Figures of History

Jacques Ranciere

ISBN 10: 0745679579 / ISBN 13: 9780745679570

Published by Polity, 2014

About this Item

* Jacques Ranciere is a leading French philosopher, particularly well known for his work in aesthetics and political philosophy * In this concise and brilliant text, Ranciere presents a thoughtful analysis of the way in which artworks and films represent historical events and those who were involved. Translator(s): Rose, Julie. Num Pages: 112 pages. BIC Classification: ABA; DSA; JF. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 189 x 126 x 9. Weight in Grams: 126. . 2014. 1st Edition. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780745679570

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Figures of History
• Publisher: Polity
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0745679579
• ISBN 13: 9780745679570
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

In this important new book the leading philosopher Jacques Rancière continues his reflections on the representative power of works of art. How does art render events that have spanned an era? What roles does it assign to those who enacted them or those who were the victims of such events?

Rancière considers these questions in relation to the works of Claude Lanzmann, Goya, Manet, Kandinsky and Barnett Newman, among others, and demonstrates that these issues are not only confined to the spectator but have greater ramifications for the history of art itself.

For Rancière, every image, in what it shows and what it hides, says something about what it is permissible to show and what must be hidden in any given place and time. Indeed the image, in its act of showing and hiding, can reopen debates that the official historical record had supposedly determined once and for all. He argues that representing the past can imprison history, but it can also liberate its true meaning.

About the Author

Jacques Rancière is a leading French philosopher and Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Paris-St. Denis. His many books include The Politics of Aesthetics, Aesthetics and Its Discontents and The Future of the Image.