Synopses & Reviews
These four essays on the art of the still life begin with a look back to pictures of meals painted on the walls of Egyptian tombs so that, as the author points out, "the soul could eat". Davenport's meditations on the still life encompass the full history of this art form, touching on neolithic cave paintings, the Dutch masters, Cezanne, and van Gogh, as well as photography and the collage.
Davenport is a writer who can cover a huge territory in a few strides, simply by the use of rich and relevant anecdote. Of course, he has the knack (and the knowledge) to always offer the right anecdote. Who else would tell us the details of van Gogh's diet in the course of a deep analysis of the symbolic meanings of the artist's Still Life with Onions?
Twelve full-color reproductions illustrate this elegant volume, including paintings by Monet, Balthus, Cezanne, Picasso, Crivelli, Daumier, van Gogh, Schwitters, and de Chirico.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [113]-116).