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Born Under Saturn: The Character and Conduct of Artists
A rare art history classic that The New York Times calls a "delightful, scholarly and gossipy romp through the character and conduct of artists from antiquity to the French Revolution."
Born Under Saturn is a classic work of scholarship written with a light and winning touch. Margot and Rudolf Wittkower explore the history of the familiar idea that artistic inspiration is a form of madness, a madness directly expressed in artists' unhappy and eccentric lives. This idea of the alienated artist, the Wittkowers demonstrate, comes into its own in the Renaissance, as part of the new bid by visual artists to distinguish themselves from craftsmen, with whom they were then lumped together. Where the skilled artisan had worked under the sign of light-fingered Mercury, the ambitious artist identified himself with the mysterious and brooding Saturn. Alienation, in effect, was a rung by which artists sought to climb the social ladder.
As to the reputed madness of artists; well, some have been as mad as hatters, some as tough-minded as the shrewdest businessmen, and many others wildly and willfully eccentric but hardly crazy. What is certain is that no book presents such a splendid compendium of information about artists' lives, from the early Renaissance to the beginning of the Romantic era, as Born Under Saturn. The Wittkowers have read everything and have countless anecdotes to relate: about artists famous and infamous; about suicide, celibacy, wantonness, weird hobbies, and whatnot. These make Born Under Saturn a comprehensive, quirky, and endlessly diverting resource for students of history and lovers of the arts.
"This book is fascinating to read because of the abundant quotations which bring to life so many remarkable individuals."--The New York Review of Books
Born Under Saturn is a classic work of scholarship written with a light and winning touch. Margot and Rudolf Wittkower explore the history of the familiar idea that artistic inspiration is a form of madness, a madness directly expressed in artists' unhappy and eccentric lives. This idea of the alienated artist, the Wittkowers demonstrate, comes into its own in the Renaissance, as part of the new bid by visual artists to distinguish themselves from craftsmen, with whom they were then lumped together. Where the skilled artisan had worked under the sign of light-fingered Mercury, the ambitious artist identified himself with the mysterious and brooding Saturn. Alienation, in effect, was a rung by which artists sought to climb the social ladder.
As to the reputed madness of artists; well, some have been as mad as hatters, some as tough-minded as the shrewdest businessmen, and many others wildly and willfully eccentric but hardly crazy. What is certain is that no book presents such a splendid compendium of information about artists' lives, from the early Renaissance to the beginning of the Romantic era, as Born Under Saturn. The Wittkowers have read everything and have countless anecdotes to relate: about artists famous and infamous; about suicide, celibacy, wantonness, weird hobbies, and whatnot. These make Born Under Saturn a comprehensive, quirky, and endlessly diverting resource for students of history and lovers of the arts.
"This book is fascinating to read because of the abundant quotations which bring to life so many remarkable individuals."--The New York Review of Books
344 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
57 people are currently reading
1685 people want to read
About the author
Margot Wittkower
5 books3 followersMargot Wittkower (1902 – July 3, 1995) née Margot Holzmann, was a German-American Interior designer and art historian specializing in neo-Palladian architecture and Italian Renaissance and Baroque period.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 7, 2007
Forget modern art. This is about the development of the artistic personality from antiquity up to the French Revolution. Covers patronage, the break from guilds and workshops, the assertion of artistic freedom, obsession with work, the inability of artists to get along with others, their sex lives, food lives, sleep lives, and much more.
August 15, 2018
Having read other books by Rudolf Wittkower, I must say that I was rather disappointed. Although being intrigued by the idea of investigating the nature of the artist and how this might be different from other professional groups, the book lacks a firm structure.
Most likely Rudolf and Margot Wittkower had been collecting notes on anything which had vaguely to do with artistry that they came across throughout their career and attempted to piece them together in a book. And that's exactly what this is. A collection of stories and anecdotes taken from Bellori, Vasari, Houbraken or Van Mander, organised around certain themes.
Yet what the book lacks is a clear point of view and methodology. After reading hundreds of anecdotes, it still is not clear to me if the authors are trying to discard or confirm the popular tropes and topoi about artists. One has the feeling that they never wanted to give up on certain topics which are not specifically related to artists in particular just because this would mean omitting juicy stories. An example is the subject on Suicides of artists. Right at the beginning of the chapter they admit that suicide is not a common phenomenon among artists and happens to all professions, so basically that going deeper into this material would misrepresent artists' attempt of suicide. After which they, nevertheless, carry on telling juicy examples of artists killing themselves.
I got through the book by reading a few anecdotes a day, and so it was bearable. I would not recommend this book if you expect a cohesive theory, a firm conclusion or a sound structure. But if you just want to see your biases and stereotypes about artists confirmed through a series of anecdotes spread over four centuries of art history, this is just your thing.
Most likely Rudolf and Margot Wittkower had been collecting notes on anything which had vaguely to do with artistry that they came across throughout their career and attempted to piece them together in a book. And that's exactly what this is. A collection of stories and anecdotes taken from Bellori, Vasari, Houbraken or Van Mander, organised around certain themes.
Yet what the book lacks is a clear point of view and methodology. After reading hundreds of anecdotes, it still is not clear to me if the authors are trying to discard or confirm the popular tropes and topoi about artists. One has the feeling that they never wanted to give up on certain topics which are not specifically related to artists in particular just because this would mean omitting juicy stories. An example is the subject on Suicides of artists. Right at the beginning of the chapter they admit that suicide is not a common phenomenon among artists and happens to all professions, so basically that going deeper into this material would misrepresent artists' attempt of suicide. After which they, nevertheless, carry on telling juicy examples of artists killing themselves.
I got through the book by reading a few anecdotes a day, and so it was bearable. I would not recommend this book if you expect a cohesive theory, a firm conclusion or a sound structure. But if you just want to see your biases and stereotypes about artists confirmed through a series of anecdotes spread over four centuries of art history, this is just your thing.
April 19, 2015
Dit boek begint sterk met de vraag of er een universele karakterschets gegeven kan worden van kunstenaars, bij wie een creatieve geest vaak samengaat met de behoefte aan introspectie en afzondering. Vlagen van genialiteit worden veelal afgewisseld door periodes van melancholie en soms zelfs waanzin. Maar is dit eigenlijk wel kunstenaar-eigen? Of zijn dit gewoon algemeen menselijke kenmerken? In hun zoektocht naar antwoorden nemen Rudolf en Margot Wittkower de biografische gegevens van talloze Renaissance- en barokkunstenaars door. Dit levert eerst nog interessante stellingen en gedachten op, maar al snel gaat de ellenlange opsomming vervelen. Beter dan op elk van de 300 pagina's met een nieuwe kunstenaar te beginnen, hadden de Wittkowers de levens van enkele kunstenaars uitvoerig uit kunnen diepen en door middel van hun (zeker interessante) psycho-sociale onderzoek en vragen met elkaar kunnen vergelijken.
December 7, 2013
A scholarly work, extensively researched. Amusing, astounding, and interesting studies of artist's personalities, foibles, and work habits from the early Renaissance period to the beginning of the Romantic era. The artist's place in society is also described in great detail.
January 17, 2019
Al final no hay una respuesta clara a lo que se llama «artista». Interesante lectura.
June 13, 2021
L'artista, questo fuori di testa
Giustamente famoso e celebrato questo saggio dei Wittkower, che parte da una semplice idea: da dove nasce la figura pubblica dell'artista come strano, scombinato, squilibrato? Da quando è che la frase: "Eh, ma è un artista" è divenuta una scusante per comportamenti pubblicamente riprovevoli?
Gli autori si affidano in modo pedissequo e rigoroso alle fonti storiche per costruire una storia non dell'artista ma della sua "idea pubblica". E' una scelta indovinata, perchè ogni aneddoto e ogni vicenda riportata sono utili per riflettere sulla mentalità del tempo e su come pittori, scultori ed architetti erano visti e come vedevano se stessi, al di là del fatto che si tratti di fatti storici veri o di costruzioni false.
Ecco quindi che si identifica nella fine del Medioevo il passaggio da artigiano ad artista: questo è il momento storico in cui chi lavorava con le mani sale ad un livello superiore rispetto a maniscalchi, fabbri, falegnami. Vero è che in Grecia c'era già stato un breve periodo in cui scultori e architetti erano saliti ad livelli elevati di fama e prestigio, ma rimanevano sempre fuori dalla cerchia dei veri eletti quali filosofi o poeti, nel solco della tradizione platonica (ed in parte anche aristotelica).
All'arrivo del Rinascimento, quindi l'artista diviene una figura nuova, originale, che rompe gli schemi e i limiti di gilde e corporazioni per affermare la propria individualità. Interessante è anche notare come, invece, nel '600 e '700 ci sia un riflusso verso una figura più integrata nel sistema (non a caso, è il periodo delle Accademie), razionale, signorile (Rubens, Bernini, Reynolds gli alfieri di questi artisti nobili e perfetti). Sarà poi la rottura anti-razionalista del Romanticismo a riportare in auge l'artista spostato, in quella evocativa e simbolica figura del bohemien .
Risulta chiara, quindi, la convinzione dei Wittkower che l'artista in quanto tale non abbia caratteristiche oggettivamente diverse dal resto degli umani (ci sono stati pazzi omicidi e tranquilli padri di famiglia, misantropi e compagnoni, scialacquatori e avari, paranoici in miseria e signori ricchissimi), ma che ciò che è cambiato nei secoli è stata invece la visione dell'artista.
In altri termini, le tendenze culturali hanno una influenza determinante sulla formazione e sullo sviluppo del carattere .
Lettura appassionante, basata su una serie di aneddoti storici e fatti biografici dei vari artisti, di necessità un pò frammentari ed eterogenei (perchè tali sono le fonti storiche), ma comunque interessanti - buono l'apparato iconografico (davvero necessario in un testo del genere) e in genere scorrevole e piacevole la discussione.
Giustamente famoso e celebrato questo saggio dei Wittkower, che parte da una semplice idea: da dove nasce la figura pubblica dell'artista come strano, scombinato, squilibrato? Da quando è che la frase: "Eh, ma è un artista" è divenuta una scusante per comportamenti pubblicamente riprovevoli?
Gli autori si affidano in modo pedissequo e rigoroso alle fonti storiche per costruire una storia non dell'artista ma della sua "idea pubblica". E' una scelta indovinata, perchè ogni aneddoto e ogni vicenda riportata sono utili per riflettere sulla mentalità del tempo e su come pittori, scultori ed architetti erano visti e come vedevano se stessi, al di là del fatto che si tratti di fatti storici veri o di costruzioni false.
Ecco quindi che si identifica nella fine del Medioevo il passaggio da artigiano ad artista: questo è il momento storico in cui chi lavorava con le mani sale ad un livello superiore rispetto a maniscalchi, fabbri, falegnami. Vero è che in Grecia c'era già stato un breve periodo in cui scultori e architetti erano saliti ad livelli elevati di fama e prestigio, ma rimanevano sempre fuori dalla cerchia dei veri eletti quali filosofi o poeti, nel solco della tradizione platonica (ed in parte anche aristotelica).
All'arrivo del Rinascimento, quindi l'artista diviene una figura nuova, originale, che rompe gli schemi e i limiti di gilde e corporazioni per affermare la propria individualità. Interessante è anche notare come, invece, nel '600 e '700 ci sia un riflusso verso una figura più integrata nel sistema (non a caso, è il periodo delle Accademie), razionale, signorile (Rubens, Bernini, Reynolds gli alfieri di questi artisti nobili e perfetti). Sarà poi la rottura anti-razionalista del Romanticismo a riportare in auge l'artista spostato, in quella evocativa e simbolica figura del bohemien .
Risulta chiara, quindi, la convinzione dei Wittkower che l'artista in quanto tale non abbia caratteristiche oggettivamente diverse dal resto degli umani (ci sono stati pazzi omicidi e tranquilli padri di famiglia, misantropi e compagnoni, scialacquatori e avari, paranoici in miseria e signori ricchissimi), ma che ciò che è cambiato nei secoli è stata invece la visione dell'artista.
In altri termini, le tendenze culturali hanno una influenza determinante sulla formazione e sullo sviluppo del carattere .
Lettura appassionante, basata su una serie di aneddoti storici e fatti biografici dei vari artisti, di necessità un pò frammentari ed eterogenei (perchè tali sono le fonti storiche), ma comunque interessanti - buono l'apparato iconografico (davvero necessario in un testo del genere) e in genere scorrevole e piacevole la discussione.
Read
September 18, 2007An excellent sociological study of art as a profession, how artists have supported themselves, and how their profession has been viewed throughout history, the role of patrons, business sense, and drink.
July 10, 2025
It is a book with lots of information, but very well organized and written, so it is not at all difficult to read. Nevertheless, every chapter follows more or less the same structure: introduction of a specific aspect of the figure of the artist (ex: genius, madness, homosexuality, solitude, idleness, etc.) and then lots of examples. At some point it can get a bit boring and it may feel that some examples are getting repeated. But it is a very good book, and most importantly it gives the space for the reader to think and take their own conclusions.
July 26, 2016
Lots of wonderful source material, not great plates (but that's what the internet is for), a very loose argument, but ultimately I was ok with that. Introduced me to some artists as well, which is always a plus.
March 15, 2017
Despite the authors' insistence that they don't want the book to be a collection of meandering (and contradictory) anecdotes, it's largely what it is. And that's what makes this hilarious, gossipy, and slightly cracked book so great.
December 8, 2009
Excellent book, very informative and interesting. The book obviously required an enormous amount of research.
February 20, 2025
Aun considerado un clásico por gran parte del stablishment histórico-artístico universitario, esta obra, pese a que posee un carácter de consulta nada desdeñable, y pese a que propone una tesis interesante (aunque rebatible en parte), ha envejecido regularín regulán... ¿De qué padece? De aroma positivista-historicista un tanto inflexible (aun bien esgrimido en ocasiones), con gusto por la minucia inecesaria y la densitud (los árboles no dejan ver el bosque ni los claros), un estilo discursivo académico-formal (casi rancio) y una defensa autonomista de las artes plásticas (al aislar a artistas plásticos de escritores o músicos, todo queda emborronado). Tampoco ayuda su reducido marco etnocéntrico filo-italiano y renacentista-manierista.
Sin embargo, los Wittkower eran necesarios para replantear el status quod del artista, y ahí reside el valor de este desgarbado opúsculo. Quien sea un apasionado del arte del renacimiento y del barroco encontrará aquí muchas anécdotas (algunas ya bien conocidas, otras no tanto), apuntes biográficos, acceso a artistas secundarios (con valor contrapuntístico)... Lo mejor, pensamos, su capacidad para contextualizar y ambientar los datos dentro de una historia de las mentalidades (la riqueza, el latrocinio, la lujuria, el orgullo....). Hay un esmero por el más mínimo de los detalles, lo que permite acceder a una perspectiva diferente sobre lo ya conocido. En este sentido, este ensayo posee, quizás, más valor histórico-social que artístico, psicológico (paradójicamente....) o antropológico.
Un problema grave, diríamos, tras las lecciones de Heidegger, Foucault, Deleuze, Badiu, Lacan (o de historiadores del arte como Warburg), es el de incurrir en una percepción historicista constrictiva, la cuál se arroga la capacidad para conocer perfectamente el pasado y de exponer el mecanismo oculto y verdadero de éste. El historicismo, como plantearon todos los autores mencionados previamente, no sirve para comprender el arte. Los Wittkower muestran su impotencia a la hora de centrar su crítica en un psicoanálisis freudiano carpetovetónico: tienen razón en que tantos psicoanalistas de tres al cuarto realizaron análisis artísticos que eran mera palabrería. El problema es que basta leer obras como "Las tres estéticas de Lacan" de Massimo Recalcati para observar como el psicoanálisis (post)lacaniano es harina de otro costal. De hecho, la gran revolución en la historia del arte ha venido de autores como Mitchell, Belting, Didi-Huberman, M. Gabriel... todos ellos han sabido absorber la herencia psicoanalítica que los Wittkower no supieron ver en su momento.
En conclusión, "Nacidos bajo el signo de Saturno" puede ser bien valorado como obra enciclopédica, como reflexión sobre los dichos y redichos sobre artistas y como modo de ampliar el conocimiento acerca de los recovecos biográficos. Pero debe ser criticado en la forma y en gran parte de la tesis... y aun así, tomada como interrogación ésta puede ser muy útil. El problema es que los Wittkower no supieron ver que la obra de arte se abre a lecturas psicológicas más allá de las que (con justicia) critican, y también a lecturas antropológicas, filosóficas, místicas... y que, por ser producto de invidivuos, debe admitirse una interpretación dialéctica a mitad entre la época y el enigma de cada individuo. Los datos que puedan recopilar sobre Durero o Leonardo, tan fragmentarios, apenas si nos permiten, realmente, conocer quiénes eran ellos. Abunda el vacío: no podemos reconstruir la obra de arte sólo con datos históricos. Los Wittkower, en realidad, caen en parte en lo que critican. Por otro lado, sólo han tocado una porción (pequeña, en realidad) de lo que es el arte y lo que es la mente de un artista.
A veces, incluso pareciera que los Wittkower quieren dejar zancada toda especulación. Sin embargo, muchas de sus propias conclusiones son especulativas si se leen debidamente. Una cosa es la fantasía (y ahí tienen razón al criticar a tantos "iluminados"), pero la especulación como tal es un ejercicio de tanteo creativo: es interpretación, feedback, dar vida a la creatividad del pasado. Eso es el ingrediente humano del arte, pero los Wittkower son plomo sesudo...
Y, aún así, es un gran trabajo de investigación y documentación.
Sin embargo, los Wittkower eran necesarios para replantear el status quod del artista, y ahí reside el valor de este desgarbado opúsculo. Quien sea un apasionado del arte del renacimiento y del barroco encontrará aquí muchas anécdotas (algunas ya bien conocidas, otras no tanto), apuntes biográficos, acceso a artistas secundarios (con valor contrapuntístico)... Lo mejor, pensamos, su capacidad para contextualizar y ambientar los datos dentro de una historia de las mentalidades (la riqueza, el latrocinio, la lujuria, el orgullo....). Hay un esmero por el más mínimo de los detalles, lo que permite acceder a una perspectiva diferente sobre lo ya conocido. En este sentido, este ensayo posee, quizás, más valor histórico-social que artístico, psicológico (paradójicamente....) o antropológico.
Un problema grave, diríamos, tras las lecciones de Heidegger, Foucault, Deleuze, Badiu, Lacan (o de historiadores del arte como Warburg), es el de incurrir en una percepción historicista constrictiva, la cuál se arroga la capacidad para conocer perfectamente el pasado y de exponer el mecanismo oculto y verdadero de éste. El historicismo, como plantearon todos los autores mencionados previamente, no sirve para comprender el arte. Los Wittkower muestran su impotencia a la hora de centrar su crítica en un psicoanálisis freudiano carpetovetónico: tienen razón en que tantos psicoanalistas de tres al cuarto realizaron análisis artísticos que eran mera palabrería. El problema es que basta leer obras como "Las tres estéticas de Lacan" de Massimo Recalcati para observar como el psicoanálisis (post)lacaniano es harina de otro costal. De hecho, la gran revolución en la historia del arte ha venido de autores como Mitchell, Belting, Didi-Huberman, M. Gabriel... todos ellos han sabido absorber la herencia psicoanalítica que los Wittkower no supieron ver en su momento.
En conclusión, "Nacidos bajo el signo de Saturno" puede ser bien valorado como obra enciclopédica, como reflexión sobre los dichos y redichos sobre artistas y como modo de ampliar el conocimiento acerca de los recovecos biográficos. Pero debe ser criticado en la forma y en gran parte de la tesis... y aun así, tomada como interrogación ésta puede ser muy útil. El problema es que los Wittkower no supieron ver que la obra de arte se abre a lecturas psicológicas más allá de las que (con justicia) critican, y también a lecturas antropológicas, filosóficas, místicas... y que, por ser producto de invidivuos, debe admitirse una interpretación dialéctica a mitad entre la época y el enigma de cada individuo. Los datos que puedan recopilar sobre Durero o Leonardo, tan fragmentarios, apenas si nos permiten, realmente, conocer quiénes eran ellos. Abunda el vacío: no podemos reconstruir la obra de arte sólo con datos históricos. Los Wittkower, en realidad, caen en parte en lo que critican. Por otro lado, sólo han tocado una porción (pequeña, en realidad) de lo que es el arte y lo que es la mente de un artista.
A veces, incluso pareciera que los Wittkower quieren dejar zancada toda especulación. Sin embargo, muchas de sus propias conclusiones son especulativas si se leen debidamente. Una cosa es la fantasía (y ahí tienen razón al criticar a tantos "iluminados"), pero la especulación como tal es un ejercicio de tanteo creativo: es interpretación, feedback, dar vida a la creatividad del pasado. Eso es el ingrediente humano del arte, pero los Wittkower son plomo sesudo...
Y, aún así, es un gran trabajo de investigación y documentación.
January 6, 2021
A simplistic way to think about human history is to begin with warrior societies, move to priestly caste societies, and then end up with the death-dealing world we live in today, the one dominated by the artist or "artistic genius." Woe to those who live in such an era. Not that the other versions of human society are so great; we can hope to join the community of saints one day and be done with all the nonsense that plagues human life on this planet.
1. Earliest forms of history involve the need for constant protection from outside groups. Even in a priestly society like ancient Egypt, there were many conflicts and many tensions dealing with the outside world. Wars between different ethnic groups were the hallmark of celebrations and humiliations. The warrior caste is tragically represented by Homer's poetic voice.
2. With relative security in place, the priestly caste came to dominate society in the name of the sacred. Though there are abuses even here, the main point in life is to honor that which is sacred and serve it. The priest is someone who respects the higher powers that make human life possible. Various rites and ceremonies reveal and demonstrate our collective acknowledgement of those higher powers.
3. The advent of the artist and the ruin of human life. All the foregoing help us understand why it's important to read this wonderful book by Margot and Rudolf Wittkower. It's important for all of us to become more aware of how the artist came to be exalted among various groups. We begin with the Italians because they have the greatest number of remarkable artistic works. Dating this important event at 1437, we discover one Cennino Cennini who wrote in his Book on Art:
Your life (the artist's life) should be regulated as if you were studying theology,
philosophy, or other sciences, that is: eat and drink in moderation, at least twice
a day, consuming light but nutritious food and wine so as to render your hand so light
that it will float, even fly like a leaf in the wind and avoid the company of women. (15)
The point of quoting this passage is to reveal how the higher status for the artist was actively being sought by the artists themselves. It's a brazen attempt to displace the scholar, the priest, and the magistrate. It's all that Plato feared when he wrote Republic: artists ought to be banished in well ordered communities.
1. Earliest forms of history involve the need for constant protection from outside groups. Even in a priestly society like ancient Egypt, there were many conflicts and many tensions dealing with the outside world. Wars between different ethnic groups were the hallmark of celebrations and humiliations. The warrior caste is tragically represented by Homer's poetic voice.
2. With relative security in place, the priestly caste came to dominate society in the name of the sacred. Though there are abuses even here, the main point in life is to honor that which is sacred and serve it. The priest is someone who respects the higher powers that make human life possible. Various rites and ceremonies reveal and demonstrate our collective acknowledgement of those higher powers.
3. The advent of the artist and the ruin of human life. All the foregoing help us understand why it's important to read this wonderful book by Margot and Rudolf Wittkower. It's important for all of us to become more aware of how the artist came to be exalted among various groups. We begin with the Italians because they have the greatest number of remarkable artistic works. Dating this important event at 1437, we discover one Cennino Cennini who wrote in his Book on Art:
Your life (the artist's life) should be regulated as if you were studying theology,
philosophy, or other sciences, that is: eat and drink in moderation, at least twice
a day, consuming light but nutritious food and wine so as to render your hand so light
that it will float, even fly like a leaf in the wind and avoid the company of women. (15)
The point of quoting this passage is to reveal how the higher status for the artist was actively being sought by the artists themselves. It's a brazen attempt to displace the scholar, the priest, and the magistrate. It's all that Plato feared when he wrote Republic: artists ought to be banished in well ordered communities.
September 22, 2020
This classic text is like taking a master's class in Renaissance and Baroque art. It brought back multiple memories of graduate school and the fun times of learning about these eras. I appreciate Wittkower's delicate approach to the backstories and biographical information, giving credence where it is due and raising caution to not over impose 20th century bias. The final page has a memorable section the I want to highlight an point to for others, "Romanticism brought about the most serious change in the personality of artist and in the approach of the public to the profession. When the psychologists entered the arena, artists, backed by an 'authoritative' analysis of the psyche and armed with an up-to-date vocabulary, could state with confidence the case for a free imagination, untrammelled by book-learning. 'Self-expression' and the 'subconscious' became the infinitely complex equivalents to Zuccari's 'fancy' and 'whim'." p294
January 8, 2025
Libro di studio più che per interesse personale, anche se sono interessata! Due autori, non italiani, e marito e moglie; dove parlano di “critica” d’arte e vita di alcuni artisti selezionandoli in sfere come anche: suicidio, celibato, avarizia, criminalità. Tutto molto interessante se vi piace l’argomento.
La copertina, stupenda! Con questa scimmia che dipinge
La copertina, stupenda! Con questa scimmia che dipinge
March 7, 2023
Studiato per il mio esame di Istituzioni di storia della critica d’arte all’Unipi. Molto interessante, unica pecca gli autori a volte si perdono troppo in tangenti personali che mi buttavano fuori dall’immersione della lettura. Per il resto fantastico. Ho preso 30 :)
March 17, 2023
A solid 2,75. Way too technical and meandering.
April 14, 2025
Hearing your voice sends shivers down my spine. Whisper something only I can hear, a promise of something more.
April 24, 2025
Davvero carino e intrattenente, tante curiosità su artisti noti e meno.
Want to read
June 15, 2025___________________________________
FROM BOOK: Artisti si diventa (Angela Vettese)
FROM BOOK: Artisti si diventa (Angela Vettese)
August 6, 2025
Great fun. And buoys me in my journeys. The artistic temperament is the glint of light regardless of the fabric off which it shines.
September 2, 2025
Un'analsi approfondita e ragionata del ruolo dell'artista nel corso dei secoli: da artigiano e carpentiere a filosofo, intellettuale e gentiluomo. L'approccio degli autori è eclettico: quello dello storico dell'arte, del sociologo e dello psicologo. Una metodologia camaleontica, e per questo molto complessa (da attuare, non da leggere), necessaria per la risoluzione (o il tentativo di risoluzione) dell'intricato rompicapo che alcuni grandi artisti del passato ancora oggi rappresentano. Ammetto che gli ultimi paragrafi, infarciti di interminabili passi ripresi da trattati e biografie del passato, sono stati pesanti da leggere, ma l'analisi del ruolo dell'artista rinasciementale, la dittatura delle coorporazioni e le "stamberie" socialmente accettate di pittori, scultori e archietti non solo insegnano, ma addirittura intrattengono.
May 18, 2022
Some interesting anecdotes, but they never really came together into a cohesive whole.
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November 20, 2018Pretty boring, overall. It's full of curious anecdotes. I enjoyed its feel. It was nice to get a sense of life for artists of the late renaissance.
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