Bocklin: The Isle of the Dead

by Federico Zeri

These richly illustrated art books cover several centuries of great artists and their masterworks. From Arcimboldo to Schiele, each artist's life and times, influences, legacy, and style are explored in depth. Each book analyzes a particular painting with regard to the history surrounding it, the techniques used to create it, and the hidden details that make up the whole, providing a thorough look at each artist's career. Included is a bibliography, a chronological reading of principal works, a brief life history, and listings of public collections featuring each artist.

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'm in love with this series on great European paintings. It's quick, broad, and full of contextualizing pictures from influences and descendants, which is exactly what I like in my art books. Further entertainment values comes from the text, which is translated so awkwardly out of Italian that I keep wishing they'd just asked me to do it instead.

(Example: "In the second half of the Nineteenth century, the Swiss painter Arnold Böcklin was the greatest exponent of symbolic mysticism in painting. Dramatic or fantastic scenes are the protagonists of his famous naturalistic landscapes, done in the German tradition, always dominated by a surreal atmosphere."

(Hilarious, right? Still, I'm loving the series. I can't wait to get my hands on Arcimbaldo, Fuseli and Redon.)