magnani. Girard's thoroughly enjoyable approach to a place so often burdened by historical reference is as refreshing as it is enlightening. Donna Seaman
Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved

From Library Journal:

Girard's (Matisse: The Wonder of Color) poetic perspective on the sea that is encircled by North Africa, Southern Europe, and the Levant provides a view of various locales along its shores, revealing a range of distinct cultures. To Girard, the Mediterranean is the center of the world where all things human are possible. This celebration of all things Mediterranean comprises the words of poets and the images of painters, using erudite text and lavish illustrations that include full-color reproductions and dramatic photographs. The sea is the thread that holds this diversity together. A native of the region, Girard has written for the traveler as much as for the art historian. His book's distinctive flair will be of interest to visitors of the area, as well as to artists, art historians, curators, literature teachers, and classics professors. Recommended for large public libraries as well as for school and museum art book collections. Ellen Bates, New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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