DE LA REPRESENTATION

by Marin Louis

Translated by Catherine Porter.

Genres: Art

Paperback

Published May 4, 1994

Reviews

[Yoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

still reading it (by chapters) whenever i feel like it and i am afraid i will never finish reading it. i was introduced to marin by reading an excerpt of his essay (on reading self- representation) called "topic and figures of enunciation: 'it is myself that i paint'." the quote "it is myself that i paint" is from Michel de montaigne's preface to the reader at the beginning of "Essay," written in 1580. i was writing my thesis on something, i don't remember what, and i got into a research on italian and french humanist thinkers. and that short intro to montaigne through marin immediately turned me on to marin as well. so i started reading stuff written by marin. this book reminds me of how dense and great lit/art criticism can be at certain times--yet often there is no narrative lust that drives me to the next page. it is all learning--but then why should anyone read criticism...? still, i'd like to be amused by what they claim that we can get out of a picture, and i do think it is wonderful to be reminded that we miss a lot from a careless reading.