The Self-Portrait
The Self-Portrait
Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
Summary
Maps the history of self-portraiture, from the earliest myths of Narcissus and the Christian tradition of bearing witness to the prolific self-image-making of today's contemporary artists.
The feel-good place to buy books
- Free delivery in Ireland
- Supporting authors with AuthorSHARE
- 100% recyclable packaging
- Proud to be a B Corp – A Business for good
- Buy-back with Ziffit
The Self-Portrait by James Hall
In this broad cultural survey, James Hall brilliantly maps the history of self-portraiture, from the earliest myths of Narcissus and the Christian tradition of ‘bearing witness’ to the prolific self-image-making of today’s contemporary artists. Along the way he reveals the importance of the medieval ‘mirror craze’; the confessional self-portraits of Titian and Michelangelo; the role of biography for serial self-portraitists such as Courbet and van Gogh; themes of sex and genius in works by Munch and Bonnard; and the latest developments in our globalized age. Hall covers the full range of self-portraits, from comic and caricature self-portraits to ‘invented’ or imaginary ones, and looks deeply into the worlds and mindsets of the artists who have created them. Offering a rich and lively history, this is an essential read for all those interested in this most enduringly popular and humane of art forms.
'There is never a dull passage in this book: the detail is crisply imparted; the content richly arcane at times, but more usually profoundly human; the ideas come freshly coinedHall manages to retain the intellectual high ground while writing with verve and enthusiasm.' - Frances Spalding, Guardian
'Fascinating, erudite and beautifully produced' - Sunday Times
'Beautifully designed … delivers original and engaging interpretations' - RA Magazine
'This is really good art history, intelligent, knowledgeable and fired by ideas' - World of Interiors
'Fascinating, erudite and beautifully produced' - Sunday Times
'Beautifully designed … delivers original and engaging interpretations' - RA Magazine
'This is really good art history, intelligent, knowledgeable and fired by ideas' - World of Interiors
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', and The Artist's Studio: A Cultural History (Thames & Hudson, 2022).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780500239100 |
| ISBN 10 | 050023910X |
| Title | The Self-Portrait |
| Author | James Hall |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Thames & Hudson Ltd |
| Year published | 2014-03-24 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |