Book Description
Editor's introduction
Michelangelo Buonarroti achieved such renown in his lifetime that he was widely known and celebrated as Il Divino, or the Divine One. In 500 years, his fame has scarcely diminished. Michelangelo is generally recognized as one of the greatest artists of all time, a universal genius in all fields of visual creativity-sculpture, painting, and architecture-as well as a widely admired poet.
Accessible to readers-useful to specialistsMuch has been written on Michelangelo. By 1970, the number of scholarly books and articles exceeded 4,000, approximately a tenth in English. In the past 25 years, the literature has grown exponentially, with a notable increase in English-language publications. This five-volume series reproduces some 100 articles in English, selected from a broad range of books and journals. The collection is both accessible to the general reader and useful to the specialist, offering a representative sample of old and new commentary on the artist and his work.
Close to 100 photographs in each volumeThis collection also presents the artwork which illustrated the books and articles from which it is drawn-some 500 black-and-white photographs in all.
Offer scholarship and creative thinkingThese volumes introduce the reader to a wide range of scholarship and some of the best minds in the discipline, including Johannes Wilde, Erwin Panofsky, Charles de Tolnay, Rudolf Wittkower, Edgar Wind, and James Ackerman. The volumes offer easy access to an immense and widely scattered literature, much of it difficult to locate. The collection will be especially useful to scholars, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates. As journals become prohibitively expensive, and as materials are increasingly moved to storage facilities, this collection will prove a welcome addition to general and specialized art libraries.
The career of a geniusArticles are arranged chronologically with separate volumes covering the artist's early lifeand works, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, commissions associated with San Lorenzo, the tomb of Julius II and other Roman projects, and a final volume devoted to drawings, poetry, and miscellaneous studies. Spanning his entire 89-year life, the articles explore Michelangelo's prodigious creativity as an artist, thinker, and poet. The sheer quantity of what has been written on Michelangelo can be intimidating; most students have little sense of how to approach or effectively utilize the vast literature. By presenting a varied introduction to a great artist, this collection is a handy reference tool for a wide array of topics, problems, and literature. Individual volumes available:
Vol. 1 Life and Early Works
544 pages, ISBN 0-8153-1823-5
Vol. 2 The Sistine Chapel
616 pages, ISBN 0-8153-1825-1
Vol. 3 San Lorenzo
496 pages, ISBN0-8153-1826-X
Vol. 4 Tomb of Julius II and Other Works in Rome
488 pages, ISBN 0-8153-1827-8
Vol. 5 Drawings,Poetry, and Miscellaneous Studies472 pages, ISBN 0-8153-1826-8
Customer Reviews:
WOW.......2007-01-20
WOW, this book is amazing, I just recieved it and let me say that again WOW!!!!!!!! Full color plates and details of all his work. There were other reviews saying that this book was impossible to find however rfw1926, an amazon authorized dealer sold this book to me. He shipped it immediatly as well as informed me of reciept of the order.
By Dumb Luck..........2006-12-23
This is a magnificent book about Michelangelo Buonarotti. As one reviewer said Mr. Wallace's text is a bit sparse, but afterall: it is an art book! It's my opinion that a book about an art/artists should contain more pictures than text, unless it is SPECIFICALLY a biography or the history of a certain work, era, etc. But I digress...!
I especially like the photos of the restored Cistine Chapel ceiling. Cleared from the 'fog' of dirt, dust, etc., one can see Michelangelo's incredible skill as a painter. The sculpture section is wonderful too, of course! I don't know what else to say.
For those who can't find this book: Before this week, I didn't even know it existed. I found it in the bargain section of BORDERS (I don't think Amazon will mind, as they're 'teamed' with Borders!). Check them out, as I got it for 1/5th the published price. I decided to treat myself to an early Christmas present and am glad I did! If you see it, buy it - When I returned the next day all copies were gone. I am very happy with this book and recommend it highly!
Beautiful book, and I know where to buy it!.......2006-08-19
I was discouraged to read such amazing reviews of the book, but to also hear of the difficulties in getting it. I found it at the Metropolitan Museum Online Store for $35, and it is perhaps the most beautiful, well-done art book I've ever seen. The reproductions are gorgeous, and the commentary is excellent. You won't do better with anything else, especially if you want a single volume overview of all of his works.
Amazon can't get this book for you.......2006-04-14
I ordered this book as a Christmas gift and never got it. I received several emails from amazon that shipment was delayed, but just found out they're unable to obtain the book. If you want it, save yourself time & trouble and get it from another source.
THE BOOK I NEVER GOT.......2005-08-02
I WISH I COULD GIVE YOU A REVIEW, BUT I NEVER GOT THE BOOK. ALTHOUGH, THIS EMAIL OR YOUR SYSTEM THINKS I DID...I DID NOT. AND I WANT IT. SO SEND IT TO ME PLEASE.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Amazon.com
Almost 500 years after Michelangelo Buonarroti frescoed the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, the site still attracts throngs of visitors and is considered one of the artistic masterpieces of the world. Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling unveils the story behind the art's making, a story rife with all the drama of a modern-day soap opera.
The temperament of the day was dictated by the politics of the papal court, a corrupt and powerful office steeped in controversy; Pope Julius II even had a nickname, "Il Papa Terrible," to prove it. Along with his violent outbursts and warmongering, Pope Julius II took upon himself to restore the Sistine Chapel and pretty much intimidated Michelangelo into painting the ceiling even though the artist considered himself primarily a sculptor and was particularly unfamiliar with the temperamental art of fresco. Along with technical difficulties, personality conflicts, and money troubles, Michelangelo was plagued by health problems and competition in the form of the dashing and talented young painter Raphael.
Author Ross King offers an in-depth analysis of the complex historical background that led to the magnificence that is the Sistine Chapel ceiling along with detailed discussion of some of the ceiling's panels. King provides fabulous tidbits of information and weaves together a fascinating historical tale. --J.P. Cohen
Book Description
“There is no other work to compare with this for excellence, nor could there be,” wrote Vasari in his Lives of Artists.
The extraordinary story behind Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel - from the author of the acclaimed Brunelleschi’s Dome.
In 1508 Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Though he considered himself primarily a sculptor not a painter, he laboured over it for the next four years and the result was one of the greatest masterpieces of all time.
Ross King’s fascinating new book tells the story of those four extraordinary years. Battling against ill health, financial difficulties, domestic problems and inadequate knowledge of the art of fresco, Michelangelo created figures so beautiful that, when they were unveiled in 1512, they stunned the onlookers. From Michelangelo’s experiments with the composition of pigment and plaster to his bitter rivalry with Raphael, who was working on the neighbouring Papal Apartments, Ross King paints a magnificent picture of day-to-day life on the Sistine scaffolding and outside in the upheaval of early sixteenth-century Rome.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Well worth the read.......2007-08-16
A master sculptor, who becomes a painter, to continue with his quest and passion as a sculptor. King's accounting of the painting of the sistine chapel ceiling is filled with details of day-to-day situations arranged and contrived by the artist. Micelangelo must use real world problem solving skills to deal with the realities of his times in his performance in completing a task of incrediable challenges. King convincingly clarifies and disarms some of the myths surrounding the work and working process. Clearly King has done his research and gives an insightful accounting of the life and times of Pope Julius II and his relationship with Michelangelo and other artist, architects and politicians. The warrior Pope maintains a love and support of the arts throughout his career with a special display of admiration and love for the artist, Michelanglo. He does all this while managing some strategic manuevers in an era of difficult and trying political arena. For anyone interested in the Renaissance art and artist of the time this approach to learning is a pleasant read. As for me, I am looking into what else Mr. King has to offer.
A Pretty Good Book.......2007-05-12
I found this an excellent read. It's pretty much a straight forward story of Michelangelo. It seemed to have updated information compared to "The Agony and the Ecstacy" and much less drama.
Loved it!.......2007-03-08
I am an art historian, and spent a year of grad school researching the restoration of Michelangelo's Sistine frescoes. I only with that this book had been published when I was still in grad school. Ross King writes very well, with good research of primary sources.
A Lasting Work of Art:17,000/Day Visit The Sistine Chapel.......2007-01-16
At the age of 33, the sculptor Micelanagelo Buonarroti, was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II. Having been essentially fired from the job of sculpting the Pope's tomb, this strong willed artist defied and denied the invitation as long as he could. Since his patrons, the Medici, did not want a war over this, he reluctantly went. To finally arrive and learn that the task was a mamouth painting assignment must have been a shock. He was not a painter. He wanted to finish the tomb.
Then follows the amazing story of how he did it. This reluctant artist gave it his all created an enduring work of art. The book covers the fresco process, how paints were made and their components procured and how the sculptor turned painter defied the architect and built his own scaffold. Going in order of their creation, the panels are explained.
While Michelangelo is painting, Pope Julius is also busy. He's having Rapheal paint his apartments and making wars. At one point the fear of invasion is so great there was fear for the paintings. Michelangelo's family is busy too. They hound him for money and want to exploit his contacts.
The book tells the tale but leaves you wanting more. You're only teased with the character development of the two principles. For instance, that Michelangelo's father beat him for drawing as a child is merely mentioned. The reader doesn't have a feel for the personal relationship of Michelangelo and Julius, only the formal one. A few weeks ago I read Basilica which led me to this. The very brief sketches of Julius and Michelangelo in Basilica are more compelling.
Perhaps the hardcover has more photos. The paperback's are wanting but this can be remedied with several internet sites that have the images. The black and whites that appear with the text, such as Michelangelo's sketch of the scaffold and the various portraits, appear on the right pages to help the reader visualize the story and times.
The book will no doubt be a classic, because it brings together so much of the period in a highly readable style.
The god within Man.......2006-12-22
While I read this book, repeatedly I had to remind myself that despite the drama on so many pages [the drama of clashing personalities, the drama of papal-declared wars, the drama of artistic competition, the drama of family obligations/frustrations], this was no "historical novel." The "characters" were actual people who existed and a great deal of the action is actually accounted for through the original writings of Michelangelo himself [for example, to his brothers and father] as well as of his contemporaries like Vasari and Bramante.
The descriptions of what a day consisted of for Michelangelo and his assistants as they tackled all the logistics of painting something as epic [epic in space, style and substance] as the Sistine Chapel - well, even these "quieter" elements of King's story grabbed me. It made me respect Michelangelo more and more deeply as I read into what it took to retain the necessary funds for materials for scaffolding, plaster and paints, mixing the various paints, transfering the outlines of the images into the wet ceiling to accomplish the amazing frescoes that we still enjoy today, so many hundreds of years after their original creation.
Add to that, King manages something along the lines of an art-in-context education course - you learn about the politics of the day, who the power brokers were, whether it was the Pope himself or one of the many Medici, who owned what land and who pledged allegiance to who.
Finally, the paperback version that I read had many black & white images sprinkled throughout the chapters that are of Michelangelo's sketches and other works, along with a handful of color prints of the Sistine Chapel.
You will find yourself repeatedly returning to those color images as you read about Michelangelo's painting of Genesis or Noah or even the many architectural accents.
Michelangelo, even though he was essentially forced into this painting commission when what he truly desperately wanted was to design & execute a 3-story, 40-taue layout for Pope Julius II's burial in St. Peter's Basilica -- which we only get the slightest taste of with his powerful and amazing rendition of Moses, which is contained within the comparatively tiny San Pietro in Vincoli church -- created what should truly be considered of the wonders of the "modern" world... we will never see his equal and King does right by the man who had the ability to create reality with paint and marble like a god creating man out of some baser element.
King's words bring the era and the man to life.
Book Description
Celebrating the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo's David, New American Library releases a special edition of Irving Stone's classic biographical novel-in which both the artist and the man are brought to life in full. A masterpiece in its own right, this novel offers a compelling portrait of Michelangelo's dangerous, impassioned loves, and the God-driven fury from which he wrested the greatest art the world has ever known.
Customer Reviews:
Truely one of the Greatest Men to ever live.......2007-08-18
This is one of the best books ever written. It transports you into the life of one of the greatest men to ever live. Although the book is fairly long and can be difficult to read, the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti is such a fascinating tale that you will never tire of this book. The reader will empathize with Michelangelo's passion for sculpting and the pain of his servitude for various popes and kings. Please forgive the cliche, but this book is "a must read". It is a necessity for as many people as possible to know the life of the man who is responsible for some of the most breathtaking pieces of art in existence.
Fascinating Life of the Artist.......2007-07-05
Irving Stone does an amazing job bringing the Renaissance genius Michelangelo to life. His narrative masterfully weaves in realistic dialogue and anecdotes with meticulously researched historical facts. The result leaves the reader with a much deeper appreciation for the artist's impressive legacy including the Pieta, David, the Sistine Ceiling, and St. Peter's. The stories behind their creation are as interesting as Michelangelo's unique personality. His single minded dedication to his work was sometimes his worst enemy, often leading to unnecessary conflicts with his fickle patrons and ungrateful family.
The tumultuous backdrop of Italy in the Quatrocento and Cinquecento also provides for very interesting and informative insights into the politics and religion of the era, highlighted by Savonarola and the Warrior and Medici Popes.
For readers interested in learning more about Renaissance artists, Giorgio Vasari's contemporary biographies in his masterpiece "Lives of the Artists" comes highly recommended. Irving Stone successfully incorporates several of Vasari's anecdotes in this work.
More agony than ecstasy.......2007-06-19
Irving Stone's epic "biographical novel of Michelangelo" covers the majority of his life (75 years) from age 13 to his death a few weeks shy of his 89th birthday. Sculptor, painter, poet, architect...dissector (one of the more unconventional sections - from page 210), Michelangelo was a man of many talents and few loves besides his primary obsession: sculpture. The book is unarguably well written, but would read better condensed to maybe half of its whopping 750-page length. The use of "sculpture" versus the shortened and more modern "sculpt" as a verb, although grammatically correct, is awkward and the one love scene (page 266) was better left out than in, reading like something straight out of a Harlequin romance novel and adding nothing to the otherwise, mostly romance-free story. Additionally, the inclusion of photos of his works would have improved the reading experience immensely. Stone's comprehensive story, colossal in length as well as scope, is not for the historically or artistically challenged (like this reader) and would probably be better appreciated by those familiar with Italian. Mandatory companion read: Michelangelo, Painter, Sculptor and Architect, with the restored frescoes of the Sistine Chapel (English Version) published by A.T.S. Italia, Rome; better reading: The Second Mrs. Gioconda by E.L. Konigsburg [Da Vinci], lighter: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier [Vermeer].
INSPIRATIONAL!!!!.......2007-05-24
A truly amazing book that kept me reading hungrilly with every page. Stone captivates the reader with this incredible and inspirational lifestory of Michelangelo, revealing the life events of a man driven with passion. This book has helped me understand myself as an artist, Christian, and human being. I highly recommend this book to any reader, my only regret being that I didn't read it sooner!
Florence, thy name is Michelangelo.......2007-04-27
After spending 3 weeks with Michelangelo, I was really relieved to be finished with this book. Although it was a very enjoyable piece of art history, it often times got bogged down with politics. Stone's incredible detail of Michelangelo's art, the political upheaval in Florence and Rome, and the Vatican's role in his life really made me feel 16th century Italy, but by the end, Stone seemed to rush through the last 2 decades of Michelangelo's life.
The first quarter of the book and the beginning of Michelangelo's career under Lorenzo Medici was a true gem. Michelangelo's self-discovery, love of sculpture, and love of Lorenzo's daughter Contessina felt youthful and fresh, especially his discovery of human anatomy and the scenes of dissection. However, the political intrigue and the battles with the Church in a post-Lorenzo world were cumbersome.
I still highly recommend this book as a great story about Michelangelo as it enhanced my appreciation for his work. Just be prepared to spend a good deal of time trudging through this lengthy tome.
Book Description
Francine Prose's life of Caravaggio evokes the genius of this great artist through a brilliant reading of his paintings. Caravaggio defied the aesthetic conventions of his time; his use of ordinary people, realistically portrayed—street boys, prostitutes, the poor, the aged—was a profound and revolutionary innovation that left its mark on generations of artists. His insistence on painting from nature, on rendering the emotional truth of experience, whether religious or secular, makes him an artist who speaks across the centuries to our own time.
Born in 1571 near Milan, Michelangelo Merisi (da Caravaggio) moved to Rome when he was twenty-one years old. He became a brilliant and successful artist, protected by the influential Cardinal del Monte and other patrons. But he was also a man of the streets who couldn't seem to free himself from its brawls and vendettas. In 1606 he fled Rome, apparently after killing another man in a dispute. He spent his last years in exile, in Naples, Malta, and Sicily, at once celebrated for his art and tormented by his enemies. Through it all, he produced masterpieces of astonishing complexity and power. Eventually he received a pardon from the Pope, only to die, in mysterious circumstances, on the way back to Rome in 1610.
Francine Prose presents the brief but tumultuous life of one of the greatest of all painters with passion and acute sensitivity.
Customer Reviews:
H&J Bailey.......2007-05-13
We purchased "Caravaggio: Painter of miracles" in preparation for a tour to ITALY dedicated to the works of Caravaggio that we found in Rome, Naples and Florence. It was an excellent preparation.
Excellent sketch of Caravaggio's life, and overview of his opus. The author's clear and aggressive prose fits Caravaggio to a T. The text was easily read and exciting in it's coverage of things Caravaggio.
I recommend the book to any person interested in Caravaggio and I intend to pursue other works by the author Francine Prose.
The Sinner-Saint.......2007-02-28
Francine Prose's "Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles" is part of a series of short biographies called "Eminent Lives" in which famous authors write about great historical figures. The aim of the series is not be produce scholarly or definitive works; instead it is to offer the reader a gateway into the works and importance of the subject to inspire further exploration and thought.
Francine Prose is best-known as a novelist. She offers in this book an elegant short guide to the great Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573 -- 1610). Caravaggio's story is one of the most romantic and tantalizing in art. He moved to Rome as a young man of 21 and established his reputation as a painter of importance, turning early in his career to paintings of religious themes. But Caravaggio's life was tumultuous, violent, and brutal. He was never without his dagger, even when he slept. He brawled and fought and consorted with the low life of Rome, and was forced to flee the city after killing a man in a dispute that involved a bet over a game of tennis. In exile, Caravaggio continued to live violently, to flee from place to place, and to paint masterpieces. Prose captures the tension between Caravaggio's tortured life and his artistry. She writes:
"The life of Caravaggio is the closes thing we have to the myth of the sinner-saint, the street tough, the martyr, the killer, the genius -- the myth that, in these jaded and secular times, we are almost ashamed to admit that we still long for, and need. .. Each time we see his paintings, we are reminded of why we still care so profoundly about this artist who continues to speak to us in his urgent, intimate language, audible centuries after the voices of his more civilized, presentable colleagues have fallen silent". (p. 13)
Prose did not get me very far into Caravaggio's life. She is much more successful in describing the paintings, which she does in good detail for a short book. The book includes 11 color plates of some of Caravaggio's masterpieces, from the beginning to the end of his career. Prose has helpful things to say in helping the reader to understand these works and the circumstances of their creation -- she helps the nonspecialist learn to look at and respond to a painting. I found her especially good in discussing Caravaggio's paintings of the "Calling of Saint Matthew" -- where she eloquently shows the artist depicting a conversion experience -- and its companion work, "The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew." Prose also discusses well many paintings that are not reproduced in the book. In order to get the most from these discussions, the reader will need to find these paintings in another source -- this book has as its goal, after all, encouraging further exploration of Caravaggio.
Prose finds Caravaggio's greatness lies in his honesty, directness, and naturalism. She stresses how is works communicate directly with the viewer. Prose also emphasizes how Caravaggio used common people and places and the tough street life with which he was familiar in his paintings, including the use of rough laborers, common dwellings, gypsies, and prostitutes. Caravaggio's work combined elements of violence and low life with deep spirituality as he explored the mysteries of faith, conversion experiences,loneliness, and martyrdom. Caravaggio's brilliance as a painter, and the highly modern tension his work suggests between the spiritual and the mundane, are reasons why many people will continue to be fascinated by his work.
Prose's book doesn't capture fully the reasons why Caravaggio's work continues to live and to move people. But her book will encourage reflection upon and further exploration of the work of this great and troubled artist.
Robin Friedman
A brief life with no new insights.......2006-12-08
Francine Prose writes well and with a light ironic touch but this slim volume adds little to what we already know about Caravaggio. At a little over 100 pages and with only a handful of color illustrations the book amounts to little more than an extended essay of Ms. Prose's reactions to Caravaggio's major works. There are very many better books showing the paintings and Prose doesn't go into the camera obscura technique that Caravaggio undoubtedly used, giving his paintings an almost photo-realistic representation of his subjects.
That Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was a brawler with a passion for picking fights worthy of "Fight Club" who combined erratic behavior with some sublime paintings is hardly an insight. A much better treatment of the life and psychology of the artist appears in Peter Robb's 1998 "M: The Man who Became Caravaggio" which curiously is unreferenced by Prose.
Although Prose notes that Caravaggio broke away from the stylized poses and unearthly lighting of the mannerists, I don't think she clearly explains his genius.
A good book............2006-11-03
This was a good book because it made me curious about Caravaggio. I subsequently bought another book that was a much more thorough biography of Caravaggio.
Great overview for the non Art professional.......2006-06-10
A great little book that covers what is known about a true bad boy of art, a tormented genius that challenged the accepted art of his time and changed the direction of painting, not something lightly done in those times. For this he was applauded, sought out, paid very well; he respond with bad judgment and madness. This book hits all the highlights and story points a non-art professional would want with being bogged down in too much 'art philosophy' that books on artists sometime drop into making it hard for an amateur to wade through. This is an excellent intro to Caravaggio. You should read this and then follow it up with The Lost Painting: A Quest For A Caravaggio Masterpiece, the amazing and true story of how one of Caravaggio's lost paintings was found in the 1990s.
Book Description
46 outstanding studies, including sketches for David, Sistine Ceiling, Last Judgment, and more. Nudes, figure studies, children, animals, mythical and religious works, more. New volume in Dover Art Library affords insight into mastery of proportion, anatomy, perspective, shading, contrast. Essential for artists, museum-goers.
Customer Reviews:
okay, not great.......2007-01-04
The images are not the highest quality, but if your goal is to get a taste, maybe to have something to copy to learn the style, this book will do fine, and it is not terribly expensive.
useless.......2006-03-17
What is the point of buying having the book when you can't even see it. The print quality of this book is so poor. The images are either too dark or just can't see at all.
Inexpensive renderings of classic drawings........2001-08-13
A good buy for any student of art or anatomy.
Extraordinary Studies of the Great Master.......2000-10-22
In this thin but great book, you'll find 46 works of the great master - Michelangelo. Concentrating in Life drawings you'll see studies of the great marble - "David", for "The Battle of cascina",for various figures of the Sistine Chaplle Ceiling,and many more astonishing studies, all vivid in his great manner. Black & white. A real "Must Buy", especially in this price. Michelangelo. The Master.
definately worth the [price].......2000-09-11
this is a collection of 46 figure drawings michelangelo did. michelangelo was a master painter and sculptor, he rendered figures more beautifully than any other artist ever has. most of the drawings in this book are studies he did for his paintings and sculptures. and he was a master draftsman. the book is in a workbook style binding so it takes up little space, but it is a hardy book. it is well worth the...price.
Average customer rating:
- The Holy Sinner
- A Brillant Concise Biography
- Caravaggio is Caravaggio
- you'll love it.
- Interesting Account of Caravaggio and his works
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Caravaggio: A Passionate Life
Desmond Seward
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
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M : The Man Who Became Caravaggio
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ASIN: 0688150322 |
Amazon.com
Historian Desmond Seward has written an indispensable book on Caravaggio--equally balanced and historically double-checked. But even with all its references, dates, names, quotes, and careful scholarship, this biography reads like a novel that is impossible to put down. Caravaggio, of course, with his "wild, wild spirit" and "very strange temper," according to contemporary accounts, is a natural subject for a galloping narrative. Caravaggio's religious and social status as a Knight of Malta, his protection by a famous cardinal, his street fighting, his fine silk clothes worn until they rotted away, his prostitute models and lowlife friends, his repeated failure to win a commission for St. Peter's, and his bitterness at the rise of mediocre rivals are just some of the ingredients of this good read.
What Seward does, to riveting perfection, is convey 16th-century life to the reader. He takes Caravaggio's renowned naturalism and shows us where it came from. He transports readers to Rome in the 1590s, where they explore the old stones of the ancient empire, step over the human excrement in the streets, and witness the pageantry of luxurious horse-drawn carriages promenading through the mud. Readers lurk with Seward in the darkness, light lamps and candles, and feel the damp as the Tiber rises, leaving behind more than a thousand corpses when it finally recedes after a terrible flood. They stand in the crowd and watch as the heads and bodies of decapitated criminals are quartered and hoisted on spears and ramparts for display. Gradually readers get the feeling that Caravaggio's predilection for severed heads was less the product of a tormented imagination than it was simply all in a day's observation for an unwavering realist. --Peggy Moorman
Book Description
Michael Angelo da Caravaggio (1571-1610) had an amazingly colorful and adventurous career, full of dramatic contrasts. He was a religious artist who used prostitutes and castrati as his models; a mystic with a police record; the favorite of Cardinals and the Pope's portrait painter, who committed a murder; an outlaw from the Roman hills, lionized at Naples; a Knight of Malta imprisoned in a Maltese dungeon; hunted by hired assassins in a vendetta with an unknown enemy; horribly disfigured by sword cuts in a Neapolitan brothel. Ironically, he died on a lonely Tuscan beach after receiving a pardon that would have allowed him to become an even greater painter.
Based on the latest research, but largely written as an adventure story, the book concentrates on the man and his personality, without neglecting the artist. It vividly re-creates his life in early Baroque Italy and as a "monk of war" on Malta.
Customer Reviews:
The Holy Sinner.......2006-06-07
I am fascinated by the combination in one person, of great creativity, in the service of religious ideals, with uncontrolled sexuality, violence and criminality, and depression. The relationship between these two extremes may be the modern temperament writ large. Thus, in the company of many people, I have long been interested in the art and character of the great Italian baroque artist, Michelangelo de Caravaggio (1571 -- 1610). Desmond Seward's short and readable biography, "Caravaggio: A Passionate Life" (1998) offers a good overview of a remarkable artist and deeply flawed and troubled person. Seward is an English historian who has written on the medieval and renaissance periods. He is a member of the Knights of Malta, as was Caravaggio for a brief time; and Seward's religious perspective undoubtedly has much to do with how he sees the artist. I was not convinced by parts of Seward's understanding of his subject. But he presents his materials well with room for his readers to disagree.
Caravaggio was born in the small Italian village for which he is named, and his father died a victim of the plague early in life. From 1588 -1592 he served an apprenticeship as a painter in Milan but fled to Rome, most likely as a result of killing a policeman. In Rome, Caravaggio ultimately received recognition for his extraordinary paintings but was forced to flee the city in 1606 after killing a man named Tommasoni in a duel. (He had earlier accumulated a long police record in Rome.) He received a dispensation to join the Knights of Malta but was expelled and forced to flee after another duel in which he severely wounded a superior in the Order. Caravaggio had strong defenders in Rome, greatly aware of his extraordinary gifts, and received a papal pardon. But, knowing that he had been pardoned, in 1610 Caravaggio died a miserable death en route to Rome after drinking contaminated water. During his years in Rome and thereafter, Caravaggio was an astonishing painter, creating many masterworks, mostly on religious themes. Many of his works have been lost, but some have resurfaced in recent years.
Seward gives a brief treatment of the little that is known about Caravaggio's life and makes an effort to separate knowledge from speculation in the original source material. He does a good job in putting the artist's life in the context of the Italy of his day, with its many states, cultures of endemic and pervasive violence, and susceptibility to natural disasters, such as floods, and plagues. He also discusses effectively the counter-reformation in the Catholic Church; and he places Caravaggio's paintings squarely within the goals and religious outlook of the attempt to revitalize Catholicism from the challenges of Protestantism. For all the violence and difficulties in his life, Seward stresses, Caragaggio never had doctrinal difficulties that might have interested the Inquisition.
Seward also discusses Caravaggio's major paintings (the book includes good color reproductions of 16 of them) emphasizing their naturalism -- Caragaggio's attempt to paint people and things as they were -- and, increasingly, their mysticism and religiosity. He is good at pointing out the violence in many of the paintings -- especially the scenes of beheadings -- and their use of light and of dark shadings. Seward is far less convincing on issues of sexuality. He is dismissive on issues of eroticism in Caravaggio's art, and on the artist's likely bisexual or homosexual orientation. The historical record may be sparse, but many viewers have found compelling evidence of eroticism in the paintings -- including the paintings reproduced in his book. Seward properly emphasizes, I think, the religious, mystical nature that finds expression in Caravaggio's art, but he downplays the violent, demonic, and sexual nature of the artist. Thus, while he properly subtitles his book "A Passionate Life", he gives the reader less than the whole of it.
As Seward points out, in many respects Caravaggio, with his great talent and equally great human flaws, is the prototype of the modern antihero. Undoubtedly, this combination accounts for much of the fascination the artist and his works continue to exert. Seward's book sets the stage for considering the tortured relationship between Caravaggio's life and his art; but in the end he fails to do his subject complete justice.
Robin Friedman
A Brillant Concise Biography.......2004-10-02
It is no secret among my friends that Michelangelo Merisi da Carvaggio is among my favorite painters. Because Caravaggio's paintings have a narrative quality, an almost universal appeal and real drama, they have long spoken to me. When the National Gallery of Ireland loaned its newly discovered Caravaggio - one of the best and notably, one that hasn't suffered at the hands of overzealous restorers of past centuries - to our own National Gallery of Art, I flew to Washington to see it. Even hanging in the gallery of Baroque masterpieces, it stood out as a sublime work of art. Like his paintings, Caravaggio's life was a study in contrasts. While he painted soaring religious masterpieces, he lived his life in the gutter, fighting, killing, gambling and whoring. So, enjoying his work as much as I do, it is with pleasure that I share a elegantly crafted, well-written little monograph titled "Caravaggio: A Passionate Life." The author, Desmond Seward, is not an art historian but a historian of the Middle Ages and because of the number of art historians with an agenda; this is almost certainly a good thing...instead of being filled with jargon or far fetched theories, he has provided readers with a consise, well-written monograph on a epoch creating artist!
Caravaggio is Caravaggio.......2002-10-14
Any biography of Caravaggio is bound to be immensely interesting because he was far from ordinary, someone who will never fail to shock and amuse modern readers. While several reviews I have read complain about the brevity of the book, I found its length appropriate-it did the artist justice without bogging the reader down with too much analysis and irrelevant details. It assumes some familiarity with Italy and European history, but it has several chapters devoted solely to discussing the time period, while always making a connection to Caravaggio's life. I found it particularly nice that nearly all of Caravaggio's paintings were discussed and analyzed within the biography. The book has several copies of paintings inserted in its middle, but lacks the majority. Therefore, I found it incredibly helpful to have my Caravaggio anthology nearby so that I could follow the author's discussions. Undoubtedly, anyone that is not a Caravaggio fan would find these sections tremendously boring, but I loved the opportunity to pore over his paintings with a new understanding of their significance and context.
you'll love it........2000-03-18
This may be the best of the new Caravaggio books. As a painter and a student of art history, I found this book by Seward to be absolutely absorbing. Seward not only gives insight about Caravaggio's life, but also delves into the events that may have inspired his paintings. Please read this exciting book!
Interesting Account of Caravaggio and his works.......1999-11-25
Firstly an admission, I had no prior knowledge of Caravaggio or his paintings. My main area of interest is military history but after seeing the beautiful cover on this book I picked it up and browsed through the wonderful colour plates. I had to have the book to read and after ordering it from Amazon.com and sat and waited. It was worth the wait! I enjoyed the story of this most interesting man, yes its a bit short (200 odd pages) but to a person like me who had no prior knowledge or interest in this subject it filled a gap in my education. This was an interesting book to read and I just loved the colour plates of the artists work (16 colour pictures). The book has sparked an interest to learn more of this man, his times and his art. For that alone the book was worth it and the author has done his job. I would recommend this book for those who want to learn a little bit more about this man and his art.
Average customer rating:
- Devout artist in war with the world and himself.
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Michelangelo: Architect
Giulio Carlo Argan , and
Bruno Contardi
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
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ASIN: 1904313256 |
Customer Reviews:
Devout artist in war with the world and himself. .......2006-12-20
This book has a two overarching contrast and comparison in formation of Michelangelo's career as an architect.
First, author contrasts Michelangelo (M) to Leonardo da Vinci. This allows reader to understand that the major method and theme of M's art was very religious and theological in its nature. Unlike da Vinci's very scientific artifacts, the author portrays M's art as a very personal aspiration towards God. To corroborate the claim, the author, points out major aspects of M's poetry, painting, and sculpture. In poetry, placement of words and the syntactical relationship is emphasized to point out almost mystical and inductive nature of his artistic bent. In painting, using a Sistine Chapel's painting, the author pulls out the compressed perspective as an "illogical" element of M's art. In sculpture, his "not-finished" element is mentioned as his religiosity.
Second, the overarching comparison in the book is between Florence and Rome. By comparing the two, the author was able to identify the nature of patronage and their political strife. Both Medici and Pope had difficult times when M was alive. Florence was under the internal turmoil to kick out Medici and establish republic and Rome was under the attack from Reformation to abolish papacy and reinstitute Christianity. That in mind, the book, chronologically analyzes architectural works of M. Florentine works of New Sacristy and Lauretian Library and a Roman works of Capitoline and St. Peter's stand out in the book. The author painstakingly points out the concept and its actual execution to illustrate what kind of role M played as an artist during the major historical events.
The book is both extensive and intensive in its content. If a prospect reader is a design professional, there are plenty of striking design skills to hear about.
Average customer rating:
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Michelangelo: The Medici Chapel
James Beck ,
Antonio Paolucci , and
Bruno Santi
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
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ASIN: 0500236909 |
Book Description
When Michelangelo left Florence for Rome in 1534, the Medici tombs were unfinished, but there was never any question of another sculptor being brought in to finish them. They were already icons of artistic perfection, which it would be sacrilege for anyone else to touch. That eminence they retain to this day. The two seated Medici dukes and the reclining figures of Night, Day, Dawn, and Dusk are among the most famous sculptures in the world, endlessly copied and universally recognizable. Yet however familiar these images are, this superb collection--160 pages of exquisitely printed photographs by a master photographer--makes it a revelation to see the originals. We are able to appreciate their forms and dwell on their details in an unprecedented way. Particularly now, since the tombs have been cleaned and restored, it is possible to imagine Michelangelo's chisel at work, and to marvel afresh at the sheer physical power that for his contemporaries made him almost superhuman. Accompanying essays by Bruno Santi, Director of the Medici Chapel from 1982 to 1992, and by the art historians Antonio Paolucci and James Beck, provide the historical background to the Chapel, essentially the Medici family's mausoleum, and explain how the concept changed over the fifteen years when Michelangelo was working on it. Originally envisaged as commemorating four members of the family, including Lorenzo the Magnificent, with a huge freestanding tomb, it was eventually confined to only two--who might now be totally forgotten but for their monuments. The little building that contains them is as important in the history of Mannerist architecture as the figures are in that of sculpture: indeed, no other location, not even the Sistine Chapel, captures the essence of Michelangelo's genius so intensely. 201 duotone illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
great book!!!.......2007-01-03
it's an amazing book!!! i've been to the medici chapel a few years back, and this book just made me miss that place so much!!! it's like going back there retracing the steps of the greatest artist of all times!!!
Average customer rating:
- Crappy
- Excellent Book That Lacks Color Plates
- Transcends the usual assigned texts
- A Great Book for a Great Artist
- A Book Of The Arts!
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Caravaggio (Icon Editions)
Howard Hibbard
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
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ASIN: 0064301281 |
Customer Reviews:
Crappy.......2007-01-16
This is by far the crappiest books on painting book ever. The pictures are black and white and look like a photocopy of a bad photocopy. Needless to say, I returned it the next day. Buyer Beware.
Excellent Book That Lacks Color Plates.......2006-11-21
I would agree with the other reviewers that in many respects this is an excellent book. Mr. Hibbard analyzes Caravaggio's works in terms that are comprehensive, and yet not puffed up with academic hot air. He describes the historical context of the paintings, and often compares individual works of Caravaggio with similar paintings of other artists. He even points out artistic errors, such as the lack of perspective in the hands of a man in the painting Supper At Emmaus. Hibbard talks about the striking use of color in Caravaggio's compositions, and it is here that one can be somewhat disappointed with the book for, the wonderful paintings of Caravaggio are, with very few exceptions, reproduced in a dismal black and white. If you are familiar with Caravaggio, and are most interested in the author's commentary, than this deficiency would probably not bother you. I have John Spike's "Caravaggio" that is full of color plates, but it is more expensive. Although I have not seen it, I understand C. Puglisi's book by the same name also has many color plates. For the relative newcomer to this great painter, I would encourage consideration of one of these other two books as a companion volume to this excellent book.
Transcends the usual assigned texts.......2001-10-30
In one of my last classes for my degree, this book was the required text. I am awed by Caravaggio's work anyway, but combine that with Howard Hibbert's insightful text and you have an amazing book. I would definitely recommend this text for anyone interested in this fantastic artist.
A Great Book for a Great Artist.......2001-06-27
Caravaggio is one of the greatest artists of the 17th century. In a very brief period of time he managed to exert a influence over all of European painting.
Caravaggio was the original bad boy of the art world. He was willing to use well known prostitutes as models when portraying the Virgin Mary or to show saints with dirty feet. This offended authorities in Baroque Rome and Caravaggio was often a trial to his patrons. During the majority of his active career he was on the lam fleeing from a murder charge. He burst on the Roman art scene during the height of its influence and spent his last days in Malta in the company of the knights.
Although Caravaggio's influence was immense immediately after his death where his masterful use of light and shadow was immitated by countless lesser artists. For a number of years Caravaggio's reputation declined. Raphael's influence dominated academic art and Caravaggio's relatively harsh realism was in disfavor. It was only in the 1950's when a major evaluation occurred.
This book by Howard Hibbard is probably the first of these modern reevaluations of Caravaggio and it is still one of the best. Professor Hibbard is one of the country's leading art historians and he brings considerable scholarship to his study of Caravaggio's work. Although there are plenty of other books on Caravaggio, I think that this book is still the best of lot in terms of understanding Caravaggio's art (his life was sufficiently messy and his sexuality ambiguous to spur the mills of contemporary scholarship for many years). Professor Hibbard's writing is sufficiently free from academic claptrap to make it an invaluable guide to both the specialist and the novice.
A Book Of The Arts!.......2000-03-24
This is a beautiful book. As a divorced hardworking mother of 3, I spend all of my time reading this book to my children, Isaul (age 90) Gabriella (age 16) and Kraquel (age 3) I also read it to my co-workers where I work, a prositute. This is truley a work of art.
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