This biography of Edouard Manet (1832-83) captures the significance
of one of modern art's founding figures. Perfectly sociable in
public, Manet kept his private life intensely private. This split
self is at the center of Brombert's analysis of Manet's character,
but since he left few personal writings, such as letters, Brombert
(Cristina: Portrait of a Princess, 1977) can do little to penetrate
the artist's innermost thoughts. She does, however, chart the
course of his career and its context with skill and aplomb. Manet
was born into the haute bourgeoisie as it boomed under the rule of
Louis-Philippe. His father, a judge, hoped he would go into law or
the navy, but a gift for caricature led him to take up painting
instead. An attachment to Suzanne Leenhoff, originally his piano
teacher, complicated Manet's youth. Some years after Leenhoff gave
birth to a son, Manet married her. And while his decision was an
honorable one, his reluctance to be seen in public with her showed
his determination to wall off his private life. Professionally,
though, Manet took a bold stance, producing paintings whose vibrant
colors and everyday subjects shocked the art establishment. Manet's
colleagues and champions included Emile Zola, Stephane Mallarme,
Berthe Morisot, and above all, perhaps, Charles Baudelaire.
Brombert's readings of important canvases, from Le Dejeuner sur
l'herbe to the Execution of Maximilian to the Bar at the
Folies-Bergere, generally shine, as do her accounts of the changing
social and political environment in which Manet worked, and her
informed discussions of syphilis, the disease that claimed Manet's
father and then Manet himself. One does wish, however, that
Brombert had placed more emphasis on the highly original idea of
Manet's split self, which she introduces early on, suggesting that
the incessant doubling motifs in his work reflect his character.
Well researched, complexly conceived, and clearly written,
Brombert's life of Manet achieves a balanced synthesis of art
criticism, historical repotage, and biography. (Kirkus Reviews)
"Manet comes alive in [Brombert's] pages. . . . At times her
biography reads like a substantial and detailed 19th-century novel.
. . . Brombert's Edouard Manet gives us not only a portrait of a
complex artist but, in its authority and its range, a portrait of
an age as well."-James R. Mellow, New York Times Book Review "One
of the pleasures of reading her is to follow the way she weaves
life, art and history into a smooth tapestry. The art emerges from
the life, and in the broadest possible context: in terms of its
creator's life and concerns and in terns of its historical and
cultural setting."-Eric Gibson, The Washington Times Books "Richly
detailed and informative . . . [this biography] exposes the
character of an artist who maintained a sharply defined duality
between his public and private personas."-Edward J. Sozanski,
Philadelphia Inquirer "Brombert's reading of important canvasses .
. . shine, as do her accounts of the changing social and political
environment in which Manet worked. . . . Well researched, complexly
conceived, and clearly written."-Kirkus Reviews "Brilliant . . .
[this book] grants us a far deeper understanding of why [Manet's]
paintings outraged so many of his peers, and why these same
masterpieces resonate so richly in our psyches a century
later."-Booklist, starred review
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
