Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Getting To Review The Power Of Art Written By Simon Schama

By Ines Brennan


The latest work to be done by Simon Schama regarding his adorable subject of arts is the power of art. In the past, the same author was known to write a bit of historical books, and his famous books on history include the rise of Dutch Republic, the results of French Revolution and also a work about slave trade. His books were mainly international bestsellers.

This shift sees Schama turn his attention to the one subject that is dearest to his heart, and this is the world of arts. Reading his book, you cannot reconcile the fact that he is an accomplished historical writer with the way lets his love for arts glow in this latest masterpiece. It is obvious that if you liked his other books on history, you are going to love this also.

Regarding the book itself, it is heavy-paged, quite oversized and has some full-color prints of certain arts pieces. The pieces form the themes of each chapter. The book is composed of eight chapters, each of which deals specifically with one artist. Most of the artists discussed in this book are printers although there are also some sculptors.

Among the famous artists that the book dwells on are Rothko, Caravaggio and Van Gogh among several other top artists. Schama provides a lot of information about the lives of these artisans in the book. He goes ahead to reveal the untold troubles that the artists had to go through in nurturing their artistic skills.

Upleasantries are also described in this book, as are the unforeseen impacts of these experiences on the artistes themselves. An example is where the author writes of triumphs and failures of Bernini. There is also how he disagrees with his fellow artisans. Also not spared about Bernini is the challenges he faced when building some of the most renowned sculptures today.

Still on the lives of authors, you will also find the story concerning the life of Van Gogh. Particularly, his devotion which leads him to become a painter is much talked about. Picasso does not escape either as his troubles are also laid bare. This is especially his struggles with World War II events. Each chapter is masterfully described, and this splendidly draws the affectionate link between the work of an artist and the work that he comes up with.

It would be wrong to suggest that people require this information to be able to enjoy art. But still, it is very important in changing how people view this subject of art. With such information, people are able to appreciate the kinds of emotions that were at play at the time the artists undertook their work. Like in his past works, such as the French Revolution, Schama has again chosen to concentrate on people and not genre.

But to aver that the power of art is purely about the theme of arts is a fallacy. This book is really about politics, psychology, sociology and philosophy. The kind of information one gets is not just about the artistes, but also regarding their troubles in coming up with their works.




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