Synopsis
Beginning with the Pre-Raphaelites and those pivotal French artists (de Chavannes, Moreau, Redon and others) who assured the transition from romanticism to symbolism, this magnificent (and splendidly color-illustrated) work turns to examine Gauguin's contribution to the spread of symbolism, an international movement that boasted such painters as the Nabis, the artists of the Rose+Croix Salons, as well as Bocklin and Hodler in Switzerland, Rops, Khnopff, and Ensor in Belgium, Toorop in the Netherlands. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
Reviews
Symbolist art bypasses the rational mind to speak directly to the soul. By this definition, Edvard Munch, Gustave Moreau, Paul Gauguin, Felicien Rops and other well-known proponents of symbolism are joined by van Gogh, Klimt, Rouault, Ryder, Mondrian and other artists who at various times produced symbolic, visionary works. In a revelatory survey, Mathieu, professor of literature at the University of Paris, views symbolist paintings within a framework that encompasses the visions and fantasies of Poe, Baudelaire, Wilde, Strindberg and Wagner. While the first half of the volume concentrates on the movement's originators (pre-Raphaelites, Odilon Redon, etc.) and on French symbolism, the second half selectively scans the spread of symbolism throughout Europe, from Flemish painter James Ensor's mystical upwellings full of acid social satire to Scottish art nouveau disciple Charles Rennie Mackintosh's metaphysical watercolors of plant life.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
An expression of late-19th-century Romanticism, Symbolism was an international movement in art, literature, philosophy, and music. Associated by subject and approach more than style, the symbolists rejected rationalism and industrialization in favor of personal visions of fantasy, allegory, dreams, and nightmares. This important new survey, originally published last year in French, provides a sound historical and theoretical basis while concentrating on the symbolist painters. The work is highly readable and thoughtfully organized. Paragraph-length bio-bibliographies of over 100 artists, writers, and composers are included. Mathieu is a leading authority on Gustave Moreau and the author of Moreau's catalogue raisonne in 1976. A strong offering recommended for its breadth and cogent information; its 160 color illustrations will also please readers.
- Russell T. Clement, Brigham Young Univ. Lib., Provo, Ut.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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