This book is a real treasure for the aficionado of old photography. It's a beautifully made art/travel/Italy book printed by Jarrold & Sons in NorwichThis book is a real treasure for the aficionado of old photography. It's a beautifully made art/travel/Italy book printed by Jarrold & Sons in Norwich in 1960. Only 3 color plates, but 168 of those wonderfully historic black-and-white "photogravure" images of the kind that you would find in the coffee table books of the 1950s.
I really think the ubiquity of high quality color photography - now accessible from our pocket phones - is changing the way that we perceive the world. It's so easy for us - for anyone - to make high quality reproductions of reality - but ever more difficult for us to appreciate the value of what we see. Books like this take us back to a society that didn't have I-phones or androids, but which may have seen more, remembered more, valued more of the heritage of the past and the treasures of the natural world.
I'm not saying that it was better, but it was different....more
2 stars for the text. The photos are outstanding. If I were rating this as a coffee table book I would give 4 or 5 stars.
One problem with the essays i2 stars for the text. The photos are outstanding. If I were rating this as a coffee table book I would give 4 or 5 stars.
One problem with the essays is that they are uncoordinated - there are four, by four different authors or teams of authors, and they all go over much the same ground, cover the same topics, deal with the same material. Moreover, they all seem to have been written in academic, rather precise German - and then translated baldly into un-idiomatic English.
It's also disappointing that none the essays address the underlying controversy behind the architecture - that the choice to construct a 21st Century neo-Baroque Palace in the center of Berlin was contested, was (and is) controversial, that not everyone agrees that it was a good idea to rebuilt a monument to the tradition of authoritarian government and obedience to power in the center of a 21st century city. ...more
"Rivera reached a level of understanding about himself, his work, and the world that is reflected in the DeI concur with the author's final paragraph:
"Rivera reached a level of understanding about himself, his work, and the world that is reflected in the Detroit murals and that does not appear in any of his work before or after. . . In its Pan-American perspective, thematic richness, complexity of design, boldness of presentation, and vibrance of color, the Detroit mural cycle has no peer in the history of modern art. _Detroit Industry_ remains today a historical record of a fictive past, a utopian vision of the industrial culture of Detroit played out on a cosmic scale, an inspiration to the entrepreneur and social reformer alike, and a monumental modern work of art to be contemplated, studied, and enjoyed."
I was down in Detroit a few months ago, and had the ability to visit the DIA in ideal conditions, when they were limiting the number of admittances (due to COVID-19), yet most of the galleries - and the Rivera courtyard - were open. I haven't seen the DIA ever look better - and I was able to spend a good half hour contemplating the _Detroit Industry_ murals without the pressure of crowds (and school groups, hahaha). I left convinced more than ever that it really is a great work of art, and Detroit is incredibly fortunate that the circumstances of its creation worked out the way they did. Linda Bank Downs does a fine job of showing how everything had to come together "just right" in order for the mural sequence to be such an ideal representation of its creator, its patrons, and its city....more
Romantic obsession in friendship, and contemporary art, in semi-rural Pennsylvania.
Short, concise, and somewhat opaque - I like the way in which OatesRomantic obsession in friendship, and contemporary art, in semi-rural Pennsylvania.
Short, concise, and somewhat opaque - I like the way in which Oates' style here is a verbal analogue of the painterly style of one of the main characters, Shelia Trask. People who complain that this novel is not "realistic" are entirely missing the point. ...more
There's not a lot of "history" here - that is, not a lot of actual documentation in the story of "Dido Elizabeth Belle." But Paula Byrne has done a goThere's not a lot of "history" here - that is, not a lot of actual documentation in the story of "Dido Elizabeth Belle." But Paula Byrne has done a good job with what little there is.
Really though, there's a lot more here about William, Lord Mansfield, the Chief Justice. But, to be honest, it is a lot easier these days to market films and books which foreground attractive young women....more
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