Simon Schama is known more for his historical books than for the subject he loves, which is the arts. His latest book is called the power of art. Prior to writing this artistic masterpiece and bestseller, he wrote a lot of books with historical themes, including the ones about French Revolution, History of Britain, the rise of the Dutch Republic as well as another about slave trade and how it impacted on what America is today. All of these books were international bestsellers.
This shift sees Schama turn his attention to the one subject that is dearest to his heart, and this is the world of arts. Reading his book, you cannot reconcile the fact that he is an accomplished historical writer with the way lets his love for arts glow in this latest masterpiece. It is obvious that if you liked his other books on history, you are going to love this also.
To the book itself and it is a bit oversized, heavy-paged and is composed of several full-color prints of various arts pieces. These arts pieces are the focal points of the chapters. The whole book is divided into 8 chapters, with each chapter focusing on a particular artist. The majority of these artists are printers although you will also find some sculptors.
Among the famous artists that the book dwells on are Rothko, Caravaggio and Van Gogh among several other top artists. Schama provides a lot of information about the lives of these artisans in the book. He goes ahead to reveal the untold troubles that the artists had to go through in nurturing their artistic skills.
Basically, this is to say that unpleasantries are also much talked about here. For example, about Bernini, the author writes of his triumphs as well as his failures. Also, how Bernini disagrees with fellow artists is also discussed. Finally, there is also information about the challenges that Bernini encountered in building his famous sculptures.
There is also the story of Van Gogh, and particularly how his devotion leads him to become a top painter. The troubles of Picasso are also expounded. Actually, the writer brings out how Picasso struggles with the events of World War II. The writer describes each chapter beautifully, drawing the intimate link between the life of a particular artist and how he expresses it on the work of art.
It would be wrong to suggest that people require this information to be able to enjoy art. But still, it is very important in changing how people view this subject of art. With such information, people are able to appreciate the kinds of emotions that were at play at the time the artists undertook their work. Like in his past works, such as the French Revolution, Schama has again chosen to concentrate on people and not genre.
But to aver that the power of art is purely about the theme of arts is a fallacy. This book is really about politics, psychology, sociology and philosophy. The kind of information one gets is not just about the artistes, but also regarding their troubles in coming up with their works.
This shift sees Schama turn his attention to the one subject that is dearest to his heart, and this is the world of arts. Reading his book, you cannot reconcile the fact that he is an accomplished historical writer with the way lets his love for arts glow in this latest masterpiece. It is obvious that if you liked his other books on history, you are going to love this also.
To the book itself and it is a bit oversized, heavy-paged and is composed of several full-color prints of various arts pieces. These arts pieces are the focal points of the chapters. The whole book is divided into 8 chapters, with each chapter focusing on a particular artist. The majority of these artists are printers although you will also find some sculptors.
Among the famous artists that the book dwells on are Rothko, Caravaggio and Van Gogh among several other top artists. Schama provides a lot of information about the lives of these artisans in the book. He goes ahead to reveal the untold troubles that the artists had to go through in nurturing their artistic skills.
Basically, this is to say that unpleasantries are also much talked about here. For example, about Bernini, the author writes of his triumphs as well as his failures. Also, how Bernini disagrees with fellow artists is also discussed. Finally, there is also information about the challenges that Bernini encountered in building his famous sculptures.
There is also the story of Van Gogh, and particularly how his devotion leads him to become a top painter. The troubles of Picasso are also expounded. Actually, the writer brings out how Picasso struggles with the events of World War II. The writer describes each chapter beautifully, drawing the intimate link between the life of a particular artist and how he expresses it on the work of art.
It would be wrong to suggest that people require this information to be able to enjoy art. But still, it is very important in changing how people view this subject of art. With such information, people are able to appreciate the kinds of emotions that were at play at the time the artists undertook their work. Like in his past works, such as the French Revolution, Schama has again chosen to concentrate on people and not genre.
But to aver that the power of art is purely about the theme of arts is a fallacy. This book is really about politics, psychology, sociology and philosophy. The kind of information one gets is not just about the artistes, but also regarding their troubles in coming up with their works.
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