"If something isn't aesthetically pleasing or interesting, doesn't require skills I do not have, and makes a stupid point stupidly, I don't appreciate it as art. That doesn't make me a philistine. It makes me a non-rube."

--Jonah Goldberg

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The One with 500 Self-Portraits

116. Title & Author: 500 Self-Portraits published by Phaidon with an Introduction by Julian Bell (535 pages)
Genre: Nonfiction--Art History
Completed: 27 September 2009

Summary & Review:
As the title suggests, this book is a collection of 500 self-portraits by artists from 2350 B.C. to 1997 arranged in roughly chronological order. Along with the images is an introduction by Julian Bell exploring the genre of the self-portrait.

This was a fascinating book, especially because it was so intriguing to see pictures of these seemingly larger-than-life artists like Leonardo or Caravaggio. Additionally, the introduction by Bell was excellent, both interesting and insightful.

Thank you to my aunt Julie and uncle Chris who gave this to us as a wedding present.
Rating: 7.0

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