An artist assessed as much by his personality as by his work, French painter and writer Gustave Courbet's renown centers on his paintings of peasants and labourers of the mid-nineteenth century and his presentation of himself as a passionate social commentator. Motivated by strong political views, Courbet's art formed a paradigm of Realism: a consciously democratic attempt to objectively represent contemporary life. This in-depth Grove Art Essentials title explores the life and work of the...

Another fascinating book by the author of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling: a saga of artistic rivalry and cultural upheaval in the decade leading to the birth of Impressionism.If there were two men who were absolutely central to artistic life in France in the second half of the nineteenth century, they were Edouard Manet and Ernest Meissonier. While the former has been labelled the “Father of Impressionism” and is today...

“People like us . . . have different rights, different values than do ordinary people because we have different needs which put us . . . above their moral standards.” —ModiglianiAmedeo (“Beloved of God”) Modigliani was considered to be the quintessential bohemian artist, his legend almost as infamous as Van Gogh’s. In Modigliani’s time, his work was seen as an oddity: contemporary with the Cubists but not part of their movement. His work was a link between such portraitists as Whis...

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was one of the great personalities of fin de siecle Paris, a famous and popular figure known by, and knowing, everyone who mattered in bohemian circles. He is usually classified as a postimpressionist painter, along with his contemporaries Gauguin and van Gogh. In common with many artists, Toulouse-Lautrec had to struggle to gain acceptance, but unlike his peers, his fight was not so much for his art as for himself. At just slightly over 5 feet tall, he faced prej...

For a couple of decades before World War II, a group of immigrant painters and sculptors, including Amedeo Modigliani, Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine and Jules Pascin dominated the new art scene of Montparnasse in Paris. Art critics gave them the name "the School of Paris" to set them apart from the French-born (and less talented) young artists of the period. Modigliani and Chagall eventually attained enormous worldwide popularity, but in those earlier days most School of Paris painters looke...

Edmund White has just met you at a party and he's going to tell you about a friend. But his 'friend' is one of the greatest cities in the world, beloved by many and yet really known by only a few. And he is one of those few. -Alexander CheeEdmund White's New York Times bestselling guided sojourn through the streets of Paris, with a new foreword by Alexander Chee.Legendary paterfamilias of queer literature Edmund White lived in Paris for si...

Modigliani (1884-1920) was a painter of great unhappiness in his native Italy and felt only sorrow in his adopted country of France. Out of this discontent came forth Modigliani’s original work, which was influenced by African art, the Cubists, and drunken nights in Montparnasse. His portrayal of women—sensual bodies, almost aggressive nudity, and mysterious faces—expresses their suffering and feelings of being unloved and unjustly disregarded. Modigliani died at the age of 36.

Using the tools of the "new" art history (feminism, Marxism, social context, etc.) An Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Art offers a richly textured, yet clear and logical, introduction to nineteenth-century art and culture. This textbook will provide readers with a basic historical framework of the period and the critical tools for interpreting and situating new and unfamiliar works of art.Michelle Facos goes beyond existing histories of nineteenth-century art, which oft...

This chapter from Julian Porter's essential companion to all the major European museums and galleries discusses some of the greatest paintings to be found in the museums and galleries of France. His passion for art began with the seven years he spent as a student tour guide in Europe. In this segment he visits Paris and discusses works by masters such as Delacroix, David, Renoir, Manet, Degas, and many more.In the usually pretentious arena of art connoisseurs, Porter's voice stands...

Art introduces readers to 100 of the world's most important artists and their paintings, from the 13th century to the modern era. Works by artists including Caravaggio, Vermeer, van Gogh and Warhol are reproduced in superb high quality, arranged chronologically and set in their historical context by Susie Hodge's concise and readable narrative.Including explanations of key periods in art history - from the Early Renaissance to Dutch Realism, and from Rococo to Pop Art - a ...

"[An] epic account of life and loves among artists and writers in Paris from belle époque to world slump." —William Feaver , The SpectatorA legendary capital of the arts, Paris hosted some of the most legendary developments in world culture—particularly at the beginning of the twentieth century, with the flowering of fauvism, cubism, dadaism, and surrealism.In Bohemian Paris, Dan Franck leads us on a vivid and magical tour of the Paris of ...

A beautifully illustrated hundred-year history of modern art, from cubism to pop and avant-guard. More than 250 color photos.