Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
great resource for art historians interested in masculinity, Nov 13 2001
This review is from: Adam: The Male Figure in Art (Paperback)
this book seeks to briefly encapsulate the history of the male figure in (western) art. it does a good job of providing a variety of styles and media, and the images are always very interesting. also, as a dancer, it is fascinating to note how the body becomes more and more realistic as anatomy is more fully studied and understood. it is a great resource for those interested in this branch of art history, as well as those who are interested in the way culture has looked at the male body.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thoroughly refreshing entry into art history, Oct 25 1998
This review is from: Adam: The Male Figure in Art (Paperback)
Adam; The Male Figure in Art by Edward Lucie-Smith sets out to explore how artists have perceived and represented man as a subject in every form of the arts. With his characteristic enthusiasm and wit Lucie-Smith offers enough treasures of painting, sculpture, photography, murals from Egypt and Rome and Greece to satisfy even the most avid art historian. It is a pleasure to discover young contemporary artists along side the ancients and the grand masters. This is a potpouri, a delectable, energetic voyage that begs frequent return visits. A must from the current coffee table art book selection for the holidays!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
27 of 31 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thoroughly refreshing entry into art history, Oct 24 1998
By Grady Harp - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Adam: The Male Figure in Art (Paperback)
Adam; The Male Figure in Art by Edward Lucie-Smith sets out to explore how artists have perceived and represented man as a subject in every form of the arts. With his characteristic enthusiasm and wit Lucie-Smith offers enough treasures of painting, sculpture, photography, murals from Egypt and Rome and Greece to satisfy even the most avid art historian. It is a pleasure to discover young contemporary artists along side the ancients and the grand masters. This is a potpouri, a delectable, energetic voyage that begs frequent return visits. A must from the current coffee table art book selection for the holidays!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
great resource for art historians interested in masculinity, Nov 13 2001
By Jack Kirven - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Adam: The Male Figure in Art (Paperback)
this book seeks to briefly encapsulate the history of the male figure in (western) art. it does a good job of providing a variety of styles and media, and the images are always very interesting. also, as a dancer, it is fascinating to note how the body becomes more and more realistic as anatomy is more fully studied and understood. it is a great resource for those interested in this branch of art history, as well as those who are interested in the way culture has looked at the male body.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lavishly illustrated, Jan 18 2011
By Benjamin - Published on Amazon.com
As the introduction explains: "the purpose of this book is to discuss the paradoxes inherent in Western attitudes to the image of the nude or naked male" although Lucie-Smith goes on to say that he will be taking a look at the attitudes of other cultures to the male nude. The author then expounds his thoughts through the subsequent nine chapters looking at the male nude from early times to the present day. The writing is intelligent and informative as one would expect from such an authority as Edward Lucie-Smith. The book is lavishly illustrates throughout with around 100 full-colour and well over 60 mono or duo-tones. Many of the pictures are full-page and some double-page. They include painting, drawing, sculpture and pottery, and photography, some subtle others blatantly provocative. However while the illustrations are well captioned and usually accompanied by a brief comment, their seems to be little direct relationship between them and the text, many artists mentioned in the text are not illustrated, and many illustrated are not mentioned in the text; it as if there are two separate books here. The artists illustrated include David Hockney, Michael Leonard, Andy Warhol, Gilbert and George, Lucien Freud, De Chirico, Picasso, Delmas Howe, Tom of Finland, Tom Binachi, Roberto Rincon, Tony Butcher and many more - but for example no Robert Mapplethorpe who is mention in the text. Adam, the Male Figure in Art make an interesting read, and an equally interesting visual experience, it is unfortunate that there is little relationship between the two other than the subject matter.
|
|
|