The Self-Portrait by James Hall
Hall's intelligent and vivid account shows how artists' depictions of themselves have been part of a continuing tradition that reaches back centuries. Along the way he reveals the importance of the medieval mirror craze; the explosion of the genre during the Renaissance; the confessional self-portraits of Titian and Michelangelo; the biographical role of serial self-portraits by artists such as Courbet and van Gogh; themes of sex and genius in works by Munch, Bonnard, and Modersohn-Becker; and the latest developments of the genre in the era of globalization Comprehensive and beautifully illustrated, the book features the work of a wide range of artists including Alberti, Caravaggio, Durer, Emin, Gauguin, Giotto, Goya, Kahlo, Koons, Magritte, Mantegna, Picasso, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Warhol.
'Wide-ranging, richly researched and evocatively illustrated … It is as varied, revelatory and idiosyncratic as the genre which it takes as its subject' - The Times
'Fascinating, erudite and beautifully produced' - Sunday Times
'Enthralling … Scattering insights on all sides, Hall’s narrative advances through the centuries with masterly vigour' - Observer
'Stimulating … Hall writes with energetic freshness … a highly engaged book that raises many questions about this intriguing and still-active genreIt deserves to be widely read' - Literary Review
'Spirited … the book’s readability and the depth of research give it an engaging pace that makes it especially refreshing' - The Art Newspaper
'There is never a dull passage in this book ... Hall manages to retain the intellectual high ground while writing with verve and enthusiasm ' - Frances Spalding, Guardian
'Lively ... Hall's range of reference is polymathic and his writing often pithy' - Daily Telegraph
'A stimulating and demanding book that requires an equally serious engagement from any reader ... There's no questioning the scholarship that lies behind this book' - The Spectator
'Hall's boundless curiosity explodes in all directions from the relatively few pages he has been allocated. Mostly we want more: more detail, more explanation and many more pictures. Given that this is a chunky and well-illustrated volume, that is meant as high praise' - Andrew Marr, New Statesman
'Hall's writing is not only accessible for a general audience, but filled with notable insights, including spicy, prurient ones' - The Daily Beast
'A graceful, sure-footed exposition, both authoritative and entertaining, of a long thread in cultural history ... I was hooked' - Carcassone
'A textured biography of the genre, where familiar works cohabit easily with esoteric ones, veined by richly-detailed, penetrating observations' - Sunday Business Post
'Exceptionally rich in detail' - Good Book Guide
'Detailed and informative ... a serious and scholarly work that nevertheless retains the reader's interest and attention and is generously and thoughtfully illustrated' - Art Book Review
'Beautifully designed ... (Hall) delivers original and engaging interpretations' - RA Magazine
'Fascinating, erudite and beautifully produced' - Sunday Times
'Enthralling … Scattering insights on all sides, Hall’s narrative advances through the centuries with masterly vigour' - Observer
'Stimulating … Hall writes with energetic freshness … a highly engaged book that raises many questions about this intriguing and still-active genreIt deserves to be widely read' - Literary Review
'Spirited … the book’s readability and the depth of research give it an engaging pace that makes it especially refreshing' - The Art Newspaper
'There is never a dull passage in this book ... Hall manages to retain the intellectual high ground while writing with verve and enthusiasm ' - Frances Spalding, Guardian
'Lively ... Hall's range of reference is polymathic and his writing often pithy' - Daily Telegraph
'A stimulating and demanding book that requires an equally serious engagement from any reader ... There's no questioning the scholarship that lies behind this book' - The Spectator
'Hall's boundless curiosity explodes in all directions from the relatively few pages he has been allocated. Mostly we want more: more detail, more explanation and many more pictures. Given that this is a chunky and well-illustrated volume, that is meant as high praise' - Andrew Marr, New Statesman
'Hall's writing is not only accessible for a general audience, but filled with notable insights, including spicy, prurient ones' - The Daily Beast
'A graceful, sure-footed exposition, both authoritative and entertaining, of a long thread in cultural history ... I was hooked' - Carcassone
'A textured biography of the genre, where familiar works cohabit easily with esoteric ones, veined by richly-detailed, penetrating observations' - Sunday Business Post
'Exceptionally rich in detail' - Good Book Guide
'Detailed and informative ... a serious and scholarly work that nevertheless retains the reader's interest and attention and is generously and thoughtfully illustrated' - Art Book Review
'Beautifully designed ... (Hall) delivers original and engaging interpretations' - RA Magazine
James Hall is an art critic, historian, lecturer and broadcaster. He was formerly Chief Art Critic of The Sunday Correspondent and of the Guardian. He contributes to the Guardian Saturday Review, The Times and Times Literary Supplement, as well as to many magazines and catalogues. He is the author of several books including The Self-Portrait: A Cultural History (Thames & Hudson, 2014), which the Sunday Times hailed as 'fascinating, erudite and beautifully produced'.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780500292112 |
| ISBN 10 | 0500292116 |
| Title | The Self-Portrait |
| Author | James Hall |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Thames & Hudson Ltd |
| Year published | 2015-08-24 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |